Deck 16: The Cold War Olympics: 1948 - 1988

Question 1

Which of the following are false?

A) The Baron de Coubertin and all of the ensuing IOC presidents believed that the Olympic Games have the potential to promote peace and international understanding and thereby help to avoid wars.
B) In 1936, the IOC selected Tokyo as host city for the 1940 Olympiad but the Tokyo Olympiad never took place because of World War II.
C) Since Tokyo was involved in war, the IOC then awarded the Olympic Games to Helsinki, however, Finland was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939 and had to bow out.
D) None of the above are false
E) All of the above are false

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following are true? The 1948 Olympic Games

A) were held in London.
B) were impacted by the political ramifications of the Cold War.
C) was threatened with a boycott by Arab nations if Israel were allowed to compete in the Olympics.
D) All of the above are true
E) A and C only

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The V^th Winter Olympics

A) were held in Denver in 1948.
B) was void of scandals of any kind.
C) gave the American Ice Hockey Team win the gold medal.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

During the 1952 Helsinki Olympiad

A) the global political situation was not very friendly between the United States and the Soviet Union.
B) B the media made reference to the Olympics as the "Cold War of Sports" because it was the first time that the Russians and Americans would meet in the Olympics since 1912.
C) athletes from the Soviet Union were not permitted to associate with athletes from other countries and were housed in their own private Olympic Village which was close to a Russian naval base.
D) the IOC had to cope with boycotts, threats, an political propaganda.
E) All of the above.

Question 5

The 1952 Winter Olympics

A) were held in Lake Placid.
B) were the first time the Soviet Union won the team championship.
C)Richard "Dick" Button from the United States won the gold medal in men's figure skating while his . teammate, Andrea Meade Lawrence won the gold medal in the women's giant slalom.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 6

The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne

A) was given a "political" forecast by the Associated Press.
B) struggled with political boycotts.
C) saw the Soviet Union capture the "unofficial" team championship
D) saw athletes from Eastern Block countries used the Olympic Games as a means to defect to the West.
E) All of the above.

Question 7

With regard to the 1956 Melbourne Olympiad, which of the following is true?

A) American Olympian Willye White was a 16 year old African-American high school sophomore from Mississippi when she won the silver medal in the long jump.
B) White is the only American Olympian that represented the United States in 5 consecutive Olympic Games.
C) in the marathon, Alain Mimoun of France finally beat his long time rival Emil Zatopek.
D) All of the above
E) A and B only.

Question 8

During the Winter Olympics at Cortina in 1956

A) America's Olympic team has their best showing in years in men's skiing.
B) beat the Russians once again to claim the gold medal in ice hockey.
C) the American men dominated figure skating while the American women won both the gold and silver medals in the women's figure skating competition.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 9

Which of the following is true? During the 1960 Rome Olympiad

A) the Olympic Games were a major source of propaganda for both the United States and the Soviet Union.
B) the Italian organizing committee did a splendid job.
C) there were numerous disputes that arose as a result of "questionable" officiating.
D) Abebe Bikila, a marathoner from Ethiopia, won the gold medal and ran the marathon through the streets of Rome in bare feet.
E) All of the above.

Question 10

The 1960 Winter Olympics

A) were held in Squaw Valley, California.
B) witnessed the American ice hockey team beat both the Russians and Canadians to win the gold medal.
C) Walt Disney handled all of the ceremonial activities.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 11

The 1964 Tokyo Olympiad

A) was a success, insured in part by the $2 billion that was spent in behalf of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
B) Once again, the IOC and the Tokyo organizing committee had to cope with international political problems.
C) Saw a "united German team" compete for the first time since 1936.
D) Saw the American team beat the Russians for the "unofficial" team title.
E) All of the above.

Question 12

During the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck

A) there was a major problem due to overwhelming amounts of snow that made it difficult for the athletes and spectators.
B) there were over 1,000 women athletes competing.
C) the United States once again won more gold medals that any other country.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 13

The 1968 Mexico City Olympiad

A) was a monumental success, free of political or economic problems which delighted members of the IOC and the Olympic community.
B) American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos demonstrated their support of the black power movement during the medal ceremony.
C) forty African nations and the Soviet Union threatened to boycott the Mexico City Olympiad unless South Africa and Rhodesia were expelled from the Olympics.
D) athletic feat belonged to Bob Beamon of the United States who won the gold medal in the long jump.
E) B, C, and D only.

Question 14

Which of the following is true? During the 1968 Winter Olympics held in Grenoble

A) one of the great figures of the twentieth century, President Charles de Gaulle of France, presided
Over the opening ceremonies.
B) there were over 200 women athletes who participated in the Winter Olympics.
C) Jean-Claude Killy of France won all the men's Alpine skiing events and Peggy Fleming of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating.
D) All of the above.
E) A and C only.

Question 15

Which of the following is true of the Munich Olympiad?

A) During the 1972 Munich Olympiad, the Cold War mentality that permeated East-West relations along with the political turmoil in the Middle East, eventually was to become an issue that effected the Munich Olympics
B )Fortunately, the IOC was able to control much of the potential political problems that surfaced during Munich and thereby stop attempts by political terrorists.
C) The nations that held membership in the Supreme African Sports Council welcomed Rhodesia and South Africa back into the Olympic Games without any pre-set conditions.
D) The athletes from the Arab world and athletes from Israel mingled about freely because for the first time that anyone could remember, there was peace between these two rivals.
E) All of the above.

Question 16

The Munich Olympiad

A) hosted the largest contingent of Olympic athletes ever.
B) saw number of women athletes competing in the Olympics increase to over a 1,000 for the first time in history.
C )saw Valeri Borzov of the Soviet Union win the gold medal in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint, erasing the supremacy long enjoyed by America's black athletes.
D) pole vault competition was controversial because of the fiberglass pole used by 1968 Olympic Champion, Bob Seagren of the United States.
E) All of the above.

Question 17

With regard to the 1972 Munich Olympiad, which of the following is true?

A) On September 5, eight Arab guerrillas equipped with machine guns and hand grenades quietly slipped past security and into the Olympic Village where they murdered 11 Israeli athletes.
B) Three of the terrorists were captured alive while three others escaped. The Israeli Secret Service - the Mossad, tracked down two of the escaped terrorists and killed them. To this day, the Mossad continues to hunt the only remaining terrorist who escaped and is still living.
C) As a result of the Munich Massacre, Olympic teams from Egypt, Kuwait, and Syria packed up and departed for home. American swimming sensation Mark Spitz who won 7 gold medals also did not feel safe and returned to the United States.
D) A few days after the massacre, Israel sent warplanes to bomb 10 Arab guerrilla camps in Syria and Lebanon in retribution.
E) All of the above.

Question 18

During the 1972 Winter Olympics at Sapparo

A) the issue of amateurism quickly surfaced when Karl Schranz, a skier from Austria, was perceived by . the IOC of openly endorsing the company that provided his skis.
B) the American women won the gold medal in the slalom and the silver medal in the women's downhill.
C) while the America men failed to win a single medal in speed skating, the U.S. women won the gold medal in the 500 meters, the bronze medal in the 1,000 meters, another gold medal in the 1,500 meters and to top it off, won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters.
D) in ice hockey, the U.S. team won the silver medal, finishing behind the Russians while the Canadian team failed to place in the top six teams.
E) All of the above.

Question 19

Which of the following is true? During the 1976 Montreal Olympiad

A) the political character that had overshadowed many previous Olympiads, was absent.
B) Taiwan and China entered a unified team for the first time.
C) there were more athletes from African nations competing in the Montreal Olympiad than ever before.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 20

During the 1976 Montreal Olympics

A) the United States captured the unofficial Olympic title for the first time in 12 years, finishing ahead in the medal count. The Soviet Union finished second and East Germany came in third.
B) Montreal spent in excess of over $1 billion dollars to produce the 1976 Olympic Games.
C) Bruce Jenner of the United States won the decathlon and Nadia Comaneci from Romania scored anumber of "10" in the gymnastic competition which was a first in Olympic history.
D) All of the above.
E) B, C, and D only.

Question 21

The host city of the 1976 Winter Olympics, Innsbruck

A) agreed to host the Winter Olympics because the original host city, Denver, withdrew.
B) insisted on having the Austrian police act as a security force to protect athletes and spectators Olympic athletes were protected by armed guards.
C) put strict drug testing in place and there were over 300 drugs listed as "restricted". The Czechoslovakia ice hockey team, down with the flu, innocently used one of the restricted drugs to help them get well. They were punished by the IOC, forced to forfeit a game and had to settle for the silver medal.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 22

Which of the following is true? The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow

A) endured a "boycott" engineered by President Jimmy Carter of the United States.
B) reflected the different political agendas and political beliefs that were emblematic of the problems between the United States and the Soviet Union.
C) the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) eventually bowed to political pressure from the White House and voted not to send the American Olympic team to the Moscow Olympiad.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 23

What were the political ramifications to the USOC in 1980?
A )At one point, the tax-exempt status of the USOC was threatened if the USOC did not support the White House decision to boycott the Moscow Olympiad.
B) If the USOC agreed to the demands of the Carter administration, the USOC was promised continued tax- exempt status, federal funding to make up the $8 million debt that the USOC had after corporate donations "dried up".
C) Although the majority of America's Olympic athletes did not want to participate in international athletic contests after the Olympic Games of 1980 were over, the White House generally ignored their wishes.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 24

During the Moscow Olympiad

A) Britain did not send Olympic athletes to compete.
B) no world records were broken.
C) Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, both from South Africa, had spectacular competitions in the 1,000- meter and 10,000-meter swimming events.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 25

During the Lake Placid Winter Olympics of 1980

A) the Soviet Union boycotted, along with East Germany, because of the American boycott of the Moscow Olympiad.
B) the U.S. team had their best overall showing since the 1932 Winter Olympics.
C) Eric Heiden, a superb speed skater from the U.S., won five gold medals while the American ice . hockey team beat the Russians for the gold medal in a major upset.
D) All of the above.
E) B, C, and D only.

Question 26

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad

A) was the first corporate Olympiad in history and was sometimes called the "Spartan Olympics".
B) was boycotted by the Soviet Union, however, China sent their team which probably "saved" the future of the Olympic Games
C) spent considerable time and money on insuring security for both the athletes and spectators.
D) served as a showcase for athletes from the United States; Since athletes from the Soviet Union and East Germany did not participate, the U.S. team dominated the competition.
E) All of the above.

Question 27

During the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo

A) the weather conditions were ideal for athletes.
B) the number of women athletes competing in Sarajevo was at a 12-year low.
C) Katarina Witt won from East Germany won the gold medal in women's figure skating while Bill . Johnson and Phil Mahre from the U.S. won the men's downhill and slalom respectively.
D) All of the above.
E) A and C

Question 28

During the 1988 Seoul Olympiad

A) there was a fear that the hostilities that exist between South Korea and North Korea would surface during the Olympics.
B )there was a concern about how Japanese fans would be treated in Korea since Japan and Korea have a history of confrontation that is over a thousand years old.
C) South Korea charged that NBC purposely set out to humiliate and embarrass South Korea because the NBC cameras kept replaying a fight where South Korean fans attacked the referee who declared that a South Korean athlete had lost a boxing match.
D )Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson who won the gold medal in the 100 meter was found to have used steroids and stripped of his gold medal.
E) All of the above.

Question 29

During the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games, which of the following is true?

A) before being awarded the 1988 Winter Olympics, Calgary had bid for the Winter Games in 1964, 1968, and 1972 loosing each time.
B) the American team did not perform all that well and desperate for viewers and television ratings, the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) interviewed noted sex therapist Dr. Ruth about the merits of skiers engaging in sex before their competition.
C) for the first time, the bobsled competition featured sled teams from Tropical locals such as the . Virgin Islands, Mexico,Jamaica, Portugal, Taiwan and Australia.
D) All of the above.
E) A and B only.

Question 30

Baron de Coubertin and his successors never believed that the Olympic Games could promote peace and prevent wars. They were realists, not idealists or antiquated romantics who believed in the adage "peace through sport".

Question 31

During the 1948 London Olympics, Morocco sent a team to London that consisted of one woman track and field athlete, her coach and Head of Delegation. Morocco was a newly established country and wanted to compete in the Olympics to foster nationalism. The African nations threatened to boycott the Olympics if the IOC permitted Morocco to compete

Question 32

For the first time since 1912, Russia sent their Olympic team to London where they dominated the American and British athletes.

Question 33

During the 1952 Helsinki Olympiad, the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in the Cold War which was detrimental to the Olympics as athletes from these two nations became "soldiers of sport" and were instruments of political propaganda.

Question 34

During the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the Netherlands and Spain withdrew from the Olympics to protest the Russian invasion of Hungary.

Question 35

The Norwegian Olympic Committee asked the IOC to ban the Olympic Team from South Africa from the Olympics because of South Africa's apartheid policy.

Question 36

Communist China withdrew from the Melbourne Olympiad because Nationalist China - Taiwan was permitted to send it's Olympic Team.

Question 37

Russia captured the "unofficial" team championship at the Melbourne Olympics. Western accused judges from Eastern Europe from discriminating against athletes from Western nations.

Question 38

Baseball was a demonstration sport during the Melbourne Olympics.

Question 39

During the 1960 Rome Olympiad, the Italian organizers built the Olympic Village according to political ideology; The Russians and their Eastern Bloc comrades lived in the Eastern sector of the Olympic Village. The Western Bloc nations lives in the Western half of the village and athletes from the political neutral nation of Switzerland were housed between the two "Blocs".

Question 40

Prior to the Opening Ceremonies of the 1968 Mexico City Olympiad, more than 150,000 Mexican students protested and rioted in Mexico City in part over the government's decision to spend millions of dollars on an athletic festival when many social programs to help the poor were underfunded.