Milo of Croton: One of the most legendary athletes in the ancient world, this wrestler wore the victor's crown at Olympia no less than six times during a period of 24 years between 540 BC and 516 BC. Read more
In the early morning of 5 September, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany, killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended and a memorial service was held in the main stadium. In defiance of the terrorists, the International Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours. Read more
Chariots of Fire (1981): directed by Hugh Hudson and starring Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers, Ian Charleson and Ben Cross. Tagline: Two men chasing dreams of glory! Plot Outline: The story of two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian who compete in the 1924 Olympics. IMDb
(Participation):
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14 National Olympic Committees (Nations) |
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241 athletes (0 women, 241 men) |
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43 events |
(Participation):
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199 National Olympic Committees (Nations) and 4 individual athletes |
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10,651 athletes (4,069 women, 6,582 men) |
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300 events |
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46,967 volunteers |
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16,033 media |
Olympic torch: During the ancient Games in Olympia, Greece, a flame ignited by the sun burned continually on the altar of the goddess Hera. The modern Olympic flame was first seen in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where it burned constantly throughout the Games. Read more
Barcelona: lyrics by Freddie Mercury and Mike Moran; sung by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. See lyrics
Montserrat Caballe called on Freddie Mercury when the search was on for a song to commemorate the Olympic Games in Barcelona. As she recalls “he was a big opera fan and had come to see me in Barcelona. And when the mayor asked for a song to commemorate the Olympic Games we thought of him. He came to see me in Covent Garden. We worked on some ideas, he sat at the piano and we ended up improvising all through the night, but it was worth it.” The song was an international hit with the video showing both Mercury and Caballe camping it up and winning an award in the US. Sadly, the plan for them both to perform the song at the 1992 Olympics never happened. Mercury died of Aids in December the year before and Caballe, stricken, refused to sing it with anyone else and the song was not performed at the ceremony. Source: BBC
Porro’s One Pot Olympic Poultry
See recipe
Athlete Carl Lewis is an anagram of Will steal the race.
Lord Sebastian Coe is an anagram of In lead to boss race
The Australian synchronised swimming duet is an anagram of Smiling antics: I had my nose shut under water
Robert Lee Hayes (1964 Olympic gold medallist in 100m and 400m relay) is an anagram of O, he best relayer!
Swimmer Ian Thorpe (Winner of three Olympic golds and two silvers) is an anagram of Is more mph in water and I'm the manpower sir.
The swimmer Ian Thorpe is an anagram of Oh, this premier wet man!
The swimmers Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe is an anagram of Phenomenal champs impress with their lead!
Source: anagramgenuis.com
To An Athlete Dying Young by A. E. Housman
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.
To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.
Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:
Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.
So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.
And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.
Those who play the game do not see as clearly as those who watch. (Chinese)
A fool only wins the first game. (Danish)
He who leaves the game, loses. (French)
By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed. (Ghanaian)
It is a bad game where nobody wins. (Italian)
He who makes the first bad move always loses the game. (Japanese)
In the game no one is brother to others. (Norwegian)
In a game it's difficult to know when to stop. (Polish)
Keep your eye on the ball and your head in the game. (Traditional)
When luck joins in the game, cleverness scores double. (Yiddish)
Souce: Creative Proverbs
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