Athletics and Anomalies in Olympic History

This chapter explores the historical context of the Olympic Games, including the limited participation of nations during the early years and the banning of the games by Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD. It also delves into the unique incident of pistol dueling with wax bullets in the 1908 Games and addresses the misconceptions about women's participation in the first modern Olympics. The discussion highlights the stark gender imbalance in early competitions and reflects on the societal norms influencing sports participation at that time.