1. Art used to be an Olympic event

The Olympics wasn’t always about abs and doping scandals. The founder of the modern Games, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was enamoured with the idea of the true Olympian being a talented artist and sportsperson. Thanks to him, between 1912 and 1948 medals were given out for sporting-inspired masterpieces of architecture, music, painting, sculpture and literature.

 Medal winner Jean Jacoby’s ‘Corner’, left and ‘Rugby’, right. via Smithsonian.com