Classic Olympic Moments

About Classic Olympic Moments

Classic Olympic Moments is a free nostalgia trivia quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 6 medium, 5 easy, 4 hard questions. How well do you know these legendary Olympic moments? A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. Which American track star won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, embarrassing Adolf Hitler's claims of Aryan supremacy?

   Answer: Jesse Owens

   Jesse Owens won gold in the 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. His victories are considered one of the greatest repudiations of Nazi racial ideology.

2. 2. At which Olympics did the U.S. men's hockey team achieve the 'Miracle on Ice' by defeating the Soviet Union?

   Answer: 1980 Lake Placid

   The 1980 'Miracle on Ice' saw a team of young American college players defeat the heavily favored Soviet team 4-3 at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Al Michaels' call 'Do you believe in miracles? Yes!' became iconic.

3. 3. Which gymnast scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history at the 1976 Montreal Games?

   Answer: Nadia Comaneci

   Nadia Comaneci of Romania scored seven perfect 10s at the 1976 Montreal Olympics at just 14 years old. The scoreboard wasn't even designed to display a 10.00, showing 1.00 instead.

4. 4. What controversial event occurred during the 1972 Munich Olympics men's basketball final between the USA and Soviet Union?

   Answer: The clock was reset three times in the final seconds

   In one of the most controversial moments in Olympic history, officials put three seconds back on the clock multiple times, ultimately allowing the Soviet Union to score the winning basket. The U.S. team refused to accept their silver medals.

5. 5. Which boxer lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games despite trembling from Parkinson's disease?

   Answer: Muhammad Ali

   Muhammad Ali's lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games was one of the most emotional moments in Olympic history. Despite his trembling hands from Parkinson's, he held the torch steady to light the flame.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) raised black-gloved fists during the national anthem in a Black Power salute. The image became one of the most powerful political statements in sports history.
• ✓Bruce Jenner won the decathlon gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics with a world-record score of 8,618 points. Jenner became an American cultural icon and appeared on the Wheaties box.
• ✓In one of the most heartbreaking Olympic moments, Mary Decker collided with barefoot South African-born runner Zola Budd during the 3000m final and fell to the track, ending her Olympic dream. The incident became a defining moment of the 1984 Games.