10 Interesting Facts about the Olympics

There is always so much buzz around the Olympic games, and sometimes it’s fun to catch up on the not-so-well-known facts of our competitive tradition. Read on for ten fun facts I learned about the Olympics this week.

1. There will be eight sets of siblings competing on the U.S. team this year, along with a number of second-generation Olympians.

2. The five rings represent the five continents. They are interlaced to show the universality of Olympism and the meeting of the athletes of the world during the Olympic Games.

3. Lolo Jones, Kevin Love and Usain Bolt are among the top Olympic athletes to follow on Twitter.

4. Are you too old for the Olympics? Check out this infographic to see the age range of U.S. athletes and their sports.

5. Athletes aiming for the games need to sleep anywhere from eight to 10 hours a night, often followed by a 30- to 90-minute siesta.

6. The first Olympics were held in Athens in 1896.

7. Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila won his first gold medal in 1960 and didn’t even wear shoes in the race.

8. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

9. When London hosts the Olympic Games in 2012 they will become the first city to officially stage the event for the third time.

10. Want more? This page refreshes with Olympic trivia facts every 10 seconds!

Create your own summer games at Heavenly! Head up the Gondola to make your own tubing hill races, rock climbing competitions and of course the ever popular ice cream eating contests.

Go team USA!!

~Rachel Roberts, Online Marketing Coordinator