1 If it was Ron Clarke in 1956, Giancarlo Peris in 1960, Yoshinori Sakai in 1964, Sergey Belov in 1980, and Rafer Johnson in 1984, who was it in 1996?
2 Which Olympic sport was modelled to simulate the skills required by a 19th-century cavalry officer behind enemy lines?
3 In the 1952 Olympics, the gold medallist in this event was Japan’s Ishii Sobachi, the silver medal was won by Russia’s Rashid Mamedekov. Who won the bronze?
4 US swimming ace Michael Phelps leads the tally of total Olympics medals with a staggering 22, including 18 gold medals over three Olympics. Who headed the tally with 18 medals before Phelps?
5 Which 1981 film was a recurring theme during the promotion of the London Olympic Games in 2012?
6 Which two nations marched together under a common flag during the 2000 Sydney Olympics?
7 One of the most heart-rending sights in the modern Games was a father coming on to the track to help his son, a medal favourite, finish after the athlete tore his hamstring halfway through a semi-final race. Just name the British athlete?
8 Joe Frazier won the heavyweight gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, beating German Hans Huber in the final. Who succeeded him to the title in 1968?
9 What connects the Indian football team to the 1948 Olympics, legendary Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila and South African middle-distance star Zola Budd?
10 The Olympic Games of the ’70s and ’80s were marred by a series of boycotts. The US and its allies boycotted the Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Eastern Bloc returned the favour by boycotting the Los Angeles Games in 1984. But over which nation’s participation did 22 African nations boycott the 1976 Montreal Olympics?
Answers
1. Muhammad Ali. These were all sportsmen who lit the Olympic Flame to formally start the event
2. The Modern Pentathlon comprising fencing, 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping, pistol shooting and a cross-country run. General Patton was a participant in the 1912 Olympic Games
3. KD Jadhav of India in the Bantam Weight wrestling category; India’s first individual medal
4. Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who earned 18 Olympic medals, including nine golds
5. Chariots of Fire, the story of two British athletes during the 1924 Summer Olympics. The theme of the film was also performed during the Opening Ceremony by the London Symphony Orchestra
6. North and South Korea. Sadly, the bonhomie and cooperation did not last too long
7. Derek Redmond, during the 400m event in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Incredibly moving
8. George Foreman, who also went on to an equally glittering professional career
9. They all participated barefoot. Bikila won the 1960 Rome marathon running barefoot
10. New Zealand, because it had sent its national rugby team, the All Blacks, to play in South Africa, which was under apartheid
Joy Bhattacharjyais a quizmaster and Project Director, FIFA U-17 World Cup
Follow Joy on Twitter @joybhattacharj