General Knowledge Quiz

[Ozbenno]

Rugby was one sport around then and I think the USA won the most medals before it was ditched, so I'll guess that.

My fave old event that isn't in the games anymore is the swimming obstacle course!

 

[KaiserElectric]

Ozbenno I think you're right. I read in Ripleys Believe It or Not that the US Rugby team has held the 1st place medal for 20-something years because they won the event before the year it was cancelled .

 

[Conroe]

Rugby was one sport around then and I think the USA won the most medals before it was ditched, so I'll guess that.

An excellent guess! But alas, no, that is not the answer we are looking for. Izipo seems to be on the right track, though ...

I read in Ripleys Believe It or Not that the US Rugby team has held the 1st place medal for 20-something years because they won the event before the year it was cancelled .

Indeed! The US is the current reigning Olympic champions in Rugby, having beaten France in the 1924 games. Should Rugby be brought back as an Olympic competition, I have no doubt the US will field a team to defend our title. We are after all undefeated! France holds the distinction of being the only country to have ever scored points against a US Olympic Rugby team.

My fave old event that isn't in the games anymore is the swimming obstacle course!

Another event introduced at the 1900 games. One of your fellow Australian's took the gold. I'm not sure, but I don't believe the obstacle course was ever done again in any of the subsequent Olympiads.

 

[Izipo]

Hmm, of the three I cited, I'll go for Tug-o-War.

Now for the second part. I obviously don't know it since my guess was a wild one in the first place, so please regale us with a good story.
Then again, maybe it was the standing jump...

 

[Olav]

I don't know it.

 

[Conroe]

Well fortunately, Izipo does know it. It is indeed the [wiki=tug_of_war_at_the_Summer_Olympics]tug of war[/wiki]. And it is the Brits that have the distinction of having won the most medals. And the British are also the current reigning champions, having taken gold in 1920, should the event ever be reinstated.

Izipo, the floor is yours!

 

[Olav]

Come on then, Izipo.

 

[Izipo]

Oops, sorry guys. Kind of forgot about this since I didn't think I had it.

So, a quick and easy one.

Where's the highest mountain in the known universe, and what's its height ?

 

[Love]

Is it Mount Everest with around 8000 metres?

 

[Mise]

Olympus Mons?

No idea how tall it is. 15km?

 

[choxorn]

Olympus Mons.

27 kilometers.
Or, if you want it in miles or feet, it's 16.7 miles, or about 88,580 feet.

 

[Snerk]

Is that on Mars?

 

[Izipo]

Indeed it's Olympus Mons on Mars, with an height of 27 Km (3 Everests).

Your turn Mise.

EDIT : And no open floor please

 

[choxorn]

Hey, he got the height incorrect, I should be the one who gets the next question.

 

[Izipo]

Go ahead then...

 

[Mise]

If choxorn's got a question he can ask it

 

[choxorn]

In 1985, the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was in Auckland, due to leave soon to protest something. However, it was destroyed by mines before it was able to leave, with the intention of preventing it from doing so (which, clearly, worked). Who placed the mines, and what were they going to protest?

 

[nonconformist]

The French secret service, specifically a guy named Royal, the brother of the current head of the PS.

The Rainbow Warrior was protesting against French atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific.

 

[Izipo]

Clearly you are misinformed.
The Raimbow Warrior was sunk by Aliens from Another Dimension (tm) using unheard of technology.

Well, yeah, OK, the DGSE did it...
It's still widely considered to be the most epic fail of our secret service though.

 

[Steph]

Well, yeah, OK, the DGSE did it...
It's still widely considered to be the most epic fail of our secret service though.

It was voluntary failed to embarass the president and government at the time, because the DGSE did not like them, so it was not an epic failure, but a clear success