The Olympics, think you can get gold?


By: Scott Nordlund

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

The all encompassing Olympic quiz

Where was the first modern Olympics held?

In 1896, Athens hosted the first ever modern Olympic games, and it was chosen due to its historic connection with the Olympics, as the original home to them.


Where were the first Winter Olympics held?

In 1924, Chamonix, France hosted the first Winter Olympics, due to its Alpine landscape, and to appease the French Olympic officials.


What nation has won the most medals in the Summer Olympics?

The USA has won the most medals in the Summer Olympics, and this trend has continued during the 2016 Rio Games as the eclipsed the 1000 medal mark.


What nation has won the most medals in the Winter Olympics?

The Norwegians have won the most medals in the Winter Olympics, with dominance in skiing and other Nordic events.


Antarctica and what other continent has not hosted an Olympic games?

No African country has ever hosted the Olympic games. Maybe South Africa one of these days?


What nation in the southern hemisphere has hosted a Winter Olympic game?

There is no southern hemisphere nation that has ever hosted the Winter Olympics, but Peru, New Zealand or Chile could certainly host


What nation's woman was the last to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics?

Clara Hughs from Canada won medals on the bike, and on speed skates, and is now a successful commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation


What USA athlete holds the record for the number of medals in an Olympic career?

Phelps has won a total of 28 medals in the pool over 4 Olympics (2004,2008,2012,2016) in multiple disciplines, all of which have been in swimming.


What countries baron founded the International Olympic Committee?

Coubertin is known as the founder of the Olympics and was from France. Thus French is one of the official Olympic languages


What year's Olympics were the first to allow woman?

Pairs 1900 was the first Olympic games to allow woman, and they were awarded paintings instead of medals. Medals were awarded at the 1904 Olympics once again, but if you find an Olympic painting they have been going for over six figures on the open market.


In what country was the first country to utilize electronic timing?

Stockholm 1920 in Sweden were the first Olympics to utilize electronic timing and it has continued to this day with Timex being the current official timer.


What Olympics were first televised by US TV?

Rome 1960 was the first games televised by US TV, and ever since that the Olympics have seen corporate sponsors take part to promote their brands


What Olympics had the most countries attend?

Rio 2016 hosted the most amount of countries ever for the Olympics,which included a refugee team, and we look to see this trend increase.


What kind of animal was the 1976 Montreal games mascot?

Amik was a beaver, which is only natural for a Canadian Olympic games, although Calgary and Vancouver decided to go away from the animal theme for their Olympic games


Which famous hockey player helped ignite the cauldron at Vancouver 2010?

Wayne Gretzky was given the honour of lighting the cauldron at Vancouver 2010, and #99 had some problems initially, but the cauldron did light!


How long is the last event of the summer Olympics (the Marathon)

42.2 km is the exact length of the Olympic marathon, and is the last event of the Summer Olympics every year, and ends in the Olympic Stadium


The Olympics in Ancient Rome were to honor what god?

The Olympics were meant to honor Zeus, and I am sure he was mightily honored


What non-Asian country broke up the monopoly of Asian dominance in field hockey?

West Germany won the gold in Munich in 1972, which broke up the long standing tradition of Pakistan and Indian dominance in the sport. Since, the Netherlands have seen a recent push for the South Asian countries.


How many Olympics has London held?

London has hosted three Olympics; 1908,1948, 2012, and at this point we might see it host its fourth soon enough.


Where was the Olympic motto first used?

The Olympic motto was first used in Paris 1924, and is the hendiatris Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger


How many sports were in the first Olympic games in Athens?

Athens had 9 sports; Athletics, Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling


How many sports were included in the Rio games in 2016?

The Olympics in Rio held 28 sports this summer and 2 more are being added for Tokyo that we know of currently. (Softball and Baseball)


Where did aquatics make its debut?

Aquatics first debuted in 1896 in Athens, the first Olympics, and Phelps would have swept every event with ease.


What was the last year of both the Winter and Summer Olympics in the same year?

The IOC decided to utilize a two year cycle ever since 1992 and have Summer and Winter games separated by two years. For instance, we have just finished the Rio 2016 games, and next is in South Korea for the winter games in 2018.


Where did the Olympic flag make its debut?

The Olympic flag made its debut in 1920 in Antwerp Belgium and has flown at every Olympics, alongside the host nations flag, ever since. The rings also contain at least one color of every nation to complete the flag


The triathlon has running, biking and what other event?

An Olympic triathlon has a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km bike and a 10 km run


What event is called the ultimate test?

The decathlon is what separates the men from the boys in the Olympics, and is known as the ultimate test of an athlete with 10 events, including track and field events that test strength, speed and endurance


What sport made its reintroduction in 2016?

Golf made its reintroduction in 2016 in Rio, the last time we saw the links honor Olympians was in the 1904 games. The global game is right at home as an Olympic event once again!


What city will become the first to host a Winter and Summer games in 2022?

Beijing hosted in 2008 and is now hosting the Winter Olympics in 2022 after defeating a bid from Kazakhstan for the games. We saw Finland and Germany drop out of the running before the vote due to concerns from the citizens over the cost of the games


What year did cricket make its only entry into the games?

Cricket was played in the 1900 games and England won the gold, with the French winning the silver, there were no other teams competing. Most of the British team was comprised of English foreign service workers, and wanted the day off from work!


What colour is the background of the Olympic flag?

White, the Olympic flag is white to symbolize peace with the multicolored rings sitting over it.


What rule in athletics is not the same in other international competitions

According to the Olympics, athletes do not need to wear shoes on the track, although it might be a bit tough on the soles of the feet after a few steps!


Which sport includes takedowns, escapes, and reversals?

Wrestling is the sport that includes takedowns, escapes and reversals. Wrestling is one of the original sports in the Olympics and continues to wow crowds every Olympics with the speed and skill necessary to compete at the highest levels


In what year did basketball debut as a medal event at the Olympics with professionals?

The Dream Team from the USA, debuted in 1992 in Barcelona and spurred on the run of seven straight gold medals for the USA in mens and womans basketball


Mascots have become an accepted symbol for the Olympic Games, with each host country for both Summer and Winter Games coming up with their own. In what year and Games was the Olympic mascot officially recognized?

The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City was the first to have an Olympic Mascot. It was a Red Jaguar, an animal prominent in many Aztec legends. Since then, Olympic Mascots have become more comical and a huge hit with the kids


Explore More Quizzes

About Zoo

Our goal at is to keep you entertained in this crazy life we all live.

We want you to look inward and explore new and interesting things about yourself. We want you to look outward and marvel at the world around you. We want you to laugh at past memories that helped shape the person you’ve become. We want to dream with you about all your future holds. Our hope is our quizzes and articles inspire you to do just that.

Life is a zoo! Embrace it on