Olympics - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

1)   Which new sport in Olympics is the fastest with a winning time of under 7 seconds?

a. Speed climbing
b. Mountain climbing
c. Mountain biking
d. Skateboarding
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Speed climbing

Explanation:
With a winning time of under 7 seconds, speed climbing can claim to be the Olympic Games' fastest sport.

Speed climbing is one of five sports that have been included in the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics along with baseball/softball, bowling, karate, surfing and skateboarding.

Italy's Ludivico Fossali won the men's event after Russian Stanislav Kokorin committed a false start.

But in the small final it was a much closer affair with Italian Leonardo Gontero winning in a time of 6.25 seconds, beating Russian Aleksandr Shikov by three hundredths of a second.

In the women's event, France's Anouk Jaubert was triumphant in the final, beating Mariia Krasavina of Russia.


2)   Which country will hold the 8th edition of the greatest carnival of Theatre in the World for the first time?

a. Indonesia
b. India
c. Bhutan
d. Malaysia
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: India

Explanation:
Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism has announced that 8th edition of the greatest carnival of Theatre in the World will take place in India for the first time ever from February 17 – April 08, 2018.

It will take place simultaneously in various cities across the country.

There will be 500 plays & 700 ambience performances from across the world and Allied activities like exhibitions, seminars, symposia, interactive discussions and workshops with well-known academicians, authors, actors, designers and directors will be held.

Leading luminaries of world theatre will take part.

In a development that puts India firmly among the top nations in the world theatre map, the country is all set to host the next edition of the prestigious Theatre Olympics.

Established in 1993, the Theatre Olympics is the foremost international theatre festival.

It presenting the finest productions of well-known theatre practitioners from around the world.

Theatre Olympics: Know More

  • The Theatre Olympics, being held in India for the first time, is being organised by National School of Drama, under the aegis of Ministry of Culture.
  • The country’s tryst with the biggest celebration of theatre in the world will take place from February 17 till April 08, 2018 and will be held in 15 cities across India.
  • It was also announced that the inaugural ceremony of the Theatre Olympics will take place in New Delhi.
  • The Theatre Olympics 2018 will be the 8th edition of the event and will feature maximum number of Indian & International theatre groups, invitee eminent theatre personalities along with their performances.
  • In addition, there will be ambience performances with allied activities like exhibitions, seminars, symposia, interactive discussions and workshops with well-known academicians, authors, actors, designers and directors.
  • The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 in Delphi, Greece, as the first international theatre festival.
  • With the tagline ‘Crossing Millennia’, this is an initiative to connect the cultural past with the present and future, bringing the richness and diversity of theatre heritage to the experiments and research of contemporary theatre.
  • The first country to host the Theatre Olympics was Greece in 1995. Japan hosted the second edition in Shizuoka in 1999, followed by Russia in 2001.
  • In 2006 the Olympics were held in Istanbul, Turkey and four years later, in 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. China hosted them in Beijing in 2014.
  • In 2016 the 7th Theatre Olympics were held in Wroclaw, Poland. India is all set to join this illustrious list as it plays host to the 8th edition of this global event.


3)   Which Indian wrestlers will compete in the Rio Olympics for the first time?

a. Vinesh Phogat
b. Sakshi Malik
c. Both of the above
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik earned 2016 Rio Olympics quota spots in wrestling, as they entered the final of 2nd Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.

  • This is the first time two female Indian wrestlers will compete at the Olympics.
  • While Vinesh earned the spot in 48 kg, Sakshi earned quota in the 58 kg.


4)   Which tournament did boxer Shiva Thapa receive the bronze medal for in 2014?

a. Commonwealth Games
b. World Championships
c. Asian Championships
d. London Games
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: World Championships

Explanation:
In a massive boost for 4 Indian boxers, the International Olympics Committee conferred scholarships on the sportsman namely World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa, Commonwealth Games silver medalist Mandeep Jangra, and Sumit Sangwan as well as Gaurav Bidhuri. While Bidhuri finished with an impressive performance at the World Series of Boxing, Sumit won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Championships. A sum of USD 800 per month will be given to them as part of the scholarship along with USD 5,000 provided they qualify for the Olympics.