Olympic Records and Firsts Quiz
Fifteen Olympic records and firsts, from Athens 1896 to Paris 2024, all checked to 2026.
Who is the most decorated Olympian of all time?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps won 28 medals, 23 of them gold, across four Games from 2004 to 2016, ten more than any other Olympian.
Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina held the record of 18 medals for 48 years until Phelps passed her at London 2012.
In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1896
Pierre de Coubertin's revived Games opened in Athens on 6 April 1896, with 241 athletes from 14 nations competing in 43 events.
American James Connolly won the triple jump on the opening day, becoming the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years.
Which city was the first to host the Summer Olympic Games three times?
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London
London hosted in 1908, 1948 and 2012, becoming the first three-time Summer host; Paris matched it in 2024 and Los Angeles will in 2028.
Athens hosted in 1896 and 2004 and also staged the 1906 Intercalated Games, which the IOC no longer recognises as official.
Charlotte Cooper became the first individual female Olympic champion at the 1900 Paris Games. In which sport?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tennis
Charlotte Cooper, already a three-time Wimbledon champion, won the women's singles on 11 July 1900, the first individual Olympic title won by a woman.
Women's swimming did not arrive until 1912, and women's athletics and gymnastics both debuted in 1928.
Which sprinter holds the Olympic record for the 100m dash?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt ran 9.63 seconds in the London 2012 final, an Olympic record that survived Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, where Noah Lyles won in 9.79.
Bolt's world record of 9.58, set in Berlin in 2009, has now stood for more than 17 years.
Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals overall?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
United States
The United States has won more than 1,200 gold medals across Summer and Winter Games, far ahead of the Soviet Union's 473 from its 1952 to 1988 era.
China has been the main challenger since 2008, and at Paris 2024 it tied the United States on 40 golds but lost the table on total medals.
In which year were the first Winter Olympic Games held?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1924
The first Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, initially billed as 'International Winter Sports Week' before the IOC recognised them retroactively.
Figure skating had appeared at the Summer Games in 1908 and 1920, and ice hockey in 1920, before winter sports got their own event.
Which rower won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Steve Redgrave
Steve Redgrave won gold in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000, the last three alongside Matthew Pinsent, and was knighted in 2001.
After his fourth gold in 1996 Redgrave said anyone who saw him near a boat again had permission to shoot him; he was back training within months.
Which Olympic Games were the first to be broadcast on television?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1936 Berlin
Berlin 1936 was the first Games shown on television, via closed-circuit broadcasts to public viewing rooms around the city, reaching an estimated 150,000 people.
London 1948 was the first Olympics broadcast to home viewers, though only to those within range of the BBC's single transmitter.
What is the Olympic motto?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Citius, Altius, Fortius, Communiter (Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together)
Pierre de Coubertin adopted 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' from his friend, the Dominican priest Henri Didon, in 1894, and the IOC added 'Communiter' in July 2021.
The Paralympic Games use a different motto, 'Spirit in Motion', which was adopted in 2004.
Which gymnast scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nadia Comăneci
Fourteen-year-old Nadia Comăneci scored 10.0 on the uneven bars at Montreal 1976; the scoreboard could only show three digits, so it displayed 1.00.
Comăneci recorded seven perfect 10s in Montreal and left with three gold medals, including the all-around title.
Which country hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Games, the first Olympics held in South America, and rugby sevens made its debut there.
Rio also fielded the first Refugee Olympic Team, ten athletes who marched under the Olympic flag.
Which sport was reintroduced to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year absence?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Golf
Golf had last been played at St Louis 1904 before returning at Rio 2016, where Britain's Justin Rose and South Korea's Inbee Park won the first modern titles.
Rugby, also back in 2016 as sevens, had waited 92 years since Paris 1924, when the United States won the last 15-a-side final.
Who lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali, visibly shaking from Parkinson's disease, lit the cauldron in Atlanta after taking the torch from swimmer Janet Evans, a moment kept secret until it happened.
Ali had won light-heavyweight boxing gold as Cassius Clay at Rome 1960, and the IOC presented him with a replacement medal during the Atlanta Games.
How many rings are on the Olympic flag, and what do they represent?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
5 rings: the five continents of the world
Pierre de Coubertin designed the five interlocking rings in 1913 to represent the five inhabited continents united by the Games: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The six colours, blue, yellow, black, green, red and the white background, were chosen because every national flag of the time used at least one of them.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Olympic Records and Firsts Quiz
The modern Games began in Athens in 1896 with 241 athletes, all men, from 14 nations. Paris 2024 welcomed more than 10,000 competitors, with equal numbers of men and women for the first time. In between, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn won a silver medal at 72, still the oldest medallist ever, and a 41-year-old Cuban wrestler, Mijaín López, became the first athlete to win the same individual event at five straight Games. The Olympics are where records go to be broken.
These 15 questions cover the most decorated Olympians, sprint and gymnastics landmarks, host cities, the motto, the rings and the firsts that changed the Games, from the first televised Olympics to the first Winter Games. It suits sports fans of every stripe, from casual viewers to those who plan holidays around the medal table. Every answer is explained, and all records are current to September 2026.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Are the Olympic records in the quiz current?
Yes. Every record and 'first' was checked in September 2026, after Paris 2024, and questions that later Games made ambiguous have been reworded.
Does the quiz cover the Winter Olympics too?
Mostly the Summer Games, but the first Winter Olympics and the symbols and motto shared by both are included.
When are the next Olympic Games?
The next Summer Games are Los Angeles 2028, followed by Brisbane 2032. The next Winter Games are in the French Alps in 2030.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Who is the most decorated Olympian of all time?
Michael Phelps Michael Phelps won 28 medals, 23 of them gold, across four Games from 2004 to 2016, ten more than any other Olympian. Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina held the record of 18 medals for 48 years until Phelps passed her at London 2012. - In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held?
1896 Pierre de Coubertin's revived Games opened in Athens on 6 April 1896, with 241 athletes from 14 nations competing in 43 events. American James Connolly won the triple jump on the opening day, becoming the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. - Which city was the first to host the Summer Olympic Games three times?
London London hosted in 1908, 1948 and 2012, becoming the first three-time Summer host; Paris matched it in 2024 and Los Angeles will in 2028. Athens hosted in 1896 and 2004 and also staged the 1906 Intercalated Games, which the IOC no longer recognises as official. - Charlotte Cooper became the first individual female Olympic champion at the 1900 Paris Games. In which sport?
Tennis Charlotte Cooper, already a three-time Wimbledon champion, won the women's singles on 11 July 1900, the first individual Olympic title won by a woman. Women's swimming did not arrive until 1912, and women's athletics and gymnastics both debuted in 1928. - Which sprinter holds the Olympic record for the 100m dash?
Usain Bolt Usain Bolt ran 9.63 seconds in the London 2012 final, an Olympic record that survived Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, where Noah Lyles won in 9.79. Bolt's world record of 9.58, set in Berlin in 2009, has now stood for more than 17 years. - Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals overall?
United States The United States has won more than 1,200 gold medals across Summer and Winter Games, far ahead of the Soviet Union's 473 from its 1952 to 1988 era. China has been the main challenger since 2008, and at Paris 2024 it tied the United States on 40 golds but lost the table on total medals. - In which year were the first Winter Olympic Games held?
1924 The first Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, initially billed as 'International Winter Sports Week' before the IOC recognised them retroactively. Figure skating had appeared at the Summer Games in 1908 and 1920, and ice hockey in 1920, before winter sports got their own event. - Which rower won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000?
Steve Redgrave Steve Redgrave won gold in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000, the last three alongside Matthew Pinsent, and was knighted in 2001. After his fourth gold in 1996 Redgrave said anyone who saw him near a boat again had permission to shoot him; he was back training within months. - Which Olympic Games were the first to be broadcast on television?
1936 Berlin Berlin 1936 was the first Games shown on television, via closed-circuit broadcasts to public viewing rooms around the city, reaching an estimated 150,000 people. London 1948 was the first Olympics broadcast to home viewers, though only to those within range of the BBC's single transmitter. - What is the Olympic motto?
Citius, Altius, Fortius, Communiter (Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together) Pierre de Coubertin adopted 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' from his friend, the Dominican priest Henri Didon, in 1894, and the IOC added 'Communiter' in July 2021. The Paralympic Games use a different motto, 'Spirit in Motion', which was adopted in 2004. - Which gymnast scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history?
Nadia Comăneci Fourteen-year-old Nadia Comăneci scored 10.0 on the uneven bars at Montreal 1976; the scoreboard could only show three digits, so it displayed 1.00. Comăneci recorded seven perfect 10s in Montreal and left with three gold medals, including the all-around title. - Which country hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics?
Brazil Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Games, the first Olympics held in South America, and rugby sevens made its debut there. Rio also fielded the first Refugee Olympic Team, ten athletes who marched under the Olympic flag. - Which sport was reintroduced to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year absence?
Golf Golf had last been played at St Louis 1904 before returning at Rio 2016, where Britain's Justin Rose and South Korea's Inbee Park won the first modern titles. Rugby, also back in 2016 as sevens, had waited 92 years since Paris 1924, when the United States won the last 15-a-side final. - Who lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games?
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, visibly shaking from Parkinson's disease, lit the cauldron in Atlanta after taking the torch from swimmer Janet Evans, a moment kept secret until it happened. Ali had won light-heavyweight boxing gold as Cassius Clay at Rome 1960, and the IOC presented him with a replacement medal during the Atlanta Games. - How many rings are on the Olympic flag, and what do they represent?
5 rings: the five continents of the world Pierre de Coubertin designed the five interlocking rings in 1913 to represent the five inhabited continents united by the Games: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The six colours, blue, yellow, black, green, red and the white background, were chosen because every national flag of the time used at least one of them.
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