Interesting facts about Olympics you didn't know
What's the story
The rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be underway on July 23. Most of the athletes have reached their respective training bases in the Japanese capital. The mega sporting event was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first such instance in the history of Olympic sports. There are a number of interesting facts associated with the Olympics. Here's more.
History
The first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC
As per National Geographic, the original Olympics took place in 776 BC. They began as part of an Ancient Greek festival, which celebrated Zeus, the Greek God of sky and weather. The Ancient Games featured wrestling, boxing, long jump, javelin, discus, and chariot racing, and lasted for nearly months. Coroebus, a cook from the city of Elis, was the first Olympic champion.
Cost
Tokyo Games: COVID-19 pandemic turns out to be costly
As per reports, the initial budget for Tokyo Games was approximately $12.6 billion. However, the cost has gone up to $15.4 billion. Due to the pandemic, the cost has gone up by 22%. The added sum is because of the one-year delay and contract re-negotiations. Interestingly, audits by the Japanese government show the actual costs are higher than official costs, predicted around $25 billion.
Berlin
1936 Olympics: When medals were cut into half
According to ef.com, during the 1936 Berlin Games, two Japanese pole-vaulters were tied for second place. Instead of competing for the event again, they cut the silver and bronze medals in half and fused the two different halves together. This was done so that each of them had a half-silver and half-bronze medal.
Weissmuller
From being an athlete to playing Tarzan on screen
American Johnny Weissmuller was a swimmer and represented his nation at the Olympics. He won three individual gold medals in the 1924 Paris Games, besides a silver in the team event. In the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, Weissmuller pocketed another two gold medals. Later on, he turned into an actor, playing Tarzan in 12 films.
London Games
2012 London Olympics: Unique happenings
The 2012 London Games were the first Olympics in which all participating nations sent female athletes. Also, history was scripted when Wojdan Shaherkani became the first Saudi Arabian woman to compete at the Games when she took part in the +78kg judo competition. Meanwhile, during the event, the Olympic Village required around 165,000 towels for a bit more than two weeks of activity.