26 Weird and Bizarre Olympic Facts You Didn’t Know

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer—Reviewed for accuracy by the FactRetriever editorial team

Published February 15, 2026

The Olympics are in full swing, and while fans cheer for gold medals, record-breaking performances, and dramatic finishes, there’s a strange, quirky side to the Games that most people never hear about. From bizarre sports to shocking traditions, the Olympics are full of surprises. Here are weird and bizarre Olympic facts that will make you see the Games in a whole new way.

Weird Olympic Sports

What is the most unusual sport ever in the Olympics?
The Olympics have featured some strange sports over the years, including tug-of-war, which was an official event from 1900–1920._[18]
Did the Olympics ever include art competitions?
Yes! From 1912 to 1948, the Games awarded medals for architecture, painting, literature, music, and sculpture, as long as the work was inspired by sport._[10]
Has live pigeon shooting ever been an Olympic sport?
In the 1900 Paris Olympics, competitors shot live pigeons. Today, the event would be unthinkable, but at the time, it was part of the official shooting program._[10]

Pistol dueling was first demonstrated at the 1908 Olympic Games, but it did not survive WW I

Was Dueling Once an Olympic Sport?
In 1906, athletes competed in dueling with wax bullets while wearing protective gear._[3]
Were there motorized sports in the Olympics?
Yes, in 1900, motor boating was included in the Games. Only a few races were held, and they were eventually removed due to inconsistent weather and mechanical failures._[10]
Strange Records and Achievements

Who was the oldest Olympic medalist ever?
Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn won a silver medal at the 1920 Games at 72 years old. That’s older than most of today’s retirement age athletes!_[8]
Who is the youngest Olympian of All Time?
Dimitrios Loundras won a bronze medal at 10 years old at the 1896 Athens Summer Olympics as part of the Greek gymnastics team, making him the youngest Olympian in modern history._[8]
What’s the strangest record in Olympic history?
During the 1904 St. Louis Games, an American named Thomas Hicks won the marathon using a mix of brandy and strychnine as performance aids. Today, he would be disqualified for doping._[15]
Has anyone ever competed in both Summer and Winter Olympics?
Yes! Some athletes, like Eddie Eagan, have won gold in both: boxing in 1920 (Summer) and bobsled in 1932 (Winter)._[7]
Bizarre Traditions and Opening Ceremony Facts

Did the Olympics always have opening ceremonies?
The modern tradition began in 1908, but some early Games had no formal ceremony at all._[6]
What’s the Weirdest Olympic Opening Ceremony Fact?
At the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics, hundreds of live doves were released as a symbol of peace, but some landed on the Olympic cauldron and were accidentally burned alive when it was lit. The moment aired live worldwide and led to a permanent ban on using live animals in Olympic ceremonies._[5]
What is One of the Weirdest Closing Ceremony Facts?
At the closing ceremony of the 1980 Summer Olympics, the Olympic mascot Misha the Bear appeared on a massive screen with a tear streaming down his face as sad music played. Thousands of balloons were released while the bear “cried,” and the stadium and TV audience became so emotional that many spectators were seen actually sobbing. It’s still the only Olympic closing ceremony designed to deliberately make the world cry._[11]

The 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony featured the world’s largest choreographed fireworks display ever at the time

How Expensive are the Olympic Fireworks?

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the opening ceremony fireworks alone cost $1.3 million. The closing ceremony fireworks were much cheaper, at $90,000.
Learn more about the cost of the Olympics._[17]
Quirky Olympic Facts About Athletes

Who is the most decorated Olympian in a single Games?
American swimmer Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in 2008, a feat so extraordinary that it still blows fans away today._[9]
Are Bronze Medalists Happier than Silver Medalists?
Psychologists suggest that silver medalists were disappointed when comparing themselves to gold medalists, while bronze medalists were happy to have placed at all._[19]
Did Some Olympians Really Compete in the Nude?
In the ancient Olympics held in Olympia, male athletes competed completely naked. The word “gymnasium” actually comes from the Greek word gymnos, meaning “naked.”_[12]
Was The First Olympic Champion Really a Baker?
The first recorded Olympic champion in 776 BC was Coroebus of Elis, a baker._[4]
Weird Olympic Moments

Why Was the 1904 Marathon Total Chaos?
The marathon at the 1904 Games in St. Louis included:

A runner who hitched a car ride

A competitor chased a mile off course by wild dogs

The winner being given strychnine (a rat poison) as a stimulant
It’s often called the strangest marathon in Olympic history._[16]
What is the Slowest Olympic Marathon Time?
Japanese runner Shizo Kanakuri collapsed during the 1912 marathon in Stockholm and went home without telling officials out of shame. Decades later in 1967, Swedish officials invited him to finish the marathon. He officially “finished” the race in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds._[12]
What Was the “Whack Heard Around the World” (1994)?
In 1994, Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked in a plot tied to rival Tonya Harding. Kerrigan recovered and won a silver medal weeks later._[14]
Were Ski Jumpers Really Using “Crotch Fillers” in 2026?
In January 2026, it was rumored that male Olympic ski jumpers were injecting hyaluronic acid into their crotches to warrant a bigger ski suit. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) stated that while the claims appeared to be untrue, they were ready to investigate if needed._[2]

Comaneci was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic games

Which Perfect 10 Broke the Scoreboard?
At the 1976 Games in Montreal, Nadia Comăneci scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history. The scoreboard wasn’t programmed to display 10.00, so it showed 1.00 instead._[1]
Interesting Facts About Olympic Venues

What’s the strangest Olympic stadium ever built?
Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium cost $423 million and is now used mainly for tourism, with Segway tours circling the venue._[13]
Have Olympic venues ever been abandoned?
Yes, many. Athens, Greece, and Montreal, Canada, both left multiple venues unused after the Games, earning them nicknames like “white elephants.”_[13]
What’s the Largest Olympic Venue Ever?
The Stadium Australia is Sydney is the largest Olympic stadium ever built. The stadium was originally built to hold 110,000 spectators._[13]
What Stadium Hosted the Olympics . . . and a Dictatorship’s Propaganda Machine?
The Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin was built for the 1936 Olympics under Adolf Hitler as a Nazi propaganda showcase.Even though it symbolized the regime’s power, the stadium wasn’t destroyed after World War II, and it’s still used for major sporting events today._[13]