Watching the Olympics is a great way for you and your family to spend time together this summer. Take our quiz to see how much you already know about the Olympic Games.
When were the first modern Olympic Games held? 1812 1896 1932
What do the five circles on the Olympic flag represent?
How many times were the Olympic Games cancelled? once twice three times
Who has won the most gold medals in a single Olympics?
In which events have these American athletes competed?
Andre Agassi Basketball Sasha Cohen Diving Tim Duncan Gymnastics Greg Louganis Ice Skating Jesse Owens Snowboarding Michael Phelps Track and Field Mary Lou Retton Tennis Shaun White Swimming Where is each of these Olympic sites?
Albertville Canada Barcelona France Calgary Japan Lillehammer South Korea Nagano Norway Seoul Spain Which of these events is not new to the 2008 Olympics? BMX—dirt-bike racing marathon swimming beach volleyball
What determines the order in which teams march in the opening ceremony? Alphabetical order by their dominate spoken language Ordered by the number of medals won in the previous Games By seniority—how long the country has participated in the Olympics
How many total tickets can be sold for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? 3 million 5 million 7 million
How far does the Olympic torch travel? 10,000 miles 85,000 miles 100,000 miles
Answers:
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens. A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin initiated the revival of these ancient games. Only 14 countries participated and approximately 241 male athletes competed.
The five circles on the Olympic flag represent the five participating continents—Asia, Africa, the Americas (considered as one continent), Europe, and Australia.
The Olympics were cancelled three times: in 1916 during World War I and in 1940 and 1944 (both summer and winter Games) during World War II.
Mark Spitz won seven gold medals for swimming in 1972. So far his record is unbroken.
Andre Agassi—Tennis Sasha Cohen—Ice Skating Tim Duncan—Basketball Greg Louganis—Diving Jesse Owens—Track and Field Michael Phelps—Swimming Mary Lou Retton—Gymnastics Shaun White—Snowboarding
The 1992 winter Games were in Albertville, France. The 1992 summer Games were in Barcelona, Spain. The 1988 winter Games were in Calgary, Canada. The 1994 winter Games were in Lillehammer, Norway. The 1998 winter Games were in Nagano, Japan. The 1988 summer Games were in Seoul, South Korea.
Beach volleyball is not new. It first became an Olympic event in 1996. Marathon swimming (swimming 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles) and dirt-bike racing (BMX) will be introduced in the 2008 Beijing Games.
The Greek team always goes first in honor of the original Olympics, and the host country marches last. The other country teams follow in alphabetical order of their dominant spoken language.
Approximately 7 million tickets can be sold for the Beijing Olympic Games. Currently, about 1 million remain available.
The Olympic torch travels 85,000 miles—the equivalent of traveling three times around the world.
For more on the Olympics, go to en.beijing2008.cn/education.