Why are there three strikes at the start of every event at the Paris Olympic games

The Paris Olympics has brought us so many stories already, and we’re still only in the opening stages of this fantastic event.

There have been incredible displays of skill and athleticism as you’d expect – not least from the likes of Simone Biles and Daniel Wiffen – and plenty of stories captured behind the scenes too.

But there’s one detail which people have noticed ahead of a number of different events which has had some people scratching their heads.

That detail is the three strikes made on the ground at the very start of different events – so what is it and why does it happen?

In an Olympic first, three strikes or hits are made to the floor before events. The act has been brought in this year for Paris – and for a fitting reason.

Dan Carter holding the brigadierGetty Images

While anyone can be the person to strike the ground, often with a baton or piece of wood known as a brigadier, New Zealand rugby legend Dan Carter is one of the sportspeople to have begun events in this way.

The act reflects a tradition of French theatre, where the stage is struck in such a way to mark the beginning of live performances.

The origins of the tradition go back as far as the Middle Ages, and there are various interpretations of where the three strikes come from.

Some believe it could refer to the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere, there has been reference to the ground being struck nine times to represent the nine muses of ancient Greece.

However it began, it’s another quirk to watch out for this year as one of the greatest sporting events on Earth continues.

Meanwhile, away from the spotlight of the games themselves, Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen has developed an obsession with the chocolate muffins in the Olympic Village and it’s hilariously unfolding on TikTok.

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