Olympics

Question 1

1984 was the first year women competed in the Marathon. The race was won by this American.

Answer 1

Joan Benoit

Question 2

Only one country in the world has won at least one medal in the Winter Olympic Games but none at all in the Summer Games. What is this principality that has in fact won nine Winter medals, all, appropriately, in alpine skiing?

Answer 2

Liechtenstein

Question 3

Most Summer Olympics have been held at at very low altitudes. The most dramatic exception came when the Games ventured to a city with an altitude of more than 7,000 feet, which resulted in since-eclipsed but previously long-standing world records being set in the long jump, triple jump, and every sprint event. In what city did this transpire?

Answer 3

Mexico City

Question 4

What was the Olympic sport of sailing known as prior to the 2000 games?

Answer 4

Yachting

Question 5

The first Winter Olympics in 1924 were held in this French “commune.”

Answer 5

Charmonix

Question 6

The 1920 Olympics were awarded to what city, though some events were held in nearby Ostend and Amsterdam?

Answer 6

Ostend is the largest coastal city in Belgium, and the only Belgian Olympics ever were held in Antwerp.

Question 7

At opening ceremonies in 1968, hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the Olympic this vessel.

Answer 7

Cauldron

Question 8

After the 2000 Sydney Olympics, various rule changes instituted by what sport’s governing body (to improve the spectating experience) included increasing the ball diameter by 2mm, reducing a game from 21 to 11 points, and preventing the act of ball-hiding?

Answer 8

Table Tennis

Question 9

Which Norwegian town hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic Games?

Answer 9

Lillehammer

Question 10

What is the only US state to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympics?

Answer 10

California (Los Angeles, Squaw Valley)

Question 11

If this U.S. state was a country in the 2016 Olympics, it would have been in the Top 10 in Gold medals with 14 — nine of them by one man and one woman.

Answer 11

Maryland (Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky)

Question 12

This Norwegian is the most decorated female figure skater in history, having won more Olympic and World Title medals than any other female figure skater. She was a three-time Olympic champion (‘28, ‘32, ‘36) and also had a successful Hollywood career.

Answer 12

Sonja Henie

Question 13

Sports Illustrated named this track and field athlete “Olympian of the Century.” He won nine Olympic gold medals and is one of only three Olympic athletes to win a gold medal in the same event at four consecutive Olympic Games.

Answer 13

Carl Lewis

Question 14

Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics did not come without drama, as which teammate saved the 4x100 freestyle relay for the United States with a record-breaking final split to edge Team France by eight one-hundredths of a second?

Answer 14

Jason Lezak

Question 15

Frank Shorter won silver in the marathon at the 1976 Olympics, however it would be decades before another American man would medal in the event. Who ended the drought by finishing second at the 2004 Athens Olympics? (One-word nickname accepted.)

Answer 15

Mebrahtom “Meb” Keflezighi

Question 16

Name the sport that has been an official women-only Olympic sport since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, though its solo event was discontinued after 1992 and it is now only competed among duets and teams.

Answer 16

Artistic Swimming / Synchronized Swimming

Question 17

Kohei Uchimura led his Japanese team to a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and gold in 2016, in what sport?

Answer 17

Gymnastics

Question 18

In 1984, she became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in Women’s Gymnastics Individual All-Around

Answer 18

Mary Lou Retton