The 20 quiz questions
Question 1 : The marathon is named after an ancient Greek battle.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! The marathon commemorates the legend of the messenger Pheidippides who reportedly ran from Athens to Marathon (42 km) in 490 BC to announce the Greek victory over the Persians.
Question 2 : Modern football was invented in Brazil.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Modern football was codified in England in 1863 with the creation of the Football Association. Brazil only adopted the sport later, through the British.
Question 3 : The dimples on a golf ball help it fly farther.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! The 300-500 dimples create turbulence that reduces drag and increases lift. A smooth ball would only travel half as far!
Question 4 : Tennis was originally played with hands, without rackets.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! The medieval "jeu de paume" was played with the palm of the hand. Rackets weren't introduced until the 16th century. The word "tennis" likely comes from the French "Tenez!" shouted before serving.
Question 5 : Usain Bolt won Olympic gold in the 100m at his first Olympics.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Bolt participated in the 2004 Athens Olympics but was eliminated in the first round of the 200m (injury). He only won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he set the world record.
Question 6 : Basketball was invented with a soccer ball and peach baskets.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 with a soccer ball and two peach baskets hung at 10 feet. The ball had to be retrieved with a ladder after each basket!
Question 7 : The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics in 1896 in Athens, paying homage to ancient Greece. 241 athletes from 14 nations participated, exclusively men.
Question 8 : The Tour de France yellow jersey has existed since the first edition in 1903.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! The yellow jersey wasn't introduced until 1919. Its color was chosen because the organizing newspaper, L'Auto, was printed on yellow paper.
Question 9 : The longest tennis match in history lasted more than 11 hours.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! In 2010 at Wimbledon, Isner vs Mahut lasted 11h05 over 3 days! The final score of the 5th set: 70-68. This record led to the introduction of the 5th set tie-break.
Question 10 : Rugby is named after a French town.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Rugby is named after the English town of Rugby, where according to legend, a student picked up the ball during a football match in 1823.
Question 11 : Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! As a sophomore, Jordan wasn't selected for his high school varsity team. This disappointment motivated him to train intensively. He became the greatest player in history!
Question 12 : Volleyball was invented on a California beach.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Volleyball was invented in 1895 in a Massachusetts gymnasium by William Morgan. Beach volleyball only appeared in the 1920s in California.
Question 13 : Golf is the only sport to have been played on the Moon.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission. He used an improvised 6-iron!
Question 14 : Women participated in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Women were excluded from the 1896 Olympics. They could only participate from 1900 in Paris, in only 5 sports (tennis, golf, sailing, equestrian, croquet).
Question 15 : Table tennis gets its nickname "ping-pong" from the sound of the ball.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! "Ping" for the sound of the racket hitting, "Pong" for the bounce on the table. The name was trademarked, hence the official use of "table tennis".
Question 16 : The first footballs were perfectly spherical.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! The first balls were inflated pig bladders, very irregular. The round leather ball only appeared in the mid-19th century, and the modern ball in 1970.
Question 17 : Tug of war was an official Olympic sport.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! Tug of war was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920. The United Kingdom won the most medals. It was removed due to lack of an international federation.
Question 18 : The first FIFA World Cup had 32 teams.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! The first World Cup in Uruguay (1930) had only 13 teams. The 32-team format wasn't adopted until 1998. Since 2026, it will be 48 teams!
Question 19 : A professional golfer can burn more than 1500 calories in 18 holes.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: TRUE! Walking 18 holes represents about 10 km. With swinging and carrying the bag, a golfer can burn between 1500 and 2000 calories in a 4-5 hour round.
Question 20 : No 100m world record has ever been broken at the Olympic Games.
Possible answers:
- True
- False
Explanation: FALSE! Several world records have been broken at the Olympics: Usain Bolt at Beijing 2008 (9.69s) then at London 2012 (9.63s in the final). The current record (9.58s) was set at the 2009 World Championships.




