Winter Olympics quiz questions: ice, snow and sporting glory

The Winter Olympics brings together the world's best athletes in sports ranging from figure skating to bobsled. Whether you're a dedicated fan or just tune in for the curling, here are eight questions to test your knowledge of the Games.

The questions

Q1: The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in which French town, famous for its ski resort at the foot of Mont Blanc?

Ans: Chamonix

Originally called "International Winter Sports Week," it was retroactively designated as the first Winter Olympics.

Q2: Which Scandinavian country has won the most Winter Olympic medals of all time?

Ans: Norway

Norway leads with over 400 total medals. Their dominance in cross-country skiing and biathlon accounts for a significant portion.

Q3: Has any country in the Southern Hemisphere ever hosted the Winter Olympics?

Ans: No (no Southern Hemisphere country has hosted)

All Winter Olympics have been held in the Northern Hemisphere. Australia has bid multiple times but never successfully.

Q4: In which sport do competitors reach speeds of up to 150 km/h while lying face-down on a small sled, going head-first?

Ans: Skeleton

Unlike luge (feet-first, face-up), skeleton racers go head-first. The sport was named after the bony appearance of the original sleds.

Q5: Which British ice dancers won gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics with their famous routine to Ravel's "Boléro"?

Ans: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean

They received twelve perfect 6.0 scores, including all nine judges giving 6.0 for artistic impression. The performance remains iconic in figure skating history.

Q6: The biathlon combines cross-country skiing with which other discipline?

Ans: Rifle shooting

Athletes ski around a course and stop at shooting ranges to hit targets. Missed shots result in time penalties or extra distance.

Q7: In curling, what is the name of the circular target area that teams try to place their stones in?

Ans: The house (also accept "the rings")

The house consists of four concentric circles. Only stones in the house count for scoring.

Q8: Which country's bobsled team inspired the 1993 film "Cool Runnings" after making their unlikely Olympic debut in 1988?

Ans: Jamaica

The Jamaican bobsled team competed at the Calgary Olympics despite having no bobsled tradition (or snow). They've competed in multiple Olympics since.

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These questions work well for a sports-themed round or during the Winter Olympics broadcast season.