With the excitement of Rio Olympics around the corner, people are talking about this gaming marathon everywhere. But, a discussion without complete information doesn’t ignite much excitement. So why not know some interesting facts about the ongoing summer Olympiad to boost your knowledge about the latest sports news?
1. The excitement of Rio Olympics has begun from August 5, with athletes and sports professionals from 206 National Olympic Committees participating in the battle for gold, silver and bronze medals. In just 17 days of action, there will be clashes for 4,924 Olympic medals across 42 different sports. With more than 10,500 athletes in action, this international event is bound to make people forget their daily routine and stay glued to the TV screen.
2. For the first time in the Olympics history, a South American country is hosting the Games. Qatar and Doha were in the race with Rio for the 2016 Olympics venue, but because of the hot and humid weather of these cities in August, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil emerged as the best option. In the bid for being the host city of Olympics 2016, cities like Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo also showed their interest.
3. Golf and **Rugby are making a comeback to the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. Golf was away from Olympics for 112 years, as it was a part of this international gaming event only twice – in 1900 and 1904 at Paris and St Louis respectively. Further, Rugby Sevens is all set to be a part of Olympics after 92 years.
4. Rugby featured at the Olympics last time in 1924, when the USA emerged as the champion of the 15-person version of the game. The seven-a-side variant of this game will be played in this year’s Olympics.
5. Vinicius is going to be the mascot of Olympics 2016. Representing the rich and diverse Brazilian culture, this yellow and blue colored mascot is believed to bring good luck to the event and raise around 1 billion reais through sales of the event’s official merchandise. This mascot was named Vinicius after getting 44 percent votes in a public voting.
6. Refugee athletes will play in 2016 Olympics for the first time in its history. A team of refugee athletes is formed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will play under the official Olympic flag. It is known as Team Refugee Olympic Athletes, and the Olympic anthem will be played for all its official representations.
7. The rule book of Olympics 2016 states that all athletes **should be born before Jan 1, 2003**. So, it is going to be the first time when athletes born in the year 2000 and after that can participate in the event. Most of these youngsters are likely to participate in gymnastics and diving to give tough competition to the veterans.
8. Beach volleyball matches will be hosted at the world-famous beach of Copacabana. Beach volleyball is one of those sports that are very close to the hearts of the locals of Rio de Janeiro, and so is expected to generate much heat among the spectators. Copacabana beach was also the official venue for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup hosted in the year 1995. With many bars and nightclubs around this beach, it is also one of the most preferred locations for revelers.
9. Athletes from countries like South Sudan and Kosovo will be participating in the Olympics for the first time. With 555 Olympic athletes, the USA** will march in the opening ceremony with the longest trail. The next biggest team is of the host country Brazil with 465 sports persons. The USA represented the highest number of athletes in the event (556) during the 2012 London Olympics as well.
10. Paralympic games 2016, the Olympics for disabled athletes, will be held from September 7-18 in South America. Tom, representing a mix of Brazilian plants, is the mascot for this multi-sport event. 23 Paralympic sports will be hosted during this event, and athletes will compete for 265 medals for men, 225 medals for women and 38 mixed medals.
Such is the excitement of this multi-sport event that no one can stay unaffected by its fever. Whether you are a regular reader of the sports news or not you will find the facts about this multi-sport event quite interesting. Also, such interesting facts and news updates will help you in becoming an active participant in all informal discussions about Olympics 2016 in your office and among your friends.
