Countdown to the Olympics: SPORTS!

Everyone knows I LOVE to learn stuff—especially if it means I’m busting myths. (Not sure what I mean? Check out my A-Z Challenge posts from this year!)

Learning about Ancient Greece and the first Olympics in school was fascinating, but you know what’s even MORE interesting about the games? Researching the 28 sports events! I’ve learned a lot—so, I thought I’d have some fun today and challenge you to a game of Two Truths & A Lie—Olympic Edition. 

For each of the sports listed below, two of the facts are true. One of them is a lie. Can you guess which of the statements is false? (Spoiler alert: the answers are on the bottom of this post, but don’t cheat!) Okay, here goes!

Football

1. In a form of football played in Ancient China, leather balls were filled with feathers and hair.

2. The very first game of football was played with a basketball.

3. Football became so violent in medieval England that it was banned for 300 years.

Boxing

1. During the Roman Empire, boxers used gloves studded with metal, which often resulted in the death of a gladiator. (Yikes!)

2. Women’s boxing debuted at the London 2012 games and home favourite Nicola Adams won the first gold, becoming a star in Britain.

3. In boxing, medals are awarded in gold, silver and bronze, just like with other sports.

Equestrian

1. Equestrian is the only sport in which men and women compete on equal terms.

2. If you’re traveling to Brazil for the Olympics, you may share space on a plane with an Olympic horse.

3. Olympic horses work out on a treadmill and receive massages, physiotherapy, and acupuncture treatments.

Swimming

1. USA swimmer Michael Phelps is the most successful Olympian of all time—he won 22 medals at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012, including a record number of golds: 18.

2. Equatorial Guinea’s Eric Moussambani learnt to swim just 6 months before the Sydney 2000 games.

3. Steady breathing is the key element of success in the 50m freestyle swim. 

Athletics (my sport!)

1. One of the first athletic events in Ancient times was the race in armour.

2. The least amount of medals are awarded in the athletic events.

3. The marathon is named after the 26-mile run by a Greek solider called Pheidippides.

So, how did you do? I hope you had fun sleuthing out the truth from the lies. What is the most interesting thing you learned from this Olympic-inspired quiz? 

~ Chase Superman Duffy 

Answers

Football

LIE: #2. But, the very first game of basketball was played with a soccer ball.

Boxing


LIE: #3. In boxing, there are two bronze medals—both semi-final losers receive one rather than fight for one.

Equestrian

LIE: #2. Top horses fly around the world on specially designed airplanes and have passports containing very detailed information, just like humans. 

Swimming

LIE: #3. To reduce their times in 50m freestyle, most Olympic swimmers complete the event without taking a single breath. 

Athletics

LIE: #2. More medals are awarded for athletes for athletics than any other Olympic sport—a total of 141, including 47 golds.