MuggleNet Throwback: The 2012 Olympic Quidditch Exhibition has a big announcement
It’s hard to believe that two years and another Olympic season have already passed since the 2012 Summer Games in London, the subject of this week’s MuggleNet Throwback! The London Olympics were the first ever Olympics to feature a full exhibition on Quidditch, with Muggle players flying in from universities around the world to participate. We were all very excited when the final list of athletes for Team USA was announced, with 21 players in all coming from nearly twenty different universities; players were selected out of over 150 nominations! In addition, key reserve players, Snitches, and referees were announced, rounding out the list.
Team USA would go on to face teams from the UK, France, and Australia, with the exhibition ultimately being won by Team USA amidst a high spectator turn-out. The exhibition itself was a huge success, continuing to promote Quidditch as a serious up-and-coming sport in the eyes of sports authorities around the world. Harry Potter actress Ellie Darcey-Alden even stopped by the event and joined in the action a little herself!
Of course, Quidditch has continued to flourish since its successful Olympic debut with the 2014 Quidditch World Cup wrapping up recently in the Muggle world. The University of Texas landed the championship title for the second year running, winning the event with a score of 130-70 (including a team Snitch Snatch) over opponents Texas State.
Additionally, the 2014 Quidditch World Cup has just started for the wizarding world with J.K. Rowling announcing daily updates coming this week on Pottermore, brought to us by Daily Prophet correspondent Ginny Potter herself. All the latest details on both the Muggle and wizarding World Cups, as well as all the most recent and up to date Quidditch news, can be found by a quick visit to MuggleNet’s “Pottermore” and “SnitchCenter” sections.