Even the Modern Olympics has an incredible history, spanning so many sports and countries. While I was researching, I uncovered simply too much trivia to cover in one post, so I decided to split it up into two. And I STILL had to cut a bunch of super awesome things out. From Princess Anne’s intimate exemption to Hitler’s alcohol ban, buckle up for some super-interesting Olympic trivia.
India’s Medal Struggle
India has the lowest number of total Olympic medals per capita despite its large population.
Youngest Individual Medalist
Inge Sorensen from Denmark won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936 at just 12 years old, making her the youngest medalist in an individual event.
Pigeon Shooting Event
Pigeon shooting was a one-time event at the 1900 Paris Olympics, where animals were killed on purpose. Thankfully, it was never repeated.
Winter and Summer Medals
East German Christa Luding-Rothenburger is the only person to win medals at both the Winter and Summer Games in the same year, 1988. She won in speed skating and track cycling.
Dual Season Gold Medals
American Eddie Eagan is the only person to win gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Games, achieving this in boxing (1920) and bobsledding (1932).
Munich-Born Gold Medalist
Frank Shorter, who won the marathon gold at the Munich Olympics, was actually born in Munich.
Identical Twin Rowers
At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, identical twins won both gold and silver in the rowing coxless pairs event. East Germany’s Bernd and Jorg Landvoigt took gold, while Soviet Union’s Nikolai and Yuri Pimenov took silver.
Hitler’s Alcohol Ban
In the 1936 Olympics, Hitler banned alcohol in the Olympic Village. However, French and Italian athletes were allowed wine, and Dutch and Belgian teams were eventually permitted beer.
Britain’s Gold Streak
Great Britain is the only nation to have won at least one gold medal at every Summer Olympics.
Gold Medals for Two Nations
Three athletes have won gold medals for two different countries. Daniel Carroll in rugby for Australia and the USA, Svetlana Boginskaya in gymnastics for the Soviet Union and Unified Team, and Akakide Kakhiashvili in weightlifting for the Unified Team and Greece.
Four Different Flags
Yugoslavian shooter Jasna Šekarić and table tennis player Ilija Lupulesku competed under four different flags, representing Yugoslavia, the Independent Olympic Participants, Serbia and Montenegro, and the USA (for Lupulesku).
Princess Anne’s Exemption
Princess Anne of the UK, competing in equestrian in 1976, was the only female competitor not required to undergo a sex test due to her royal status.
Sheila Taormina’s Triple Sport
Sheila Taormina is the first woman to qualify for the Olympics in three different sports: swimming, triathlon, and modern pentathlon.
Dual-Sport Female Medalists
Only two women have won medals in two different sports at the Summer Games: East German Roswitha Krause (swimming and handball) and Britain’s Rebecca Romero (rowing and cycling).
Mispronounced Nation
The island nation of Kiribati was mispronounced by officials in all three official languages during the 2004 opening ceremony.
Longest Name for a Champion
Thai weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon holds the record for the longest name of an Olympic champion, with 31 letters. She won gold in the 53 kg category at Beijing 2008.
Most Common Olympic Surnames
The most common surname for an Olympic athlete is Kim, followed by Lee, both prevalent in Korea.
Cathy Freeman’s Unique Achievement
Australian Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron at the Sydney 2000 Games and went on to win the 400m, becoming the only person to light the Olympic Flame and win a gold medal at the same Games.
Bangladesh’s Medal Quest
Bangladesh is the most populous country to never win an Olympic medal.
Liechtenstein’s Winter Wins
Liechtenstein is the only country to have won Olympic medals in the Winter Games but not the Summer Olympics.
Lucky Number 8 in Beijing
The 2008 Beijing Olympics began at exactly 8:08:08 PM on 8/8/08, as the number 8 is considered lucky in China.
Pregnant Competitor
At the 2012 London Olympics, Malaysian shooter Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi competed while 34 weeks pregnant.
Most Olympic Appearances
Canadian show jumper Ian Millar holds the record for the most Olympic appearances, with ten. He competed in every Olympics from 1972 to 2012, except for the boycotted 1980 Games.
Impact of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics were delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and international spectators were banned.
San Marino’s Historic Medal
San Marino won its first-ever Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, making it the least populous nation to ever earn an Olympic medal.
New Olympic Motto
Since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the International Olympic Committee added the word ‘Together’ to the motto, which now reads: “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together.”
The First Official Olympic Mascot
The first official Olympic mascot was Waldi the dachshund, introduced at the 1972 Munich Games. Waldi was designed to reflect the attributes of endurance, tenacity, and agility.
Katy Willis is a writer, master herbalist, master gardener, and certified canine nutritionist who has been writing since 2002. She’s finds joy in learning new and interesting things, and finds history, science, and nature endlessly fascinating.
