Biathlon
Add news
News

18 Facts About The Winter Olympics That'll Completely Blow Your Damn Mind

0

The youngest competitor in Winter Olympics history was 11 years old.

The Biathlon is the only Winter Olympic event the US has not medaled in

The Biathlon is the only Winter Olympic event the US has not medaled in

Despite hauling in 282 medals in 23 games, dating back to the first Winter Olympics in 1924, the biathlon is the only event that the US has never landed a podium spot in.

Matthias Hangst / Getty Images

Curling is one of the oldest team sports

Curling is one of the oldest team sports

While the exact origin of curling is unknown, the sport can be traced back to the 1500s. In the 1565 paining The Hunters in the Snow by artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder (seen above), you can see a sport being played on the lake that mimics curling. According to the World Curling Federation, the first written evidence of the sport was recorded in 1540.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder / Via en.wikipedia.org

10,004 people were paid to watch the Olympics in 1924

10,004 people were paid to watch the Olympics in 1924

The 1924 Olympics in Chamonix, France were the first Winter Olympic games. Perhaps in a way to ensure it would be a success, 10,004 people were paid to watch.

FOX

Not having enough snow and having too much snow have both been a problem in the Winter Olympics

Not having enough snow and having too much snow have both been a problem in the Winter Olympics

During the 1964 Innsbruck games there was not enough snow to properly set up the events. Because of this, Austrian soldiers had to haul giant blocks of snow and ice from the Austrian mountains for the ski slopes and luge events.

34 years later during the 1998 Nagano games, the games were disrupted because there was too much snow in the area.

Disney

Norway has more Winter Olympic gold medals than any other country

Norway has more Winter Olympic gold medals than any other country

Despite sharing a population similar to Colorado, Norway entered the 2014 Sochi Games with a record of 107 gold medals and 303 total medals. Norway is also one of three countries that has won more medals in the Winter Games than the Summer Games.

Afp Contributor / AFP / Getty Images

Figure Skating and Hockey were originally a part of the Summer Games

Figure Skating and Hockey were originally a part of the Summer Games

Due to there not being a Winter Olympics at the time, figure skating made it's Olympic debut in October 1908 at the London Summer Games (back when the games would stretch over the course of several months). Figure skating returned, along with ice hockey, in April 1920 during the Antwerp Summer Olympics. Four years later, the Winter Olympics made its debut.

NBC

Horses and dogs were once a part of the Winter Games

Horses and dogs were once a part of the Winter Games

In the 1928 Winter Games there was an event called skijoring. Competitors on skis raced each other as they were towed by riderless horses. Skijoring was a demonstration event during these games, so no medals were awarded and the event was not held in future Olympics.

In the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Games, dog sledding was a demonstration event that also never returned to the Olympics.

Jason Connolly / AFP / Getty Images

Eddie Eagan is the only person to win a gold medal in the Winter and Summer Olympics in different events

Eddie Eagan is the only person to win a gold medal in the Winter and Summer Olympics in different events

American Eddie Eagan won gold in the light-heavyweight boxing event in the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games. 12 years later, he was a member of the four-man bobsled team that won gold in the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Keystone / Getty Images

Two separate US men’s hockey teams arrived at the 1948 Olympics

Two separate US men’s hockey teams arrived at the 1948 Olympics

Boy, this is awkward... Two separate hockey teams (backed by rival hockey associations) arrived at the 1948 St. Moritz Winter Games, each claiming to be the rightful participant on America's behalf. The team backed by the American Hockey Association (which was composed of professional hockey players) was ultimately recognized as the official American team.

FOX / Via Giphy

The granite used for curling stones is very rare

The granite used for curling stones is very rare

Curling stones are made from a special granite that is found in only two quarries in the world: the Trefor Granite Quarry in Wales and the Scottish island of Ailsa Craig.

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics cost $10 billion and is still not the most expensive Winter Olympics

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics cost $10 billion and is still not the most expensive Winter Olympics

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi cost $50 billion — five times the amount of money as the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, which cost $10 billion.

ABC

The 2014 Winter Olympics was the first year women were allowed to participate in ski jump

The 2014 Winter Olympics was the first year women were allowed to participate in ski jump

Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty Images

Fake snow was used in the Olympics for the first time in 1980

Fake snow was used in the Olympics for the first time in 1980

During the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, they had to use machines to produce fake snow for the first time to guarantee that all events took place in the best possible conditions.

Sharply_done / Getty Images

Central Press / Getty Images / Via playingpasts.co.uk

The oldest competitor in Winter Olympics history was 58 years old

The oldest competitor in Winter Olympics history was 58 years old

Representing Sweden, curler Carl August Kronlund (left) was 58 years old when he competed in the first ever Winter Olympics in 1924.

The oldest competitor at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, representing Canada, is curling alternate Cheryl Bernard at 51 years old.

Wikicommons / Via en.wikipedia.org

The nation of Kazakhstan will pay big bucks if you win a gold medal

The nation of Kazakhstan will pay big bucks if you win a gold medal

In 2014, any Kazakhstani athlete who won gold would earn $250,000 for their efforts. Unfortunately, the nation only took home one medal and it was bronze.

Other nations also participated in this method of getting a gold medal. Latvia has offered its athletes $192,000 for a gold medal, while Ukranian gold medalists were offered $150,000.

Freedarst / Getty Images

Only 36 countries (out of 195 countries in the world) have won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Only 36 countries (out of 195 countries in the world) have won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Only 44 countries have ever won a medal of any type in the Winter Olympics, compared with 147 that have won a medal at the Summer Olympics.

Surprisingly enough, Iceland is one of the countries that has never medaled at the Winter Olympics.

Yesfoto / Getty Images

And the Olympic Village has provided athletes with condoms since the 1988 Games

And the Olympic Village has provided athletes with condoms since the 1988 Games

Due to the incredibly high percentage of athletes who participate in sex during their time at the Olympics, it's probably a good idea to help them be as safe as possible.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, 110,000 condoms will be handed out to 2,925 athletes. That's about 37 per athlete.

Giphy

Click here for more Pyeongchang Winter Olympics content!

Click here for more Pyeongchang Winter Olympics content!

Charlotte Gomez/BuzzFeed

Загрузка...

Comments

Комментарии для сайта Cackle
Загрузка...

More news:

Read on Sportsweek.org:

Other sports

Sponsored