By the Numbers: Competition

In honor of the upcoming 2012 London Olympics, July 27 through August 12, we took a look at some golden numbers that involve competition, fitness, and training.
 

14

The greatest number of gold medals to be won by an individual in the Olympics, earned by swimmer Michael Phelps

2

Number of seconds you can cut off your time in a race by running hills, stairs, and lifting weights as training

1,840

Record number for the most burpees done in one hour, all performed by Paddy Doyle

2.6 million

Average number of sweat glands in the human body

69

Percentage of men who consider themselves to be physically fit

1,008

Number of pull-ups done in one hour by the word record champion, Stephen Hyland

70,000

Number of miles an average person walks in his lifetime

21

Age of the youngest man to win bodybuilding’s “Mr. Olympia” title

12

Recommended ounces of water to drink at least two hours before exercise

2,189

Total number of medals won by the United States in all the Summer Olympics combined (more than any other country)

1912

The last year the Olympic gold medals were actually made out of pure gold

62

Age difference between the oldest (72) and youngest (10) Olympians ever

302

Number of events scheduled for the 2012 London Summer Olympics

17

Percent of American adults that report swimming at least six times per year

65,000

Number of towels used by athletes in the Olympics

503,000

Number of runners in the United States that finished a marathon in 2010

880

Average number of miles that a runner will have completed from the beginning of training to completing the marathon

1960

The year that Walt Disney organized the opening games ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California

1936

Year that the Olympic games were first broadcast on television

3

Number of times that the Olympic Games have been cancelled, all due to wars

1908

Year that motor boating was an official sport at the Olympics

50,000

Number of pounds that an average human could potentially lift if every single muscle in the body worked together at the same time

1900

The only year that “poodle clipping” was an Olympic event

50

Percent of Americans who exercise three times a week for at least 30 minutes

450

Number of calories burned every 30 minutes of vigorous swimming

202

Record for the most countries to ever participate in an Olympic Game (Athens, 2004)