Tokyo will host the Summer Olympics Games from 24 July to 9 August 2020. To celebrate, we've put together a few Olympic-inspired facts that you might not have been aware of

1 – In 2016 a refugee team was allowed to compete under the banner of the Olympic flag at the Rio Games. Up to 10 athletes were allowed to compete after fleeing their countries.

112 – Golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112 year absence. It has only featured at two previous games – 1900 and 1904.

0 – No country in the Southern Hemisphere has ever hosted a Winter Games

393AD – This was the year that the early Olympics Games was banned for being a pagan festival as it honoured the Greek god Zeus. French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin called for a revival of the tradition and in 1896 the first Olympics Summer Games took place in Greece.

Carl Schuhmann (left) from Germany was the most successful athlete at the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896. He competed in wrestling, gymnastics and weightlifting.

18 – Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina’s holds the record for winning the most amount of medals in history at a Summer Olympic Games.

1948 – Was the year that the first Paralympics took place. It was held in London for wounded war veterans.

60,000 – This is the amount of meals that were made per day to help feed the athletes at the Rio Olympic Games.

The mascots Vinicius (left) and Tom for the Rio Games. They were named after two Latin American musicians.

10 – The youngest medal winner at the Olympics was Greek gymnast Dimitrous Loundras. At the age of 10 he won bronze in the 1896 Olympics. He went on to become an admiral in the Greek Navy.

66 – After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, 66 nations boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Seb Coe taking the silver medal for Great Britain in the 800m at the Moscow Games in 1980. He is now President of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF)

104 – Team USA scooped 46 golds and 104 medals overall at the London 2012 Olympics, which put them at the top of the medal table. They plan to beat this score in 2016.

Main image: French cyclists at the 1896 games in Greek by Albert Meyer.

Suggested Itineraries

Classic Kyushu

Japan

  • Explore Fukuoka’s most famous Yatai with your private guide
  • Ride on the scenic trains Yufuin No Mori and Aso Boy!
  • Stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan with hot spring baths
  • Embark on a boat tour to discover the famous landmarks of Nagasaki
ideal length 10 nights

Classic Mongolia

Mongolia

  • Scrambling up the towering Khongoryn Els sand dunes for a glorious sunset and then sliding back down
  • Riding camels with an authentic nomadic camel breeder in the Gobi Desert
  • Staying at the luxurious Three Camel Lodge
  • Horse riding through the forest to the seldom-visited Tovkhon Monastery
  • Spending the night in your own bespoke ensuite luxury ger that has been set up in the wilderness just for you
ideal length 10 nights

Culture and Nature in Guatemala and Belize

Guatemala Belize

  • Climb Pacaya Volcano for incredible views of Antigua and beyond
  • Scuba dive the caves and reefs of the Blue Hole in Belize
  • Explore the ancient Mayan ruins in Tikal
  • Discover the villages on the shores of Lake Atitlan
  • Relax on the white-sand beaches of the Caribbean
ideal length 13 nights
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