Trivia Tuesday: Olympic Games

Today is Day 12 of the XXI Olympic Winter Games, and with only six days remaining, the U.S. is doing pretty well on the medal count.

Every four years, fans around the globe who typically care nothing about skiing, who wouldn’t know what channel to find the luge on, and who wouldn’t be caught dead watching men in spandex dance around on ice, tune in to root for their home country.

There’s something about watching the medal count, hearing the familiar Olympic theme, and especially learning the stories of the individual athletes. There are stories of athletes with local roots, like Evan Lysacek from Naperville, Ill., who won the gold medal in men’s figure skating just a few days ago. Or inspirational stories, like Alex Bilodeau, who was told by his brother with cerebral palsy to keep skiing, and then he became the first Canadian to win a gold medal at an Olympics held on their home soil.

At the end of the day, it’s not about whether the U.S. won the most gold medals, or who beat the Russian favorites. It’s about the stories of athletes and their families, about inspiration. It’s about the realization that for a few weeks every few years, we can put aside our differences and compete in unity at the Olympic Games.

How many nations competed in the first Winter Olympic Games, held in Chamonix, France in 1924?

Take a guess in the "Comments" section, and we'll post the correct answer next week.

Answer to last week's question: : Ash Wednesday always occurs 46 days before Easter. This is because it is 40 days, not including Sundays.