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With the 2012 Summer Olympics winding down, athletes have many rituals to try to win.  There have been countless athletes that say they abstain from sex before the lead up to a big game, competition or event in order for their performance not to be affected.

One of the theories behind abstinence is that it zaps player’s energy by making you tired.  Second, it could affect your concentration levels affecting your psychological state of mind.  But many doctors say there is no scientific proof proving those beliefs.  In the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine Ian Shrier wrote that the “long-standing myth that athletes should practice abstinence before important competitions may stem from the theory that sexual frustration leads to increased aggression.”

At the London games, many athletes may not believe this myth any more either.   U.S . women’s soccer goalie Hope Solo has already described the Olympic Village as a place where “there’s a lot of sex going on”.  The Olympic committee were probably given a heads up before Solo even said anything because according to The Guardian a record 150,000 condoms will be handed out, 50% more than the 100,000 that were  supplied in Beijing in 2008. The images from this year’s game have been unintentionally hilarious and if you’re looking for a laugh Cracked.com recently wrote an article showcasing “The 6 Most Accidentally Erotic Images of the 2012 Olympics”.

It looks like there will be plenty of “fun and games” at the Olympics this year and the athletes won’t be running out of ideas as to how to celebrate their medal victories.  It’s only natural with so many people from so many countries the only language everyone speaks will be one.

Have you seen any interesting or entertaining Olympic coverage?  Please leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

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Hey Guys,

I wouldn’t call myself a big volleyball fan, but I’ve watched my fair share of Olympic volleyball over the past week and a half. One question that kept coming up during the team competition: Why does one person on the team wear a different jersey than the other five? Bump, set, spike — here’s the scoop.

The man or woman you see in a different jersey isn’t the captain — he or she is called a libero. These are players who specialize in good defense. They can only play in the back line and are not allowed to serve, spike, or block. The different color jersey makes it easier for referees to make sure the player doesn’t make a move he or she isn’t allowed to make.

Livestrong.com explains that a libero player can substitute in an unlimited number of times. However, the ball can’t be in play when the libero comes in. And when the libero steps out off the court he or she must be substituted with the person he or she originally replaced.

Though it isn’t always the case, the libero is often a team’s best defensive player, often a thankless task. He or she might be shorter than the rest of the team, but that lack of height can be an advantage when it comes time to dig out a spike. Plus, they get to wear sweet jerseys.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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A gold medal has been awarded to the top Olympic athlete in an event since the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics. Although this tradition has stuck, many things have changed since the St. Louis games.

I hadn’t planned on writing much about the St. Louis Olympics, but some of the research proved too bizarre to hold back. For starters, the games were supposed to be in Chicago; but, the World Fair organizers in St. Louis promised to hold their own sporting event that would eclipse the Olympic games, unless they were awarded the games. So, the games were awarded to St. Louis.

During the marathon, Frederick Lorz dropped out of the race after nine miles and rode a car back to the start/finish to collect his clothes. But, the car broke down so he had to run the rest of the way. When officials thought he was the first to finish, he played along but was later found out and was banned for a year. He won the Boston Marathon the following year.

The actual winner of the marathon, Thomas Hicks, had a bit of help from his trainers who gave him a mix of brandy and strychnine sulfate — a common rat poison which would “stimulate” the nervous system in small doses. Another runner, cuban postman Felix Carbajal, rested in an Apple orchard where he snacked on rotten apples. He ended up taking a nap but still finished in fourth place.

The first two Africans to compete in the Olympics did so by chance. They also ran the marathon, although they were actually in town as part of the Boer War exhibit in the World Fair. They finished ninth and twelfth, although many were disappointed in the ninth place finish by Len Tau. Many believed he could have done better if he wasn’t chased a mile off course by dogs.

The games officially lasted four months, but most of the events took place over a six day period. Since the World Fair was in the same city at the same time, the Olympics were almost a sideshow to the fair. This, combined with the fact that the games were so poorly organized, nearly made St. Louis the last Olympics. 108 years later, the tables have turned. The World Fair is not widely talked about, but it still exists: Expo 2012 wraps up on August 12th in Yeosu, South Korea.

South Korea is not shy of the Olympics though, they hosted the games in 1988. They picked up 13 gold medals four years ago in Beijing and will likely bring some back from London too. So, lets find out what it’s worth.

Each of the 2012 London gold medals weigh in at approximately 400 grams. While it looks like solid gold, atomic element 79 only makes up 1.34% of the medal. The rest of the gold medal is 92.5% silver and 6.16% copper. This is pretty typical.

The International Olympic Committee requires that gold medals contain at least 6 grams of gold and a minimum of 92.5% silver. The silver medal must also contain a minimum of 92.5% silver.

Two years ago, Vancouver’s Olympic gold was 575 grams. Although much heavier than London’s, this year’s medals are actually the most costly ever awarded due to the high price of gold.

In fact, gold prices have significantly increased the cost and value of recent olympic medals. In 2004, an Athen’s gold medal was worth about $155 in raw materials. Beijing’s 2008 gold contents were worth about $393. Vancouver’s came in around $508 and London’s gold medals could be melted down to about $728 worth of gold and silver (approx $334 in gold + $394 silver).

But, don’t expect to find one at your local pawn shop. Because of their rarity, symbolic and sentimental significance they are worth far more than their weight in gold (and silver). Olympic medals are rarely ever sold, but it does happen. In 2004, a Polish athlete auctioned her gold medal for charity, which fetched $82,599 for children with leukemia.

Chad Upton is the editor-in-chief of Broken Secrets and an official Yahoo Answers contributor.

Thanks for reading,

Sources: London 2012, Yahoo! Sports, The Telegraph, wikipedia (1904 Olympics)

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