With the 2012 Summer Olympics in full swing the whole world is watching as new records are broken and new champions are made. Before you tune into the London Games, however, take a moment to reflect on the long history of Olympic competition. From its brutal beginnings all the way to its modern day fanfare, these are 25 things you didn’t know about the Olympics.
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25
A bloody past
The Ancient Olympics were much bloodier and deadlier than today with some boxers even wearing gloves spiked with sharp nails.
24
The first modern Olympics
The first modern Olympics was held in 1896 in Athens, Greece and cost roughly $448,000.
23
The price tag today
The 2012 olympic stadium cost £537 million or $832 million…enough to send one person to the moon 11 times.
22
Goose feathers galore
It takes 16 goose feathers to make each badminton shuttlecock, with the best feathers apparently coming from the goose’s left wing.
21
Diving domination
Since the birth of modern olympics roughly 100 years ago Americans have won over half the total amount of olympic diving medals.
