1. Figure skating was initially part of the Summer Olympics.
Before the advent of the Winter Olympics in 1924, men’s, women’s
and pairs figure skating events were part of the programs for
the 1908 and 1920 Summer Olympics. Ice hockey also made its
Olympic debut at the 1920 Summer Games. 2. Olympic champions
last received solid gold medals in 1912. Olympic runners-up can
take some consolation in the fact that there isn’t much
difference between their silver medals and the gold medals
awarded to winners. Medals made with pure gold were last awarded
in 1912, and winners today receive medals that are 93 percent
silver and 6 percent copper, with just 6 grams of gold.
(Champions in the first modern Olympics in 1896 received silver,
not gold, medals. The traditional awarding of gold, silver and
bronze medals to the top three finishers began in 1904.) 3. The
Summer Games used to span months, starting in the spring and
ending in the fall. Think the 17 days scheduled for the 2012
Summer Games is too long? It’s nothing