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Light the Learning Flame with New Olympics Trivia!

July 11, 2024

Light the Learning Flame with New Olympics Trivia!

July 11, 2024

Join the global celebration of athletic excellence and cultural unity with the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games! As the excitement builds for some of the world’s biggest sporting events, we’ve created a fun quiz that will ignite your students’ curiosity and test their knowledge, featuring questions about popular events, notable athletes, fascinating history, and stand-out host cities.

Let the games begin!

All questions are inspired by Britannica School articles. Visit the newly enhanced Britannica Education Olympics page for instant access to a wealth of trusted, enriching articles, multimedia, lessons, and supplemental resources to help you beat the trivia odds!

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1. Which city is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympic Games?

a) Tokyo
b) Los Angeles
c) Paris
d) Rome

The correct answer is c) Paris. Held exactly 100 years after the last Paris Games in 1924, the 2024 Paris Olympics have innovated greatly, including an attempt to be the first Games that align with the Paris Climate Agreement goals, with lower carbon emissions and eco-friendly buildings powered by renewable energy. Even more, each medal will also contain a small piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower.

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2. This award-winning gymnast not only revolutionized the sport, but she also raised important awareness about mental health issues at the Tokyo games after she withdrew from several events due to the “twisties”?

a) Shilese Jones
b) Simone Biles
c) Suni Lee
d) Olga Korbut

The correct answer is b) Simone Biles. After a break from gymnastics, Simone Biles returned in 2023 and reasserted herself as a dominant force in the sport, with 30 medals in four events as the 27-year-old returns for her third Olympic Games.

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Winter Quiz

3. When and where were the Stoke Mandeville Games, which became known as the first Paralympic Games, held?

a) 1960 in Rome, Italy
b) 1956 in Melbourne, Australia
c) 1964 in Tokyo, Japan
d) 1972 in Munich, Germany

The correct answer is a) 1960 in Rome, Italy. Different groups organized the Paralympics until 1989, when the International Paralympic Committee was founded. In 2001, the practice of “one bid, one city” was brought about in which every city that bids to host the Olympics also bids to hold the related Paralympics.

4. How many athletes are expected to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics?

a) 8,500
b) 10,500
c) 12,000
d) 15,000

The correct answer is b) 10,500. The Paris Games will officially begin on July 26, 2024, when athletes will compete for love of sport and country in 329 events over the course of two weeks.

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5. When and where were the first Special Olympics held?

a) 1960 in Rome, Italy
b) 1972 in Munich, Germany
c) 1968 in Chicago, USA
d) 1980 in Moscow, USSR

The correct answer is c) 1968 in Chicago, USA. This event brought together about 1,000 athletes from 26 states and Canada and inspired the Special Olympics International. By the 21st century, there were chapters in nearly 200 countries.

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6. Who is known as the "Pocket Rocket" in track and field, at 5’3” tall and one of the best female sprinters in the world?

a) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
b) Allyson Felix
c) Elaine Thompson-Herah
d) Sha’Charri Richardson

The correct answer is a) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. This Jamaican gold medalist overcame a great deal to become an international star and world championship medalist. Following a notable career, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce announced she would retire after the 2024 Games.

7. Which Olympic Games introduced the Olympic flame?

a) The 1924 Paris Games
b) The 1928 Amsterdam Games
c) The 1936 Berlin Games
d) The 1948 London Games

The correct answer is b) The 1928 Amsterdam Games. Today, the Olympic flame is recognized worldwide as a symbol of peace. The torch relay subsequently made its debut in the 1936 Berlin Games. Contrary to popular belief, there was no flame or torch relay predecessor in the ancient Games.

8. At which Olympic Games was surfing first included?

a) The 2016 Rio Olympics
b) the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
c) the 2012 London Olympics
d) the 2024 Paris Olympics

The correct answer is b) the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While many competitions have been around for years, new sports are still being added to modern-day Olympic games. In addition to surfing, the 2020 Tokyo Games (held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) also recognized karate, sport climbing, and skateboarding.

9. Which dominant freestyle swimmer won 10 Olympic medals and has a record-setting 26 world championship medals going into the 24 Olympic Games?

a) Michael Phelps
b) Missy Franklin
c) Ryan Lochte
d) Katie Ledecky

The correct answer is d) Katie Ledecky. Katie Ledecky is an American swimmer who made her first splash in international swimming as a high school freshman. During her career, she surpassed Michael Phelps for most individual goals at the swimming world championships and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.

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10. In which Olympic Games were electronic timing devices for track and field events introduced?

a) the 1896 Athens Games
b) the 1932 Los Angeles Games
c) The 1912 Stockholm Games
d) The 1960 Rome Games

The correct answer is c) The 1912 Stockholm Games. Known as the “Swedish Masterpiece,” the 1912 Olympics were the best organized and most efficiently run Games to that date. Electronic timing devices and a public address system were used for the first time.

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We sourced all questions and answers from Britannica School: High level. Not a subscriber? Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive resources.

Are you a trivia Olympian? Tag us at @britannica_edu and use the hashtag #OlympicsTrivia to share your scores!

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About The Author

Lori Lynch

Vice President of Professional Development

Lori has a mission to bring effective and engaging learning to educators in all settings and styles. A former early childhood educator and school leader, Lori took a leap of faith into the world of professional learning after 11 years working in classrooms and schools. Since then, and for the past nearly 20 years, her mission for professional learning is to provide relevant and effective learning and coaching opportunities for the 21st century educator.