Table or No Table?

Saturday August 3, 2024

Olympic Trivia

• On its journey from Greece to the host country, the torch has flown in planes, traveled under water (and stayed lit), scaled Mt Everest, gone on a canoe, and ridden on horseback and camelback.

• The Olympic five ring symbol represents the five inhabited continents- Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

• The official languages of the Olympics are English and French.

• At the events this year, besides the flags of the countries participating in that sport, there are always five other flags flying: the Paris Olympics, the Olympic Rings, the French (host country) flag, the EU flag, and the flag of the federation that governs that sport. In the other picture is the flag (with the Olympic rings) for the refugee athletes who could not compete with their country.

Olympic Culture

This year you may have noticed that at the beginning of each set of sessions for the day there was a ceremony called The Brigadier. This cultural practice involves the solemn pounding of a large stick on the ground three times. Frequently the person who handles the stick is a past Olympic Medal winner. This tradition began in French theaters to quiet the audience before the performance. It has the same effect on the fans at the sporting event!

And a final thanks and recognition to the volunteers and security forces that kept us safe and answered our questions. For the Olympics and Paralympics together there are 45,000 volunteers who work at the sites, at the transit stations, on the streets and behind the scenes to ensure the smooth flow of fans to their respective events. The security personnel came from many different local, federal, and military agencies across France and there were also private security. France invited 46 countries to supply more than 2,000 officers to provide support and reinforcement. All security personnel were present on the streets, at the venues, and wherever they were needed to ensure our safety. To all of these helpers we give a great big round of applause and sincere appreciation.

Below, from left: the best volunteer at the Olympics, our friend Bridgette, a volunteer up on a high seat giving directions, security team.

Friday August 2, 2024 Event

Tennis- Women's and Men's Doubles Semi-finals

Location: Stade Roland-Garros, Suzanne-Lenglen Court (bottom left quadrant of the events map in the July 28th blog)

Since many fans and readers of this blog have played tennis and basically know the rules, in today's blog, we thought we would post a Quiz (answers posted at end):

Bronze level questions

1. What surface was chosen for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games? - grass, clay, or hard court

2. How many points does it take to win a game? 3, 4, or 5

Silver level questions

1. Which nation has won the most titles? - Russia, Spain, USA

2. What do you call a winning serve made by the server that the opponent fails to return? - let, ace, or volley

Gold level questions

1. In which year did the International Tennis Federation (ITF) introduce yellow tennis balls into the rules of tennis because research showed that these balls were more visible to the viewers - 1936, 1972, or 2002

2. What is the speed of the fastest recorded serve? - 253 km/h, 298 km/h, or 305 km/h

If you are really disappointed that we didn't get into the rules or fun facts of tennis, Karen can share in person the next time she sees you!

Best shots of the day....

Fun shots of the day.....

Saturday August 3, 2024 Event

Table Tennis- Women's Single Bronze Medal and Women's Single Final

Location: Arena Paris Sud 4 (bottom left quadrant of the events map in the July 28th blog)

Similar to tennis, most people reading this blog most likely know the rules and basics of table tennis, otherwise known to most amateurs as ping pong. So, let's go straight to the Quiz.

Bronze level questions

1. It is possible for rackets to be of different sizes and shapes? T or F

2. How many grams does a Table Tennis ball weigh? 1.2g, 2.7g., 4.5g

Silver level questions

1. Which nation has won the most titles at the Olympic Games? Japan, China, or Korea

2. What is it called when there is a flawless exchange of balls between players? Rally, river, or current

Gold level questions

1. In what year did Table Tennis become an Olympic sport? 1978, 1988, or 1992

2. Which country created Table Tennis? China, South Korea, or United Kingdom

3. At what speed was the fastest ball clocked? 110 km/h, 120 km/h, or 130 km/h

4. How many shots were exchanged in the longest point in modern Table Tennis history? 457, 655, or 766

Best shots of the day

Fun shots of the day

Answers to Tennis Quiz

Bronze 1. Clay 2. 4

Silver 1. USA (24) 2. Ace

Gold 1. 1972 2. 253 km/h

Answers to Table Tennis Quiz

Bronze 1. T 2. 2.7g

Silver 1. China 2. Rally

Gold 1. 1988 2. China. 3. 130 km/h. 4. 766 shots at the 2017 Qatar Open

We hope you enjoyed the blogs from Portugal to Paris! Each day was a new adventure, new experiences, and new knowledge! And we loved every minute!

We are always looking for ways to improve our blog. Please feel free to send us ideas to make our blog better as we transition to our next travel adventures in late September to Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

For now au revoir, adeus, and adiós! Come back and visit with us!