Summer Olympics Quiz: How Much Do You Know About the Great Moments From Olympics History?

July 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Olympics start this week. The games will formally begin after Friday’s opening ceremony in London, but the Olympic soccer tournaments start tomorrow.

Last week we tested your knowledge of Summer Olympic events and terminology. This week, we want to find out how much you know about some of the great Olympic performances from throughout the history of the games.

So get ready for London by reliving some of the most memorable moments from Olympics past.

How much do you know about Jesse Owens’s great performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin?

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Great Summer Olympics Performances

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Question 1
How many world records did Mark Spitz set at the 1972 Olympics in Munich?
A
2
B
5
C
7
D
10
Question 1 Explanation: 
Spitz won a record 7 gold medals in 1972, and he set a world record in each of the events he won.
Question 2
Which Olympic Games featured breakout performances by Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) and Wilma Rudolph?
A
1956, Melbourne
B
1960, Rome
C
1964, Tokyo
D
1968, Mexico City
Question 3
In which two events did Jim Thorpe win gold medals at the 1912 Olympics?
A
Decathlon and pentathlon
B
Shot put and tug of war
C
Decathlon and heptathlon
D
Pentathlon and long jump
Question 4
How many total points did wrestler Dan Gable give up during his impressive run to lightweight gold at the 1972 Olympics in Munich?
A
0
B
1
C
2
D
3
Question 5
In what event did Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci score the first perfect 10 in modern Olympics history at the 1976 games in Montreal?
A
Vault
B
Balance beam
C
Floor exercise
D
Uneven bars
Question 5 Explanation: 
After scoring a 10 in the uneven bars, Nadia Comăneci went on to score six more perfect 10s at the 1976 Olympics.
Question 6
In what four events did Jesse Owens win gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin?
A
200 meters, 400 meters, high jump, 4 x 400 meter relay
B
100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and 110 meter hurdles
C
100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, 4 x 100 meter relay
D
100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay, 4 x 400 meter relay
Question 7
Which of the following events did Michael Phelps not win in 2008 in Beijing?
A
200 butterfly
B
200 individual medley
C
200 backstroke
D
200 freestyle
Question 8
Paavo Nurmi, who won five gold medals in distance running events in 1924 in Paris, represented what nation?
A
Bulgaria
B
Finland
C
Soviet Union
D
Belgium
Question 9
American diver Greg Louganis won both the springboard and platform events at which two Olympic games?
A
1976 (Montreal) and 1984 (Los Angeles)
B
1984 (Los Angeles) and 1988 (Seoul)
C
1980 (Moscow) and 1988 (Seoul)
D
1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona)
Question 10
Bruce Jenner, who won gold in the decathlon in 1976 with a world record-breaking 8,618 points, became a regular on what television drama?
A
CHiPs
B
Charlie's Angels
C
Dallas
D
Magnum, P.I.
Question 11
What team came closest to defeating the 1992 USA men's basketball "Dream Team"? (They lost by only 32 points.)
A
Spain
B
Lithuania
C
Croatia
D
Angola
Question 11 Explanation: 
Croatia, led by Dražen Petrović, lost to the Americans by 33 in pool play and by 32 in the gold medal game. Puerto Rico, who lost by 38, was the only other team to come within 40.
Question 12
Which athlete holds the record for winning the most Olympic medals?
A
Mark Spitz (American swimmer)
B
Michael Phelps (American swimmer)
C
Edoardo Mangiarotti (Italian fencer)
D
Larisa Latynina (Soviet gymnast)
Question 12 Explanation: 
Larisa Latynina won 18 medals (9 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) in 3 Olympics (1956, 1960, 1964). Phelps, who has 16 (14 gold, 2 bronze) will almost certainly break Latynina's record in London.
Question 13
How was Jackie Joyner-Kersee—who won gold in the heptathlon and long jump in 1988 in Seoul—related to sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner—who won gold in the 100, 200, and 4 x 100 relay in Seoul?
A
Cousin
B
Sister
C
Sister-in-law
D
Aunt
Question 13 Explanation: 
The late Florence Griffith-Joyner was married to Joyner-Kersee's brother, triple jumper Al Joyner.
Question 14
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won three gold medals four years ago in Beijing. How many world records did he break?
A
0
B
1
C
2
D
3
Question 14 Explanation: 
Bolt broke records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and (along with his Jamaican teammates) 4 x 100 relay.
Question 15
How many games did beach volleyball duo Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Misty May-Treanor lose at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics?
A
0
B
1
C
2
D
3
Question 16
Italian fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti won his first gold medal in 1936, when he was only 17. At what Olympics did he win his last gold medal?
A
1948 (London)
B
1952 (Helsinki)
C
1956 (Melbourne)
D
1960 (Rome)
Question 17
Michael Phelps famously won a record 8 gold medals in Beijing in 2008. How many gold medals did he win in Athens in 2004?
A
4
B
5
C
6
D
7
Question 17 Explanation: 
Phelps won 6 gold medals and 2 bronze in Athens.
Question 18
In 1968 in Mexico City, American Bob Beamon set a world record that would stand for 23 years. In what event did he set the record?
A
High jump
B
Shot put
C
Pole vault
D
Long jump
Question 18 Explanation: 
Beamon jumped an incredible 8.9 meters (29 feet, 2.5 inches) in Mexico City. Mike Powell broke Beamon's record in 1991.
Question 19
"Flying Housewife" Fanny Blankers-Koen, the 30-year-old mother of two who won four track-and-field gold medals in London in 1948, represented what country?
A
The United States
B
Canada
C
The Netherlands
D
Poland
Question 20
Kerri Strug's famous vault on a bad ankle clinched a gold medal for the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 1996 games in Atlanta. Who was the only American woman to win a gymnastics individual gold medal in Atlanta?
A
Kerri Strug
B
Dominique Dawes
C
Amy Chow
D
Shannon Miller
Question 20 Explanation: 
Miller won gold in the balance beam.
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About Josh Tinley

Josh Tinley writes the Away From The Action column at Midwest Sports Fans, covering all aspects of sport aside from what actually happens on the field, court, or track. Josh grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from the University of Evansville and Vanderbilt Divinity School. He is the author of Kneeling in the End Zone: Spiritual Lessons From the World of Sports and the managing editor of LinC, a weekly curriculum for teens that explores the intersection of faith and culture. Josh lives outside Nashville with his wife, Ashlee, and children, Meyer (7), Resha Kate (5), and Malachi (3). He will not allow himself to die before the Evansville Purple Aces make another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Follow him on Twitter @joshtinley or send him an e-mail.

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