The first Modern Olympic Games took place in Athens, Greece, 1896. Members of the Greek royal family played an important role in the organization and management of the Games. The second modern Olympic competition was like a sideshow at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris.
The French government took over the control of the Games from the recently formed ICO (International
Olympic Committee) responsible for organizing and administering the new Olympic Games, and the results were, at best, chaotic. The Committee still hadn’t settled on the major events that would define the games, and the rules and procedures were less than rigid. This resulted in some bizarre situations. Paris, 1900
- Image Source: wtop.com/wp-content/Paris_Games_Olympics
Olympic Committee) responsible for organizing and administering the new Olympic Games, and the results were, at best, chaotic. The Committee still hadn’t settled on the major events that would define the games, and the rules and procedures were less than rigid. This resulted in some bizarre situations. Paris, 1900
- Image Source: wtop.com/wp-content/Paris_Games_Olympics
CHARIOTS OF CHEATING – OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT ?
1896, Athens
Human nature never changes. During the inaugural Olympic marathon, Spyridon Belokas cheated by taking a carriage ride for a good chunk of the race. Yet somehow, even with that extra boost, he only managed to cross the finish line in third place...?
1896, Athens
Human nature never changes. During the inaugural Olympic marathon, Spyridon Belokas cheated by taking a carriage ride for a good chunk of the race. Yet somehow, even with that extra boost, he only managed to cross the finish line in third place...?
Spyridon Belokas
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Spyridon_Belokas
Belokas was therefore disqualified, and Gyula Kellner was awarded third place. Nonetheless, following his “victory”, Belokas was celebrated as a national hero
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Spyridon_Belokas
Belokas was therefore disqualified, and Gyula Kellner was awarded third place. Nonetheless, following his “victory”, Belokas was celebrated as a national hero
WOMEN? WHAT A SCANDLE!
1900, Paris
1900, Paris
Twenty years before American women could vote, they were allowed to compete in the Olympics, causing quite the stir. That first year they could only compete in five events: tennis, equestrian, sailing, croquet, and golf, but it was still a pretty huge deal.
Image Source: redbookmag.com/scandalous-moments-in-olympics
Image Source: redbookmag.com/scandalous-moments-in-olympics
BLOOD AND FEATHERS FLY
1900, Paris
Live pigeon shooting appeared for the first and only time as an Olympic event in the second modern Olympic games. Over 300 live pigeons were killed.
American spots historian Andrew Strunk wrote dryly in a 1988 article on the 1900 Paris Olympics, “Maimed birds were writhing on the ground, blood and feathers were swirling in the air and women with parasols were weeping in the chairs set up nearby.”
CHEATING AND STRYCHNINE
1904, St. Louis Olympics
The 1904 long distance Marathon takes the prize for Olympic mishaps. Staged in St. Louis, the modern Olympic Games were in their infancy and, for the most part, the people in charge knew squat about what was required for such an event.
The foot race was set under the worst circumstances. The 25 mile race ‒ which was actually 24.85 miles ‒ started in the afternoon in hot 103°F weather. The roads were dusty and automobiles were allowed to use the roads during the race, making the dust worse. The only water stop for the runners was at the 12 mark. These unfortunate conditions resulted in several unusual situations.
Frederick "Fred" Lorz was a competitor in the marathon and headed the pack of 32 runners and reached the 12 mile mark first. He had to stop there due to exhaustion. As a joke ‒ or maybe not ‒ his manager gave him an 11 mile lift until the car broke down. Lorz ran the rest of the way to the Olympic stadium where he broke the ribbon and was declared the winner.
Lorz went along with the mistake until some spectators questioned the win. Then he admitted what happened and insisted the finish was just a joke. However, one source said he only confessed it was a prank just before being awarded his medal by Alice Roosevelt.
Thomas Hicks was then declared winner, and Lorz was banned for life by the Amateur Athletic Union. He apologized for the prank and was ultimately reinstated because the AAU determined he had not intended to defraud. He continued in the sport until he died of pneumonia in 1914.
1900, Paris
Live pigeon shooting appeared for the first and only time as an Olympic event in the second modern Olympic games. Over 300 live pigeons were killed.
American spots historian Andrew Strunk wrote dryly in a 1988 article on the 1900 Paris Olympics, “Maimed birds were writhing on the ground, blood and feathers were swirling in the air and women with parasols were weeping in the chairs set up nearby.”
CHEATING AND STRYCHNINE
1904, St. Louis Olympics
The 1904 long distance Marathon takes the prize for Olympic mishaps. Staged in St. Louis, the modern Olympic Games were in their infancy and, for the most part, the people in charge knew squat about what was required for such an event.
The foot race was set under the worst circumstances. The 25 mile race ‒ which was actually 24.85 miles ‒ started in the afternoon in hot 103°F weather. The roads were dusty and automobiles were allowed to use the roads during the race, making the dust worse. The only water stop for the runners was at the 12 mark. These unfortunate conditions resulted in several unusual situations.
Frederick "Fred" Lorz was a competitor in the marathon and headed the pack of 32 runners and reached the 12 mile mark first. He had to stop there due to exhaustion. As a joke ‒ or maybe not ‒ his manager gave him an 11 mile lift until the car broke down. Lorz ran the rest of the way to the Olympic stadium where he broke the ribbon and was declared the winner.
Lorz went along with the mistake until some spectators questioned the win. Then he admitted what happened and insisted the finish was just a joke. However, one source said he only confessed it was a prank just before being awarded his medal by Alice Roosevelt.
Thomas Hicks was then declared winner, and Lorz was banned for life by the Amateur Athletic Union. He apologized for the prank and was ultimately reinstated because the AAU determined he had not intended to defraud. He continued in the sport until he died of pneumonia in 1914.
 Fred Lorz - Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Frederick_Lorz |  Image source: unbelievable-facts.com/2017/09/ |  |
The real winner, Thomas Hicks, had his own secrets. Near the 19 mile mark, he started to hallucinate. He asked for food and then decided to lie down. His handlers bathed him head to toe in warm water and administered a concoction of eggs, brandy, and strychnine.
He had to walk the rest of the way and by the time he could barely shuffle. As the result of exhaustion and the strychnine ‒ basically rat poison which has been banned since then ‒ he was one of several of the 32 contenders who became ill. In fact, Hicks came close to dying that night. He gave up running the next day.
He had to walk the rest of the way and by the time he could barely shuffle. As the result of exhaustion and the strychnine ‒ basically rat poison which has been banned since then ‒ he was one of several of the 32 contenders who became ill. In fact, Hicks came close to dying that night. He gave up running the next day.
TUG OF WAR
1904, St. Louis Olympics
Tug-of-war was introduced in Paris 1900 and remained an event through the Olympics at Antwerp in 1920, although the 1916 games were cancelled because of WWI.
Traditionally, the best teams came from Scandinavia and Great Britain, but in 1904 one American squads ‒ the Milwaukee Athletic Club ‒ managed to capture gold in the in spite of the fact that none of the team members were from Milwaukee nor were they members of the Milwaukee Athletic Club. Losing teams filed a grievance to no avail.
Needless to say, the rules still tended to be a bit haphazard even by the third modern games, and the precedent for manipulating the teams had been set in 1900 when competitors from Sweden and Denmark teamed up to beat the French. The fate of the American team in the event's debut is even more bizarre: Some sources say they never competed, while others say they were disqualified.
DECIDE ON THE RULES BEFORE THE RACE
1908, London
In 1908, in the finals of the men’s 400-meter race, American John Carpenter maneuvered to block Britain's Wyndham Halswelle ‒ legal under American track rules, but illegal in Great Britain. Of course, Carpenter was disqualified. Well, after all, the games were in London. Obviously, their rules took precedence.
The two other athletes who qualified with Halswelle were American. They were angry enough at the ruling that they boycotted the final. Halswelle ran the redo of the final all by himself. Guess who won?
1904, St. Louis Olympics
Tug-of-war was introduced in Paris 1900 and remained an event through the Olympics at Antwerp in 1920, although the 1916 games were cancelled because of WWI.
Traditionally, the best teams came from Scandinavia and Great Britain, but in 1904 one American squads ‒ the Milwaukee Athletic Club ‒ managed to capture gold in the in spite of the fact that none of the team members were from Milwaukee nor were they members of the Milwaukee Athletic Club. Losing teams filed a grievance to no avail.
Needless to say, the rules still tended to be a bit haphazard even by the third modern games, and the precedent for manipulating the teams had been set in 1900 when competitors from Sweden and Denmark teamed up to beat the French. The fate of the American team in the event's debut is even more bizarre: Some sources say they never competed, while others say they were disqualified.
DECIDE ON THE RULES BEFORE THE RACE
1908, London
In 1908, in the finals of the men’s 400-meter race, American John Carpenter maneuvered to block Britain's Wyndham Halswelle ‒ legal under American track rules, but illegal in Great Britain. Of course, Carpenter was disqualified. Well, after all, the games were in London. Obviously, their rules took precedence.
The two other athletes who qualified with Halswelle were American. They were angry enough at the ruling that they boycotted the final. Halswelle ran the redo of the final all by himself. Guess who won?
GENDER TESTING with a TWIST
1936, Berlin
When Polish Stella Walsh ‒ defending gold-medalist of the 100-meter dash and favored to win again ‒ lost to an 18-year-old bullet from Missouri, Helen Stephens, Walsh supporters insisted that Stephens’ time was simply impossible for a woman and demanded a gender examination.
Stephens agreed to the humiliation of examination by the Olympic Committee and they, indeed, found her to be a woman. She carried home the gold medal.
Stella Walsh ▼ Image Credit: Getty Images
Image Source: timetoast.com/timelines/olympic-controversy
1936, Berlin
When Polish Stella Walsh ‒ defending gold-medalist of the 100-meter dash and favored to win again ‒ lost to an 18-year-old bullet from Missouri, Helen Stephens, Walsh supporters insisted that Stephens’ time was simply impossible for a woman and demanded a gender examination.
Stephens agreed to the humiliation of examination by the Olympic Committee and they, indeed, found her to be a woman. She carried home the gold medal.
Stella Walsh ▼ Image Credit: Getty Images
Image Source: timetoast.com/timelines/olympic-controversy
 |  |  |
Image Source: Helen Stephens ▲- Image Credit:
redbookmag.com/scandalous-moments-in-olympics De Desconocido - [1], Dominio público
Image credit: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index
redbookmag.com/scandalous-moments-in-olympics De Desconocido - [1], Dominio público
Image credit: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index
The Twist: Forty-four years later in 1980, Stella Walsh was shot to death outside a Cleveland shopping mall. When the autopsy was performed, it was discovered that Stella Walsh had male genitalia, not Helen Stephens
GENDER TESTING UNRELIABLE
1964, Tokyo
Again Gender Testing proves unreliable. Ewa Kłobukowska, a Polish sprinter, competed in the 4×100 meter relay and the 100-meter sprint and took home a gold and a bronze medal, respectively, which were stripped from her in 1967 for failing a gender test.
| Surprise, surprise! In 1968 Klobukowska became pregnant and gave birth to a son. It took years for people to realize that she must have had a genetic abnormality that made her have one chromosome too many. |  |  |
Ewa Kłobukowska c. 1967
Image Credits: Smithsonian Institution from United States
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.
Image Credits: Smithsonian Institution from United States
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.
LOW POINT IN OLYMPIC BOXING
1988, Seoul
It doesn’t appear that good sportsmanship is something one can learn from the Olympics.
In 1988,New Zealand Referee Keith Walker took two point off the score of Korean bantamweight boxer Byun Jong-Li for headbutting his Bulgarian opponent.
1988, Seoul
It doesn’t appear that good sportsmanship is something one can learn from the Olympics.
In 1988,New Zealand Referee Keith Walker took two point off the score of Korean bantamweight boxer Byun Jong-Li for headbutting his Bulgarian opponent.
The Korean crowd at the event went berserk. The Korean head coach Lee Houng-Soo punched Walker and a South Korean official attacked him. After that, at least one other Korean coach and members of the audience poured into the ring and started to riot.
Image Credits: Getty Images - Image Source: Image credits: Getty Images - Image Source:
insidethegames.biz/boxings-battle-of-seoul theage.com.au/referee-flees-seoul-olympics
insidethegames.biz/boxings-battle-of-seoul theage.com.au/referee-flees-seoul-olympics
 |  |
The crowds directed their violence not just at Walker, but the Bulgarian president of the refereeing committee. Walker was eventually rescued by a somewhat slow-to-respond police force and immediately left Seoul. Walker may have been mistaken by the fans and coaches for a Greek referee who'd told the Korean delegation to “shut up” earlier when they questioned a controversial decision.
CHANGE OF MOOD - FUNNY PHOTOS
Fast Forward to some more recent Olympic Games. Athletic games offer abundant opportunities for funny photos. Nobody is posing, and many of the sports require close body contact. If a photographer happens to be in the right place at the right time, some of the results are hilarious. Some of them make you feel mean for laughing but you can’t help it.
You do get to see a lot of open mouths, teeth, and tongues in Olympic candid shots.
WRESTLING
Source of Images: worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-summer-olympics-photos
Fast Forward to some more recent Olympic Games. Athletic games offer abundant opportunities for funny photos. Nobody is posing, and many of the sports require close body contact. If a photographer happens to be in the right place at the right time, some of the results are hilarious. Some of them make you feel mean for laughing but you can’t help it.
You do get to see a lot of open mouths, teeth, and tongues in Olympic candid shots.
WRESTLING
Source of Images: worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-summer-olympics-photos
 |  |  |
BOXING
 Image Source: acidcow.com/funny-olympic-photos |  |  |
SYNCORONIZED SWIMMING
This event offers both professional and amateur photographers to take some very interesting pictures. Looking through the lens, there are lots of body parts superimposed over each other, sometimes in an embarrassing way.
Source of Image: acidcow.com/funny-olympic-photos
TRACK AND FIELD
This event offers both professional and amateur photographers to take some very interesting pictures. Looking through the lens, there are lots of body parts superimposed over each other, sometimes in an embarrassing way.
Source of Image: acidcow.com/funny-olympic-photos
TRACK AND FIELD
 |  |
Image Source: qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails Image Source:
worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-olympics-photos
worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-olympics-photos
| SAILING  |  |
WATER POLO
 | ◄Croatian water polo player Andro Buslje Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk/olympic-faces Image Source: worldwideinterweb.com/funniest- olympics-photos ► |  |
PING PONG
The is another sport that results in many amusing photos, thanks to the many angles at which one can photograph the ball. These players are magicians.
▼ Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk/olympic-faces ▼
 Image Source: qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails |  Image Source: pinterest.com/pin/158189005632300669/ |  |  |
ICE DANCING HAND BALL
 |  |  |
Source of images: worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-olympics-photos Argentina's Rocio Campigli ▲
Image Credit: Eric Feferberg/AFP
Image Source: qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails
SYNCRONIZED RUGBY BEACH
DIVING VOLLEY BALL
Image Credit: Eric Feferberg/AFP
Image Source: qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails
SYNCRONIZED RUGBY BEACH
DIVING VOLLEY BALL
 Image Source: heart. o.ukc/hilarious-olympic-pictures/ |  |  Laura Giombini (Italy) Image Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images; Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk/olympic-faces |
SWIMMING
 Image Source: worldwideinterweb.com/funniest-olympics-photos |  |  |
This could go on and on. There are no end to funny faces when athlete concentrate and strain their bodies. Here are just two more photos I couldn't resist.
 |  |
OH! SO THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO IT!
JUST SAY'IN
■
Sources for “Funny Business”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Lorz
https://unbelievable-facts.com/2017/09/craziest-historical-incidents.html
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31386/11-craziest-events-olympic-history#:~:text=The%201904%20marathon%20was%20one%20of%20the%20most,that%20were%20permitted%20to%20drive%20alongside%20the%20athletes.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
Anniversary of boxing’s Battle of Seoul highlights the continuing struggle to rid the Olympics of controversy in the ring (insidethegames.biz)
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.html
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.htmlhttps:/www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.html
https://www.redbookmag.com/life/news/g3566/scandalous-moments-in-olympics-history/
https://birdinflight.com/world/20160824-marathon-during-1904-olympics.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30478212
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyridon_Belokas
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/olympic-controversy
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41546035
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89624871
https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1900_Paris_Games_Olympics_79847.jpg
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
Sources for “Funny Photos”:
https://worldwideinterweb.com/the-100-funniest-summer-olympics-photos-of-all-time/
https://www.heart.co.uk/news/sport/hilarious-olympic-pictures/
https://acidcow.com/pics/35912-crazy-and-funny-olympic-photos-105-pics.html
https://www.qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails-that-might-make-you-feel-bad-for-laughing/
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/talking-olympics-hilarious
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/talking-olympics-hilarious
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/158189005632300669/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/best-rio-2016-olympic-faces-agony-ecstasy-wtf-1575365
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/158189005632300669/
http://thumbpress.com/can-norway-get-any-more-awesome/#sthash.RSDfwyRp.dpbs
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/10/27-pictures-of-funny-faces-from-the-sochi-2014-winter-olympics-photos_n_4758755.html#gallery/5d023352e4b09d75a615c871/2
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
JUST SAY'IN
■
Sources for “Funny Business”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Lorz
https://unbelievable-facts.com/2017/09/craziest-historical-incidents.html
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31386/11-craziest-events-olympic-history#:~:text=The%201904%20marathon%20was%20one%20of%20the%20most,that%20were%20permitted%20to%20drive%20alongside%20the%20athletes.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
Anniversary of boxing’s Battle of Seoul highlights the continuing struggle to rid the Olympics of controversy in the ring (insidethegames.biz)
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.html
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.htmlhttps:/www.theage.com.au/sport/from-the-archives-1988-referee-flees-seoul-olympics-after-ring-assaults-20200918-p55wxa.html
https://www.redbookmag.com/life/news/g3566/scandalous-moments-in-olympics-history/
https://birdinflight.com/world/20160824-marathon-during-1904-olympics.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30478212
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyridon_Belokas
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/olympic-controversy
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41546035
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89624871
https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1900_Paris_Games_Olympics_79847.jpg
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
Sources for “Funny Photos”:
https://worldwideinterweb.com/the-100-funniest-summer-olympics-photos-of-all-time/
https://www.heart.co.uk/news/sport/hilarious-olympic-pictures/
https://acidcow.com/pics/35912-crazy-and-funny-olympic-photos-105-pics.html
https://www.qunki.com/93428/funny-olympic-fails-that-might-make-you-feel-bad-for-laughing/
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/talking-olympics-hilarious
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/talking-olympics-hilarious
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/158189005632300669/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/best-rio-2016-olympic-faces-agony-ecstasy-wtf-1575365
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/158189005632300669/
http://thumbpress.com/can-norway-get-any-more-awesome/#sthash.RSDfwyRp.dpbs
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/10/27-pictures-of-funny-faces-from-the-sochi-2014-winter-olympics-photos_n_4758755.html#gallery/5d023352e4b09d75a615c871/2
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041711/anniversary-of-boxings-battle-of-seoul-highlights-the-continuing-struggle-to-rid-the-olympics-of-controversy-in-the-ring
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