The
Bluffer's Guide to
the Olympics |
| By
Keith Gregson |
| |
| Extracts
from the book | |
| |
| Olympic
achievement |
| It
is also worth noting that the original games were Pan-Hellenic ('all
Greek' to you, and anyone who will listen) although some potential
competitors were considered unwelcome while others simply refused
to take part. This has become an established Olympic tradition. |
| |
| United
we stand - Vision 2 of de Coubertin |
| That
the games should foster the ideal of the Brotherhood of Man. With
the ideal of the Brotherhood of Man can be twinned the concept of
Brotherly Love (here you could mention quietly that Philadelphia
means Brotherly Love), which is demonstrably lacking at key Olympic
moments. |
| |
| Second
chance |
| The
most important three seconds in Olympic history were those added
at the end of the controversial 1972 men's basketball final which
gave victory to the USSR over the USA. |
| |
| Tennis
anyone |
| This
is one of the most enduring of Olympic sports. It has been in and
out of favour over the years and has appeared in a number of different
forms. These include real tennis, lawn tennis, indoor tennis and
table tennis. The modern form of the game, as played in the Grand
Slam, re-emerged as an Olympic sport in 1988 after a gap of more
than 60 years. |
| |
|
| |
| |
| Reviews |
|
| |
| A
quick read and chock full of the basic information that's needed
to pass yourself off as knowledgeable. |
|
Toronto
Globe & Mail
|
| |
| An
amazing amount of solid fact disguised as frivolous observation. |
|
The
Sunday Telegraph
|
| |
| Table
of Contents | |
| |
|
Introduction
How it all began - the ancient Olympics
Duration
Timing
Events
A few useful facts about the Olympics
How it all began - again
The modern Olympics
The global nature of the modern Olympics
Time and records
Gold medals
Women and the modern Olympics
Memorable mnemonics
Olympic sports
All you need to know in a nutshell
Interesting titbits
Great (or greatish) Olympians
Ancient Olympians
Modern Olympians
Other interesting people
Olympic venues
Travel, time, money
Olympic ephemera
The cinema
Olympic disasters
Olympic cheating
Bribery and corruption
The Olympic spirit
The oath
The torch
The truce
The Winter Olympics
Interesting things about the Winter Olympics
Winter Olympic venues
How to become an Olympian
The telling of the half truth
Playing the trialist game
Becoming a real Olympic competitor
Glossary of terms
Glossary
|
| |
Fortune
Telling
