Have medals been awarded at every Olympics?

Have medals been awarded at every Olympics?

No. At the 1900 Paris Games, valuable pieces of art were presented instead.

Which United States team still refuses, 20 years later, to accept the silver medals it won?

The 1972 basketball team, which became the first US basketball squad ever to lose in Olympic competition. The US players contend they were robbed in a highly controversial defeat to the Soviet Union.

What do the Olympic rings represent?

The five continents that compete in the Games (Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe). They are joined to symbolize the union of athletes at the Games. At least one of the ring colors - blue, black, red, yellow, and green - is found in the flag of every participating nation.

What is done to ensure a fair start in the track and field sprint events?

Speakers are built into the starting blocks of each runner so that the starter's gun is heard at the same instant by all competitors. Sensing devices in the blocks determine when runners begin to push off. Studies show that human reaction time is 1/10th of a second, so any strong pressure detected before then automatically sets off a false-start beep.