Olympic Trivia (They're not what they used to be!)

[DaleA]

On his way to the 1896 Olympics being held in Athens, Greece, John Paine a member of the Boston Athletic Association team decided to stop and visit his brother Sumner Paine who was working in Paris France. On a whim the two decided to take a shot (as it were) and enter the Olympic pistol events. The two didn't know what the Olympic shooting events were so to be thoroughly prepared they loaded up eight firearms and 3,500 rounds of ammunition (they only used 96 rounds) and set off to the Olympics. In the Military Revolver event John got the gold (442 points), Sumner got the silver (380 points) and Nikolaos Dorakis of Greece (205 points) got the bronze. Since John had already received a gold medal he did not enter the Free Pistol event which Sumner won handily getting a gold with 442 points while the silver went to Holger Nielsen of Denmark with 285 points.
This information comes from The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics, Athens 2004 Edition by David Wallechinsky.

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

...to be thoroughly prepared they loaded up eight firearms and 3,500 rounds of ammunition (they only used 96 rounds) and set off to the Olympics.

Try that now. Not what they used to be, for sure.

Didn't the Olympic Games originate as a competition of military skills? Where has the heritage of that gone?

 

[psyopspec]

Thanks for sharing the good trivia.

 

[blackcash88]

Didn't the Olympic Games originate as a competition of military skills? Where has the heritage of that gone?

They still have firearms competition along with air guns and archery. Then there's the winter biathlon of x-country skiing and shooting. You just never see it on TV because it never gets any coverage.

But, the Olympics is heavily based on human skill and performance because they didn't have the weaponry back then that we do today. Well, maybe bows and arrows.