Olympic Factoids

1. The Olympic logo consists of five rings

symbolizing the five continents of the world.

The colors, blue, yellow, black, green, and

red were chosen because at least one of them

appeared on the flag of every country in the

world. The Olympic flag was first flown in

1920.

2. The Olympics were cancelled three times

due to world war; 1916, 1940, and 1944.

3. Three continents – Africa, South

America, and Antarctica – have never

hosted an Olympics.

4. The first modern Olympic Games were

held in Athens, Greece in 1896.

5. Women were first allowed to participate

in 1900 at the second modern Olympic

Games.

6. The last Olympic gold medals that were

made entirely out of gold were awarded in

1912. The gold and silver Olympic medals

must be made out of 92.5 percent silver,

with the gold medal covered in six grams of

gold.

7. The Olympic motto was devised in 1921,

by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the

modern Olympic Games, by borrowing a

Latin phrase: “Citius, Altius, Fortius”

meaning, "Swifter, Higher, Stronger".

8. The United States has won more medals

(2,189) at the Summer Games than any other

country.

9. Norway has won the most medals (263) at

the Winter Games.

10. Larrisa Latynina, a gymnast from the

former Soviet Union, finished her Summer

Olympic Games career with 18 total

medals—the most in history (not counting

the London 2012 games)

11. The swimmer Michael Phelps has won

14 gold medals, the most of any athlete. (not

counting the London 2012 games)

12. Only five countries have been

represented at every modern-era Summer

Olympic Games: Greece, Great Britain,

France, Switzerland, and Australia.

13. Only one person has ever won gold

medals during the Summer and Winter

Olympics: American Eddie Eagan. In 1920,

Eagan took home gold in boxing. He later

earned a gold medal at the 1932 Lake Placid

Games in the team bobsled event.

14. Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games

competed in the nude. In fact, the word

“gymnasium” comes from the Greek root

“gymnos” meaning nude. As such, the literal

translation of gymnasium is “school for

naked exercise.”