Trivia Time: 20 questions on the Olympics

We know there are plenty of sports fans out there! So who’s ready for Expat Living’s Weekly Quiz all about the Olympic Games? You can get together with a small group, have a glass of wine and try these out – or stick to Zoom, of course.

#1 What running event is traditionally held on the final day of an Olympics? (The above gif is not a clue!)

#2 Athletes at the ancient Olympics in Greece competed nude, true or false?

#3 American sprinter and triple-gold-medallist Florence Griffith Joyner is still considered the fastest woman in history, 32 years after setting records in the 100m and 200m events. What was her two-syllable nickname?

#4 Name the 1981 British film about two male runners training for and competing in the 1924 Olympics. (Hint: Mr Bean performed the film’s theme song at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012.)

#5 Cassius Clay won a gold medal in which sport at the 1960 Olympics?

#6 Which city is not hosting one of the next two Summer Olympics, in 2024 and 2028: Paris, Dubai or Los Angeles?

#7 What is the Olympic motto, “Faster, Higher, Stronger”, “Victory and Valour” or “Racing the Globe”?

#8 Literature was an event at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, true or false?

#9 Who did host nation Brazil defeat in the men’s gold medal football match at the 2016 Games in Rio?

#10 The equestrian events at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics were held where: Melbourne, Tasmania or Sweden?

#11 Johnny Weissmuller won five gold medals in the Olympic pool before playing what famous film character in 12 movies in the 1930s and 1940s? (Hint: it starts with “T”.)

#12 Which event, held in the pool, is one of only two women-only Olympic events?

#13 Which record-winning athlete was accidentally knocked to the ground by a cameraman on a Segway at the 2016 Olympics in Rio?

#14 What was notable about the Olympics of 1916, 1940 and 1944?

#15 American athlete Fred Lorz had his marathon gold medal revoked in 1904. Was it because: he was a woman; he got a lift in a car for almost half the race; or he used brandy to “enhance” his performance?

#16 Cool Runnings is a 1983 film based on the true story of the Winter Olympics bobsleigh team from which country?

#17 Do men and women compete against each other in any current Olympic sports?

#18 Which four-day sport was reintroduced at the 2016 Olympics after a 112-year hiatus?

#19 Which Canadian sprinter was famously stripped of his 100-metre gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul after testing positive for steroids? (Initials: BJ.)

#20 Singapore has competed in 16 Olympics and won how many medals in total: zero, 5 or 17?

BONUS

Who am I?
(If you can answer correctly on the first clue, you get 10 points, but you lose a point for each additional clue you require after that.)

I’m a female Olympian, born in 1961. (10)
I’m the only athlete in history to have twice received the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic Movement. (9)
Today, I live in the American state of Oklahoma, but I was born in a different country. (8)
In 2008, I participated in Donald Trump’s television show Celebrity Apprentice to raise money for charity. (7)
At the age of 9, I became the youngest ever national champion in my sport. (6)
I went on to win five Olympic gold medals across the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. (5)
I defected to the US in 1989. (4)
I competed as a gymnast for Romania. (3)
I’m the first gymnast in history to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games. (2)
I am Nadia who, starting with C? (1)

All the answers (no cheating!)

#1 Men’s Marathon
#2 True; our word gymnasium comes from the Greek word for “naked” – for the record, women were forbidden from viewing or competing in the Games
#3 Flo-Jo
#4 Chariots of Fire
#5 Boxing (five years later, he would change his name to Muhammad Ali)
#6 Dubai
#7 “Faster, Higher, Stronger”
#8 True, along with painting, sculpting and other artistic pursuits
#9 Germany (Brazil won 5-4 on penalties after the match had ended 1-1 in regular time)
#10 Sweden (they weren’t able to be held in Australia because of strict quarantine regulations)
#11 Tarzan
#12 Synchronised swimming (the other event for women only is rhythmic gymnastics)
#13 Usain Bolt
#14 They were cancelled because of war
#15 He got a lift in a car for almost half the race
#16 Jamaica
#17 Yes, in quite a few, from equestrian and tennis at the Summer Olympics to curling and alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics
#18 Golf
#19 Ben Johnson
#20 Five (one gold, two silver, two bronze)

Bonus: Nadia Comăneci

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Shamus Sillar

While he has worked as a magazine editor since 2003, Shamus also has a PhD in Roman History (useful!) and is a published author. He writes mostly on travel but also covers food, history, sport, trivia and more, across Expat Living’s publications and websites in Singapore and Hong Kong.