15 things you didn't know about the Olympic Games

If there is a chance to support our little frog country, we Dutch are present. Although this time we may not know all 275 players by heart as we did with the lineup of the Dutch national team, that shouldn't spoil the fun. Since last Friday, I am one with the television, and I guess this will be the case until August 11. To stay in the Olympic spirit, I present to you the 15 things you didn't know about the tournament.

1. During the Greek Games, they didn't have concepts like knee pads and sponsored uniforms; they competed naked.

2. Since 1900, women have also been allowed to participate in the tournament, but it was only during the Games in 2012 that female players from every country participated for the first time.

3. Between 1912 and 1945, not only athletes but also artists participated. Painters, sculptors, writers, architects, and musicians could earn medals back then.

4. Have you ever wondered why Olympians bite their medals when a photo is taken? In the past, traders would check if a coin was made of precious metal by biting it. A fake coin would leave a tooth mark, a gold coin would not.

5. Olympic medals are not made of gold, but of silver. The last time they were completely gold was during the Games in 1904.

6. The official languages spoken during the tournament are French and English, including the language of the host country.

7. The famous Olympic torch is lit every year during a traditional ceremony at the Temple of Hera in Greece. From there, the torch travels to the city where the Games take place. It is usually carried by runners, but it has also been transported by boat, airplane, horse, camel, underwater, and in a canoe.

8. The Olympic flame is supposed to burn throughout the entire tournament. If the fire accidentally goes out, the flame can only be relit with a reserve flame that has been lit exclusively in Greece.

9. Over the years, quite a few sports have been removed from the program: individual swimming, rope climbing, tug of war, ballooning, pistol shooting, tandem cycling, obstacle swimming, and distance diving.

10. A sport that was only performed once was live pigeon shooting during the Games of 1900 in Paris.

11. Johnny Weismuller (the man who played Tarzan in twelve films) also participated. In the 1920s, he won five gold medals in the swimming pool.

12. The five rings of the Olympic logo represent the five inhabited continents. The five colors (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) were chosen because each country has at least one of them in its flag.

13. To stay as an athlete in the Olympic village, you must adhere to a number of rules. For example, you must arrive at least five days in advance, you are not allowed to speak out about political or religious actions, and drinking alcohol and smoking is strictly prohibited.

14. Sex However, having is allowed. This year, there are no less than 300,000 condoms available in the Olympic village for the 14,250 athletes.

15. During the London Games in 2012, 165,000 towels were used in the Olympic village in two weeks.

Source: ef.nl