The Olympic Spirit
Explore sporting equipment, disciplines and traditions that connect athletes across the world.
Explore sporting equipment, disciplines and traditions that connect athletes across the world. Take ten thoughtfully chosen questions at your own pace. Each answer comes with a short explanation to help you connect the facts and remember something new.
How many interlocking rings appear in the Olympic symbol?
Your question-by-question study guide
Prefer to read, or revisit what you learned? Explore every question below. Open an answer when you’re ready.
1. How many interlocking rings appear in the Olympic symbol?
- Seven
- Five
- Four
- Six
Reveal answer and explanation
Five — The five rings symbolize the union of the five continents in the Olympic tradition.
2. Which country hosted the ancient Olympic Games at Olympia?
- Greece
- Italy
- Egypt
- Turkey
Reveal answer and explanation
Greece — The ancient Games were held at Olympia in the Greek world.
3. What is the official marathon distance?
- 40 km
- 45 km
- 50 km
- 42.195 km
Reveal answer and explanation
42.195 km — The modern marathon's standardized distance is 42.195 kilometers.
4. Which athletics event combines ten disciplines?
- Pentathlon
- Heptathlon
- Decathlon
- Triathlon
Reveal answer and explanation
Decathlon — The decathlon tests athletes across ten track and field events.
5. Which swimming stroke uses a simultaneous over-water arm recovery and dolphin kick?
- Freestyle crawl
- Butterfly
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
Reveal answer and explanation
Butterfly — Butterfly pairs both arms moving together with a dolphin kick.
6. What equipment is used to propel a canoe in sprint canoe events?
- A single-bladed paddle
- A double-bladed paddle
- A pair of fixed oars
- A sail
Reveal answer and explanation
A single-bladed paddle — Sprint canoeists kneel and use a single-bladed paddle, unlike sprint kayakers.
7. Which winter sport combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting?
- Curling
- Luge
- Skeleton
- Biathlon
Reveal answer and explanation
Biathlon — Biathlon combines endurance skiing with precision shooting.
8. Which sport uses a stone and brooms on ice?
- Ice hockey
- Bobsleigh
- Curling
- Speed skating
Reveal answer and explanation
Curling — Curlers slide stones toward a target and sweep to influence their travel.
9. Which gymnastics apparatus has two rings suspended from straps?
- Balance beam
- Still rings
- Pommel horse
- Parallel bars
Reveal answer and explanation
Still rings — Still rings require strength and control while the rings can move freely.
10. In archery, what is the center of a target commonly called?
- Bullseye
- Crease
- Baseline
- Scrum
Reveal answer and explanation
Bullseye — The bullseye is the central scoring area of a target.