Fact of the Day

Britain's Don Thompson practised for the 50km walk at the 1960 Rome Olympics by training in a steam-filled bathroom at home

Britain's Don Thompson practised for the 50 kilometres walk at the 1960 Rome Olympics by training in a steam-filled bathroom at home, with the heating turned up and wearing a tracksuit. After a while, he would feel faint. He blamed his light-headedness on the effects of heat and humidity, but later realised it was carbon monoxide fumes from a paraffin heater. It did not affect him as he claimed gold.

The first Brazilian Olympic gold medallist was Guilherme Paraense

The first Brazilian Olympic gold medallist was Guilherme Paraense, an army lieutenant, who claimed victory in the 30m military pistol event at Antwerp in 1920, the year the country made its debut in the Games. He beat the American Raymond Bracken after the US team had given him a Colt pistol and ammunition to compete following the theft of this own equipment.

The Soviet Union's Boris Onishchenko was disqualified from the modern pentathlon after it was discovered that he had rigged his épée to register a hit when there was not one

The Soviet Union's Boris Onishchenko was disqualified from the modern pentathlon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal after it was discovered that he had rigged his épée to register a hit when there was not one. Due to his disqualification, it was suggested that he earned the nickname of "Boris DISonish-chenko".

The Olympic Flame for Montreal 1976 was "electronically" transmitted via satellite from Athens to Ottawa, by means of an electronic pulse derived from the actual burning flame

The Olympic Flame for Montreal 1976 was "electronically" transmitted via satellite from Athens to Ottawa, by means of an electronic pulse derived from the actual burning flame. From Ottawa, it was carried by hand to Montreal. After a rainstorm doused the Olympic flame a few days after the Games had opened, an official relit the flame using his cigarette lighter. Organisers quickly doused it again and relit it using a backup of the original flame.

Shizo Kanakuri disappeared while running the marathon in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm

Shizo Kanakuri disappeared while running the marathon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He was listed as a missing person in Sweden for 50 years - until a journalist found him living quietly in southern Japan. Overcome with heat during the race, he had stopped at a garden party to drink orange juice, stayed for an hour, then took a train to a hotel and sailed home the next day, too ashamed to tell anyone he was leaving.

"Hand in Hand", the song composed by Italian Giorgio Moroder with lyrics written by American Tom Whitlock, for the Seoul Olympics in 1988 topped the charts in 17 countries, including Austrai, Spain, Japan Sweden and West Germany

"Hand in Hand", the song composed by Italian Giorgio Moroder with lyrics written by American Tom Whitlock, for the Seoul Olympics in 1988 topped the charts in 17 countries, including Austria, Spain, Japan, Sweden and West Germany. Sung by Korean group Koreana it sold more than 13 million copies around the world.