At the outset I am so happy and congratulate all of you for winning the Silver in 49 kg weightlifting category. Congratulations Meerabai. Congratulations India.
Thank you for all the love to the 2nd edition of ‘Curiously Yours’ - a weekly newsletter where I share everything that I learnt in the past week. I personally make sure that the questions/content is designed and curated to arouse your curiosity. Our mission is to make you smarter everyday!
So presenting before you the 3rd edition of ‘Curiously Yours’ - Olympic Special. I will try and avoid any Olympic related fact that I have come across more than once in My life. Would make it as fresh as possible. Let the Readings Begin!
I believe that best way to start is by asking the right Questions. So lets learn about the Olympics through Questions
Did people compete Nude in the ancient ancient Olympic Games?
Answer. The truth is that no one knows. According to one story, it began when a runner lost his loincloth and tripped on it. Everyone took off his loincloth after that. Some say it had something to do with initiation rites—young men walking around naked and sort of entering manhood. We know that nudity was to Greek culture. For the Greeks, nudity proved a sign of fearlessness, courage and power and was also considered a tribute to the gods. Participants would even lather themselves in olive oil to best show off their physique. Did you know The word 'gymnasium' comes from the Greek word "gymnós" which means naked?
Did women compete in the ancient Olympics?
Answer. Women weren't even allowed into the stands of the Games, though young women and virgins were allowed in. Also it was common for Fathers to bring their daughters to the games hoping they would get married to one of the champions. The women however participated in the Herean festival, a race held every four years in honour of the goddess Hera. The Herean race was not part of the Olympics. Also it is believed that the women ran the race with their right breast exposed as a tribute to the Amazon warrior women, a race of female super warriors that was believed to have burnt their right breast so as help them with javelin throwing. Reminds me of Moolakar (Breast tax) prevalent in Kerala during the Travancore times.
How were the stadiums like and where were the games held and why Greece only?
Answer. So Greece had good Mediterranean climate and was accessible. However the same can not be said about Olympia the place where Olympics actually happened. Watching the Games was actually tough. Everyone just turned up and had to look after themselves. Things were tougher in summers when the two rivers that converge at Olympia dried up. Nobody could wash properly and people collapsed from heat stroke. The lack of sanitation led to real bad odour throughout the tournament. In the stadium, there were no seats, only grassy banks. The word stadium comes from the Greek stadion, which means ‘a place to stand’. However, since Olympic was a cultural thing for the Greeks they all supported it enthusiastically. The only people who made money from the games were the local businessmen and prostitutes. The prostitutes earned more money during these few days than the entire year.
Now lets get to the Modern Olympics.
I would like to thank a few of our readers like Panchami, Logesh, Rahul and Himesh who contributed some excellent inputs towards making this news letter. The next few points are only factoids one liners. As I promised I will put only those facts which aren’t commonly known. If you want a detailed discussion on a fact, you can comment below and we shall discuss at length. Lets roll!
Live pigeon shooting was held for the first (and last) time in the 1900 Paris Olympics. Belgium won the gold, killing 21 birds in the process.
The most expensive ticket in Olympic history is around Rs 1,69,000 for the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics held in London in 2012.
The first time gold medals were given to Olympic winners was in the 1904 Olympic Games held in USA. Before this, the winner used to receive a silver medal and the runner-up a bronze, while there was no medal at all for third place.
Charlotte Cooper of UK who won the women's tennis singles final at the summer Olympic Games in Paris in 1900 was the First female Olympic champion.
The highest grossing Olympics themed movie of all time is Blades of Glory released in 2007 , which grossed $146m worldwide.
Ricardo, Raúl, Fernando Luis and Enrique Duarte Mungi (all siblings) from Peru played on the men's basketball team at the 1964 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo.
Winner of the Last Week’s Quiz
SAYAN MAZUMDAR - Sayan please mail us your Gpay/UPI id if you are reading this on quizmumbai@gmail.com. Congrats!
The Weekly Quiz
1. Who is the only sportsperson to win both Olympic and Paralympic medal in the world?
2. What item created in London Summer Olympics 2012 with the help of Wolff Olins costed $645,645 and was launched to much public disapproval in June 2007?
3. What unique record does the third match in the men’s field hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, between USA and India hold?
4. What unique Olympic medal has been awarded to Luz Long, a German long jumper, Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti , Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux , Brazilian runner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima and Self-trained Israeli race walker Shaul Ladany ?
5. Sometimes the Olympic anthem is played when a participant receives his/her medal. In what scenario is the Olympic Anthem played?
6. Which country’s gold medal at the 1952 Olympics was so unexpected that the organizers had neglected to give the band a score for their national anthem?
7. Which of these is not one of the four sports making its debut in Tokyo Olympics- Skeleton, surfing, karate and sport climbing?
8. In recognition to whose Olympic performance the King of her country decreed that all girls born on the date of her victory at the Olympics were to be named in her honour?
To make the Quiz Result more transparent, the quickest person to give all correct answers in the comment section on the link page # 3 edition Olympic Special of (quizmumbai.substack.com) gets Rs. 99/- via Google pay/UPI.
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1. Pal Szekeres
2. 2012 London Summer Olympic Logo
3. Highest No. Of Goals in a Match. 24-1
4. Pierre de Coubertin.
5. It is played when Independent Olympians Win Medal.
6. Luxembourg
7. Skeleton
8. Nawal El Moutawakel
By: Manisha M. S. Amonkar
1. Pai Szekeres
2. 2012 Olympics logo
3. Highest number of goals
4. The 4th Olympic medal, Pierre de Coubertin medal
5. Competed under Olympic flag
6. Luxembourg
7. Skeleton
8. Nawal El Moutawakel