True or False: Sports

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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.

Explication : TRUE! The 300-500 dimples create turbulence that reduces drag and increases lift. A smooth ball would only travel half as far!

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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!

Explication : TRUE! Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics in 1896 in Athens, paying homage to ancient Greece. 241 athletes from 14 nations participated, exclusively men.

Explication : FALSE! The yellow jersey wasn't introduced until 1919. Its color was chosen because the organizing newspaper, L'Auto, was printed on yellow paper.

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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!

Explication : FALSE! Volleyball was invented in 1895 in a Massachusetts gymnasium by William Morgan. Beach volleyball only appeared in the 1920s in California.

Explication : TRUE! In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission. He used an improvised 6-iron!

Explication : 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).

Explication : 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".

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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!

Explication : 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.

Explication : 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.