Sports for grades 11–12: questions with answers

The Sports questions for grades 11–12 from the game, with the correct answers and an explanation for each.

  1. Which town hosted the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924?

    • St. Moritz
    • Lake Placid
    • Garmisch-Partenkirchen
    • Chamonix

    Correct answer: Chamonix — The 'International Winter Sports Week' in Chamonix, France, was only recognised as the first Winter Olympics after the event.

  2. Which country won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987?

    • Australia
    • England
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa

    Correct answer: New Zealand — The All Blacks beat France 29-9 in the final in Auckland; the tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

  3. Which team won the first Cricket World Cup in 1975?

    • Australia
    • England
    • India
    • West Indies

    Correct answer: West Indies — The West Indies beat Australia in the final at Lord's in London and won again in 1979; the matches were sixty overs a side.

  4. Who became the first official World Chess Champion in 1886?

    • Wilhelm Steinitz
    • Emanuel Lasker
    • José Raúl Capablanca
    • Paul Morphy

    Correct answer: Wilhelm Steinitz — Steinitz, born in Prague, beat Johannes Zukertort in a match played in the United States and held the title until 1894.

  5. In which year did Roger Bannister run the first mile in under four minutes?

    • 1948
    • 1954
    • 1960
    • 1966

    Correct answer: 1954 — Bannister, a medical student, ran 3:59.4 at Oxford on 6 May 1954; his record lasted only 46 days.

  6. How long is the swim in an Olympic-distance triathlon?

    • 750 m
    • 1 km
    • 1.5 km
    • 2 km

    Correct answer: 1.5 km — The Olympic distance is a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run; an Ironman is 3.8 km, 180 km and 42.2 km.

  7. How many players are on a polo team?

    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    • 6

    Correct answer: 4 — Four riders a side play on a field about 275 m long, changing horses between the periods, which are called chukkas.

  8. What is the maximum break in snooker?

    • 120
    • 147
    • 150
    • 180

    Correct answer: 147 — Fifteen reds each followed by a black, then all six colours, gives 147; Steve Davis made the first televised maximum in 1982.

  9. How many gold medals did Nadia Comăneci win at the 1976 Montreal Olympics?

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4

    Correct answer: 3 — She won the all-around, the uneven bars and the balance beam, plus a team silver and a bronze on the floor, at the age of 14.

  10. How high is the net in men's volleyball?

    • 2.10 m
    • 2.24 m
    • 2.35 m
    • 2.43 m

    Correct answer: 2.43 m — The men's net is 2.43 m and the women's 2.24 m; the ball may be played with any part of the body.

  11. In which year was the first Tour de France held?

    • 1896
    • 1903
    • 1919
    • 1927

    Correct answer: 1903 — The race was created by the newspaper L'Auto to boost sales; the first edition had six stages and was won by Maurice Garin.

  12. In which country did table tennis originate?

    • China
    • Hungary
    • Japan
    • England

    Correct answer: England — Table tennis began as an after-dinner parlour game in Victorian England in the 1880s; it became an Olympic sport in Seoul in 1988.

  13. At which Olympic Games did women compete for the first time?

    • Athens 1896
    • Paris 1900
    • St. Louis 1904
    • London 1908

    Correct answer: Paris 1900 — Twenty-two women took part in Paris in 1900, in tennis, golf, sailing, croquet and equestrian events.

  14. Which country won the first UEFA European Championship in 1960?

    • Soviet Union
    • Spain
    • Italy
    • West Germany

    Correct answer: Soviet Union — The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1 in the final in Paris; goalkeeper Lev Yashin was the star of the team.

  15. From what distance do archers shoot in the Olympic Games?

    • 50 m
    • 60 m
    • 70 m
    • 90 m

    Correct answer: 70 m — Olympic archers shoot at a target 122 cm wide from 70 m; the ten-point gold centre is only 12.2 cm across.

  16. How much does the men's shot weigh in shot put?

    • 4 kg
    • 5 kg
    • 6 kg
    • 7.26 kg

    Correct answer: 7.26 kg — The odd figure is 16 pounds converted to metric; the women's shot weighs 4 kg.

  17. Which city was the first in Asia to host the Summer Olympics?

    • Tokyo
    • Seoul
    • Beijing
    • Delhi

    Correct answer: Tokyo — Tokyo hosted in 1964, then again in 2021; the Games were the first to be broadcast live by satellite around the world.

  18. What was the name of the FIFA World Cup trophy awarded until 1970?

    • Jules Rimet Trophy
    • Henri Delaunay Trophy
    • Pierre de Coubertin Cup
    • Stanley Rous Cup

    Correct answer: Jules Rimet Trophy — Named after the FIFA president who founded the tournament, it was given to Brazil for keeps after their third title in 1970 and stolen in 1983.

  19. Who was the first African footballer to win the Ballon d'Or, in 1995?

    • George Weah
    • Samuel Eto'o
    • Didier Drogba
    • Roger Milla

    Correct answer: George Weah — The Liberian striker won it while at AC Milan; he later became president of Liberia in 2018.

  20. Who was the first man to run 100 m in under 10 seconds, in 1968?

    • Bob Hayes
    • Carl Lewis
    • Jim Hines
    • Calvin Smith

    Correct answer: Jim Hines — Hines ran 9.95 to win gold at the Mexico City Olympics, the first sub-10 time with electronic timing; the record stood for fifteen years.

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