Oldest & Youngest Modern Olympics Medal Winners

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The oldest Olympics medal winner was Oscar Swahn of Sweden.  At the age of 72 years and 281 days he won a silver medal in shooting in 1920.

The youngest Olympics medal winner was Inge Sorensen from Denmark.  At the age of 12 she won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936.

For more information click here to view the fabulous TopEnd Sports: The Sports & Science Resource website.  What did you learn today?

England and the Father of the Modern Olympics

Photo of bust of Baron Pierre de Coubertin at the Museum Colet in Barcelona, Spain courtesy 123rf.com

Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-937) was a French aristocrat, who chose as his occupation the life of an intellectual, became an educator and historian, and wrote on many topics including education, history, literature, and sociology.  He was profoundly impressed by the physical education opportunities in England, and helped to promote and expand them there, but was not successful in convincing France to do the same.  He romanticized Ancient Greece, and also had strong views about physical education and its effect on society.  All these interests, his theories about physical education, and his idealism caused him to want to revive the Olympic Games, to found the International Olympic Committee, and to take an active part in the administration of the beginning of the modern Olympic games.

The Pierre de Coubertin Medal, also known as The True Spirit of Sportsmanship Medal, is considered the highest award given at the modern Olympics, even higher than any gold medal.

There is a statue of him at the Gateway of Dreams in the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta.  There is also a statue of him where he was buried in Lausanne, the seat of the foundation of the modern Olympics; but as he desired, his heart was buried in a monument near the Olympia ruins, the site of the Ancient Greek Olympics.

For more information click here. and click here.  What did you learn today?

Punishments for Cheating at the Ancient Greek Olympics

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Cheating did occur at times during the Ancient Greek Olympics, and the consequences were often severe.  The athlete was disqualified from participating and could also be whipped.  In addition, the athlete, the trainer, and the city-state where they were from could be charged very high fines.  The fines were used to erect statues of Zeus along the entrance to the Olympic stadium, and inscriptions on the statues warned of the penalties for the offense for which the statue was paid to be erected, so that participants were encouraged to follow the rules.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Multiple Prizes for the Victors of the Ancient Greek Olympics

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No mere medal was awarded to the winners of the Ancient Greek Olympics.  The prizes were as follows:

1.  500 drachmai, which was a fortune at the time.

2.  A wreath made of olive sprigs, which was the favored plant of the patron god of the games, and was highly prized by the victors as it was believed to carry mystical powers.

3.  A free meal in the City Hall every day for the rest of their lives.

4.  A statue of themselves erected at Olympia's holy sanctuary for the gods that included their name, the names of their family members, and the city where they lived, which would insure their fame and guarantee their heroic status for eternity.

5.  A poem written by a famous poet of the day, which would spread their fame and insure their eternal heroic status.

For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Women Chariot Racers In The Ancient Olympics

Photo of the Louvre's engraving of "Helena's Return in a quadriga" courtesy 123rf.com

In the Ancient Greek Olympics, rich unmarried women participated in the Chariot Races, which was under the category of Equestrian Events.  There were two-horse and four-horse chariot races.  Since only the rich could afford to participate in these particular events, the prizes were not given to the winners, but were given to the horses instead.  In 396 and 392 B.C. a Spartan princess, Cynisca, won the Chariot Races.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Olympics' Symbols and Facts

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The five Olympics rings stand for the five continents that participate in the Olympics:  Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.  The colors of the rings in the Olympic flag--blue, yellow, black, green, red--were chosen because at least one of those colors is found on the flag of every nation.  205 countries will participate in this year's Olympics.  The motto of the Olympics is "Swifter, Higher, Stronger".  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Who Was At The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

Photo of U.K. stamp commemorating the 1948 London Olympics courtesy 123rf.com

Many famous people from all walks of life participated in the ancient Olympic Games including Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Demosthenes, Hippocrates, and other physicians, philosophers, musicians, artists, historians, poets, and more.  Married women were not allowed to attend the games until after Kallipateira the Pherenice taught her son the art of fighting and trained him for the games, where he won and she was discovered in attendance dressed as a man, and thereafter all women were allowed to attend.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Anything and (Nearly) Everything About...CHEESECAKE!

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Today's topic, Cheesecake, was requested by Professional Zombie Killer, who lists his address as "earth", and is @dvindsgyz on Twitter.

The earliest references to cheesecake go back 4,000 years ago.  The Greek physician, Aegimus, wrote a book just prior to the 5th century B.C. on the art of making cheesecakes.  Cheesecake was given to athletes for energy in the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.

Different types of cheeses are used in making cheesecakes in different countries around the world.  For instance, cream cheese is used in the U.S., and ricotta is used in Italy.  For more information click here.

National Cheesecake Day in the U.S. is just around the corner:  July 30.  On this date many restaurants and cheesecake chains, such as The Cheesecake Factory, offer specials on all types of cheesecake, including the dense & rich New York style, and the light & creamy Philadelphia style.  For more information click here.

There is a Cheesecake of the Month Club, that will send to you, or anyone of your choosing, a cheesecake once a month or in other timely installments.  Professional Zombie Killer lists his address as "earth", so I must assume he will have access to the Cheesecake of the Month Club if he so desires it.  While the club won't specify what kind of cheesecake you will receive each month, they list a picture of a Strawberry Cheesecake, PZK's  favorite, so I assume he would receive one sometime in the year, and probably in June or July or August, which is when strawberries are in season.  By the way, chocolate cheesecake is the number one favorite cheesecake in the U.S., followed by strawberry in second place, and pumpkin cheesecake (?!) in third place.   For more information click here.

Thanks to Professional Zombie Killer, @dvindsgyz on Twitter, for requesting today's topic!  What did you learn today?

Where the Olympic Flag Lives

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At the end of each Olympic Games, the mayor of the current host city passes the flag on to the mayor of the next host city, and the flag remains displayed in the town hall of the next host city for four years, until the next Olympic Games.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Kayaking History

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I have always enjoyed canoing and white-water rafting, but of late I have become a kayaking enthusiast.  Early kayaks were covered in sealskin and used primarily for hunting.  Kayaking became popular as a sport in the 1800's, and became an Olympic event in 1936.  For more inforomation click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

The First Winter Olympics

1987 stamp from Laos depicting the biathlon
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On this day in 1924, the first Winter Olympics began in Chamonix, France, which is in the French Alps.  The closing date was February 5.  The events were biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating.  For more information, videos, and photos from the 1924 games, click here.

My favorite winter sport to participate in is cross country skiing.  What is yours?  (You can leave comments below.)