Games of the I Olympiad
Host city	Athens, Greece
Nations participating	14[1]
Athletes participating	241[2]
Events	43 in 9 sports
Opening ceremony	April 6
Closing ceremony	April 15
Officially opened by	George I of Greece
Stadium	Panathinaiko Stadium

The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were celebrated in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English George I King of the Hellenes (Γεώργιος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων Georgios A' Vasileus ton Ellinon; 24 December 1845 &ndash 18 March 1913 was The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece Stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. The Panathinaiko ( Panathenaic) Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaron, i Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία These games were the first modern international Olympic Games to be organized by the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games They were held between Monday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 15, 1896. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

An 1894 congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris established the International Olympic Committee and appointed the Greek capital of Athens as the host city. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's

Although the number of participating athletes was low by current standards, it had the largest international participation for any sports event to that date. In spite of the absence of many of the time's top athletes, the Games were a success with the Greek public. The athletic highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spiridon Louis. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The most successful competitor in terms of victories was German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport Wrestling. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Carl Schuhmann ( May 12, 1869 &ndash March 24 1946) was a German athlete who was born in Münster and won four Olympic

After the Games, De Coubertin and the IOC were petitioned by, among others, Greece's King George and some of the American competitors in Athens to hold all following Games in Athens. George I King of the Hellenes (Γεώργιος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων Georgios A' Vasileus ton Ellinon; 24 December 1845 &ndash 18 March 1913 was However, the 1900 Summer Olympics were already planned for Paris and, barring the Intercalated Games of 1906, the Olympics did not return to Greece until the 2004 Summer Olympics. The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Election as host city

During the 19th century, several minor sports festivals named after the Ancient Olympic Games were held in a few European countries. The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic Pierre de Coubertin also had the idea to revive the Olympics, but as an international and multi-sport event. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the He presented his ideas at an 1894 congress held in the Sorbonne, Paris, with delegates from sports societies of 11 countries present. The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

After it had been decided to revive the Olympics, a host city for these first Olympics had to be selected. De Coubertin's idea was to hold these concurrently with the Universal Exposition of 1900 in Paris. Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the Concerned that a six-year waiting period might lessen the interest in the Olympics, the congress decided to hold the first Olympics in 1896. Several congress members suggested London as the location, but after a brief talk with Greek delegate Demetrius Vikelas De Coubertin put Athens forward as a possibility. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Demetrius Vikelas, or Bikelas (Δημήτριος Βικέλας February 15 1835 &ndash July 20 1908 was a Greek businessman and writer he was the first president of the Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece being the original home of the Olympics, the congress unanimously approved the proposal. Vikelas was elected as the first president of the newly established International Olympic Committee (IOC).

De Coubertin suggested that the true origin of the modern Olympic Games was Much Wenlock, a rural market town in the English county of Shropshire. It was here that in 1850 the local doctor, William Penny Brookes, founded the Olympian Class and the Much Wenlock Olympian Games. Dr William Penny Brookes ( 13 August 1809 &ndash 11 December 1895) was an English Physician, magistrate, The first games were held in October 1850. It was a mixture of events, including athletics and games such as cricket, football, quoits, and others. De Coubertin also took inspiration from the games held by Evangelos Zappas. Evangelis Zappas (1800&ndash1865 aka Evangelos Zappas, was a Greek businessman Philanthropist, and founder of the ^[3]

Organization

The restoration of the Panathenaic Stadium, originally built in the fourth century, was funded by Georgios Averoff. The Panathinaiko ( Panathenaic) Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaron, i The stadium was used again for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Panorama of the stadium in 2007

The news that the Olympic Games would return to Greece was received favourably by the Greek public and media. However, the country was in financial troubles and was politically unstable, the job of prime minister alternating between Charilaos Trikoupis and Theodoros Deligiannis at a high frequency. This is a list of the heads of government of the modern Greek state from its establishment during the Greek Revolution to the present day Charilaos Trikoupis ( Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης) ( July 11 1832 (O Theodoros Deligiannis (Greek Θεόδωρος Δηλιγιάννης, also "Delyanni" ( 1820 - 13 June 1905) was a Greek In late 1894 the organising committee, headed by Etienne Skouloudis, presented a report that the cost of the Games would be three times higher than originally estimated by De Coubertin. Stephanos Skouloudis (Στέφανος Σκουλούδης (November 23 1838–August 19 1928 was a Greek Banker, Diplomat and prime minister They concluded the Games could not be held, and offered their resignation. The total cost of the Games was 3,740,000 drachmas (about US$448,000). Drachma, pl drachmas or drachmae (δραχμή pl δραχμές or δραχμαί (until 1982 is the name of An ancient currency unit found in many The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[4]

Greek crown prince Constantine, a supporter of the Games, decided to set up a new committee, with himself as the president. Constantine I King of the Hellenes (Κωνσταντίνος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων - 11 January 1923 was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from His enthusiasm sparked a wave of contributions from the Greek public, raising 330,000 drachmas. A special set of postage stamps raised a further 400,000, and ticket sales added 200,000 drachmas. At the request of Constantine, wealthy businessman George Averoff agreed to pay for the restoration of the Panathinaiko Stadium, which eventually cost 920,000 drachmas. George M Averoff (1815-1899 alternately Georgios Averof (In Greek: Γεώργιος Αβέρωφ was a Greek businessman and philanthropist The Panathinaiko ( Panathenaic) Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaron, i As a tribute to his generosity, a statue of Averoff was constructed and unveiled on 5 April outside the stadium, where it still stands. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop The stadium had a straight running track of 232 meters, and very narrow curves, all covered with fine sand.

Organised sports were relatively new to Greece, and as such the organising committee had little experience in staging sports events. Their duties in this aspect were largely taken over by De Coubertin, who had to both elect the rules to follow and to invite athletes. Some of the athletes would take part in the Games because they happened to be in Athens at the time the Games were held, either on vacation or for work (e. g. , some of the British competitors worked for the British embassy). A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in The concept of a designated Olympic Village for the athletes did not appear until the 1932 Summer Olympics; the athletes had to provide their own lodging. Frequently an Olympic Village is built within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 The jury, the referees and the game director bore the same names as in antiquity (Ephor, Helanodic and Alitarc).

Calendar

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony in the Panathenian Stadium

On 6 April, the Games of the First Olympiad were officially opened. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, twelve athletics events were contested The men's 100 metres race was the first event run at the modern Olympics on 6 April 1896. The men's triple jump was one of four jumping events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 800 metres race was the second-longest of the four flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's discus throw was one of two throwing events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 400 metres race was the second-shortest of the flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 110 metre hurdles was the only hurdling event on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's long jump was one of four jumping events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 400 metres race was the second-shortest of the flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's shot put was one of two throwing events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 1500 metres race the longest flat-track race of the 1896 Summer Olympics programme, was the last event on 7 April. The men's 800 metres race was the second-longest of the four flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 100 metres race was the first event run at the modern Olympics on 6 April 1896. The men's high jump was one of four jumping events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 110 metre hurdles was the only hurdling event on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's pole vault was one of four jumping events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's marathon event was a special race invented as part of the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, six Cycling events were contested at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome. The men's 100 kilometres was one of five Track cycling events on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's sprint was one of the five track Cycling events on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 10 kilometres was one of the five Track cycling races on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's time trial was one of 5 track Cycling events on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's road race was the only road cycling event on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 12 hour race was one of five Track cycling events on the Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, three fencing events were contested at the Zappeion. The men's foil was one of three Fencing events on the Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's masters foil was one of three Fencing events on the Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's sabre was one of three Fencing events on the Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, eight Gymnastics events all for men were contested in Panathinaiko Stadium. The men's team parallel bars was the first of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's team horizontal bar was the second of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's vault was one of the eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's pommel horse was one of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's rings was one of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's horizontal bar was one of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's parallel bars was one of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's rope climbing was one of eight Gymnastics events on the Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, five sport shooting events were contested The men's military rifle event was one of five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's military rifle event was one of five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's military pistol was one of the five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's free pistol was one of the five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's rapid fire pistol was one of the five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's free rifle was one of the five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's free rifle was one of the five sport shooting events on the Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, four Swimming events were contested all for men The men's 100 metre freestyle was one of the four Swimming events on the Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's sailors 100 metre freestyle was one of the four Swimming events on the Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 500 metre freestyle was one of the four Swimming events on the Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's 1200 metre freestyle was one of the four Swimming events on the Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two Tennis events were contested both for men The men's singles was one of two Tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's singles was one of two Tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's singles was one of two Tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's doubles was one of two Tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two Weightlifting events were contested The men's two hand lift was one of two weightlifting events held as part of the Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics program The men's one hand lift, an event similar to the modern snatch was one of two weightlifting events in the Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme At the 1896 Summer Olympics, one wrestling event was contested The men's Greco-Roman was the only wrestling event on the Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme The men's Greco-Roman was the only wrestling event on the Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus It was Easter Monday for the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, and was also the anniversary of the outbreak of the war for Greek independence. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a Holiday in some largely Christian cultures especially Roman Catholic The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829 also commonly known as the Greek Revolution (Ελληνική Επανάσταση Elliniki Epanastasi; Ottoman

The Panathenaic stadium was filled, with an estimated 80,000 spectators including King George I of Greece, his wife Olga, and their sons. George I King of the Hellenes (Γεώργιος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων Georgios A' Vasileus ton Ellinon; 24 December 1845 &ndash 18 March 1913 was Olga Constantinovna of Russia Most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield, grouped by nation. After a speech by the president of the organising committee, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the Games:

"I declare the opening of the first international Olympic Games in Athens. Constantine I King of the Hellenes (Κωνσταντίνος A' Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων - 11 January 1923 was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from Long live the Nation. Long live the Greek people. "

Afterwards, 9 bands and 150 choir singers performed the Olympic Hymn, composed by Spyros Samaras, with words by poet Kostis Palamas. The Olympic Hymn ( Greek: Ολυμπιακός Ύμνος also known informally as the Olympic Anthem, is a musical piece Kostis Palamas (Κωστής Παλαμάς &mdash 27 February, 1943) was a Greek Poet who wrote the words to the Olympic Hymn. The hymn was well received, and the crowd desired an encore.

The current Olympic opening ceremonies contain elements of this brief opening ceremony. The head of state of the organising nation still officially opens the Games, and the Olympic Hymn (official since 1958) is still played. Other elements, such as the parade of nations, the lighting of the Olympic Flame and the Olympic Oath were initiated later. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and one judge at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games.

Sport by sport overview

At the 1894 Sorbonne congress, a large roster of sports had been mentioned for the programme in Athens. The first edition of the official announcement featured sports such as football and cricket, but these plans were never carried out. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Rowing was scheduled, but had to be cancelled due to strong winds on the planned day of competition. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 Yachting was cancelled too, because "we had no proper boats for this, nor did any foreign ones appear for the contest" (Official Report). Yachting is an activity involving boats It may be racing Sailing boats cruising to distant shores or day-sailing along a coast

Athletics

100 m start. Tom Burke is the second one from left

Main article: Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

The athletics events had the most international field of any of the sports. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, twelve athletics events were contested The major highlight of the athletics programme, however, was the marathon held for the first time in international competition. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 Spiridon Louis, a previously unrecognized water carrier, won the event to become the only Greek athletics champion and a national hero. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία No world records were set, as few international top competitors had turned up. A world record is the best performance in a certain discipline usually a Sports event In addition, the curves of the track were very tight, making fast times in the running events virtually impossible. Despite this, Thomas Burke won both the 100 meter and the 400 meter run for the U.S., winning with times of 12. Thomas Edward Burke ( January 15, 1875 &ndash February 14, 1929) was an American athlete The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 0 seconds and 54. 2 seconds and with relative ease. In the 100 m start, Tom Burke was the only one who put his knee on soil (technique invented by Sherrill in 1888), confusing the jury. Eventually, he was allowed to start from this "uncomfortable position", winning however casually.

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Between them, Frenchmen Léon Flameng (left) and Paul Masson won four cycling events. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, six Cycling events were contested at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome.

The track cycling events were held at the newly built Neo Phaliron Velodrome. Track cycling is a Bicycle racing Sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or Velodromes (but many events are held at older velodromes where the The Neo Phaliron Velodrome was a Velodrome and Sports arena in Athens, Greece, used for the Cycling events at the 1896 Summer Only one road event was held, a race from Athens to Marathon and back (87 kilometres).

Frenchman Paul Masson was the best cyclist on the track, winning the one lap time trial, the sprint event, and the 10,000 metres. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Paul Masson (born November 30, 1874 &ndash died November 30, 1945) was a French cyclist. In many Racing Sports an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes will compete in a time trial against the Clock to secure the fastest In the 100 kilometres event, Masson entered as a pacemaker for his compatriot Léon Flameng. Léon Flameng ( April 30, 1877 &ndash January 2, 1917) was a French cyclist. Flameng won the event, after a fall, and after stopping to wait for his Greek opponent Kolettis to fix a mechanical problem. The Austrian fencer Adolf Schmal won the 12 hours race, which was completed by only two cyclists, while the road race event was won by Aristidis Konstantinidis. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Aristidis Konstantinidis ( Greek:Αριστείδης Κωνσταντινίδης born ? - died ? was a Greek cyclist.

Fencing

Main article: Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Fencer Leonidas Pyrgos became the first Greek modern Olympic champion by winning the masters foil competition. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, three fencing events were contested at the Zappeion.

The fencing events were held in the Zappeion, named after Evangelos Zappas, who had organised Greek Olympic Games in the mid-19th century. The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens Greece. Evangelis Zappas (1800&ndash1865 aka Evangelos Zappas, was a Greek businessman Philanthropist, and founder of the Unlike other sports (in which only amateurs were allowed to take part at the Olympics), professionals were allowed to compete in fencing, though in a separate event. These fencing masters were considered gentlemen athletes, just as the amateurs.

Four events were scheduled, but the épée event was cancelled for reasons unknown. The épée ('epeɪ is the modern derivative of the original Duelling Sword, the Rapier, used in sport fencing. The foil event was won by a Frenchman, Eugène-Henri Gravelotte, while the other two events, the sabre and the foil for masters, were won by Greek fencers. Eugène-Henri Gravelotte ( February 6, 1876 &ndash August 28, 1939) was a French fencer. Leonidas Pyrgos, who won the latter event, became the first Greek to become Olympic champion in the modern era. Leonidas Pyrgos, born in Mantineia, Arcadia was a Greek fencer.

Gymnastics

Main article: Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

The German individual gymnastics champions: Schuhmann, Flatow, and Weingärtner

The gymnastics exercises were carried out on the infield of the Panathenaic Stadium. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, eight Gymnastics events all for men were contested in Panathinaiko Stadium. Germany had sent an 11-man team, which dominated and won 5 of the 8 events, including both team events. In the team event on the horizontal bar, the German team was unopposed. The horizontal bar or high bar is an Artistic Gymnastics apparatus that is made of Metal (often Steel) Three Germans added individual titles. Hermann Weingärtner, who also took two seconds and a third place, won the horizontal bar event, while Alfred Flatow won the parallel bars. Hermann Weingärtner ( August 24 1864 &ndash December 22 1919) was a German gymnast. Alfred Flatow ( October 3 1869 &ndash December 28 1942) was a German gymnast. Carl Schuhmann, who also competed successfully in wrestling, won the vault. Carl Schuhmann ( May 12, 1869 &ndash March 24 1946) was a German athlete who was born in Münster and won four Olympic The vault is an Artistic gymnastics apparatus as well as the skill performed using that apparatus

The remaining events were won by Louis Zutter, a Swiss gymnast who won the pommel horse, while Greeks Ioannis Mitropoulos and Nikolaos Andriakopoulos were victorious in the rings and rope climbing events, respectively. Jules Alexis Louis Zutter ( December 2 1856 &ndash November 10 1946) was a Swiss gymnast. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The pommel horse is an Artistic gymnastics apparatus It is traditionally used by Male Gymnasts due to intense strength requirements Ioannis Mitropoulos (1874 -? was a Greek gymnast. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Nikolaos Andriakopoulos ( Greek:Νικόλαος Ανδριακόπουλος born 1878 - died ? was a Greek gymnast. The rings, also known as the still rings in contrast to the Flying rings, is an Artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it UserStan Shebs for a timetable --> Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Held at a shooting range at Kallithea, there were five shooting events—two rifle events and three pistol shooting competitions. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, five sport shooting events were contested Kallithea ( Greek: Καλλιθέα map meaning "good view" is the 8th biggest municipality in Greece (109609 inhabitants 2001 census and the 4th biggest Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls

The first event, for military rifles over 200 metres, was won by Pantelis Karasevdas, the only competitor to hit the target with all of his shots. Pantelis Karasevdas ( Greek:Παντελής Καρασεβδάς born 1877 &ndash died 1946 was a Greek shooter. The second event, for military pistols, was dominated by two brothers, Americans John and Sumner Paine. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Sumner Paine ( May 13, 1868 &ndash April 18, 1904) was an American shooter. In order to avoid embarrassing their hosts, the brothers decided that only one of them would compete in the next pistol event, the free pistol. Sumner Paine dominated that event alone, thereby becoming the first relative of an Olympic champion to become Olympic champion himself.

The Paine brothers did not compete in the 25 metre pistol event, as their weapons were judged to be not of the required calibre. In their absence, Ioannis Phrangoudis won. Ioannis Phrangoudis (Ιωάννης Φραγκούδης born in Limassol, Cyprus) was a Greek shooter. Frangoudis also placed second in the final event, the free rifle, held on the same day. However, the event could not be completed due to darkness, and was completed on the next morning, when Georgios Orphanidis was celebrated as the champion. Georgios Orphanidis (Γεώργιος Ορφανίδης 1859 &ndash ? was a Greek sports shooter.

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Alfréd Hajós, the first Olympic champion in swimming, is one of only two Olympians to have won medals in both sport and art competitions. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, four Swimming events were contested all for men

Unlike today, the 1896 swimming competitions were held at open sea. Nearly 20,000 spectators were noted to have watched the event, in the Bay of Zea, off the Piraeus coast. Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a

All four events were held on the same day (11 April). Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. For Alfréd Hajós of Hungary, this meant he could only compete in two of the events, as they were held shortly after one another, giving him little time to recuperate. Alfréd Hajós ( February 1, 1878 &ndash November 12, 1955) was an Hungarian swimmer and architect. Nevertheless, he won the two events in which he swam, the 100 metres and the 1200 metres freestyle. Freestyle is an unregulated Swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. Hajós later became one of only two Olympians to win a medal in both athletic and artistic competitions when he won a silver medal for architecture in 1924. Art competitions formed part of the modern Olympic Games during its early years from 1912 to 1948

The third event, the 500 metres freestyle, was easily won by Austrian swimmer Paul Neumann, beating his opponents by more than one-and-a-half minutes. Paul Neumann (born June 13 1875 in Vienna &ndash died February 9 1932 in Vienna) was an Austrian swimmer

In addition, a special swimming event open to Greek sailors only was held.

Tennis

Main article: Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Although tennis was already a major sport by the end of the 19th century, none of the top players turned up for the tournament in Athens, which was held at the courts of the Athens Lawn Tennis Club, and the infield of the velodrome. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two Tennis events were contested both for men

Irishman John Pius Boland, who was in Athens on holiday, had been entered in the competition by a Greek friend, and won relatively easily. John Mary Pius Boland ( September 16, 1870 &ndash March 17, 1958) was an Irish Nationalist politician and Member of Parliament In the first round, he defeated Friedrich Traun, a German who had been eliminated in the 800 m competition. They decided to team up for the doubles event, in which they reached the final and defeated their Greek and Egyptian opponents after losing the first set. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Launceston Elliot, winner of the one-armed weightlifting event, was popular with the Greek audience, who found him very handsome. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, two Weightlifting events were contested

The sport of weightlifting was still very young in 1896, and the rules different from those in use today. Competitions were held outdoors, in the infield of the main stadium, and there were no weight limits.

The first event was the two-handed event, held in a style now known as "clean and jerk". The clean and jerk is one of two current Olympic Weightlifting events (the other being the snatch) Two competitors stood out: Scotsman Launceston Elliot and Viggo Jensen of Denmark. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Launceston Elliot ( June 9, 1874 - August 8, 1930) was a Scottish weightlifter. Alexander Viggo Jensen ( June 22, 1874 - November 2, 1930) was a Danish weightlifter, shooter, gymnast Both of them lifted the same weight; but the jury, with Prince George as the chairman, ruled that Jensen had done so in a better style. Youth From 1883 George lived at the castle of Bernstorff in Copenhagen with Prince Valdemar of Denmark, his father's younger brother The British delegation, unfamiliar with this tie-breaking rule, lodged a protest. The lifters were eventually allowed make further attempts, but neither lifter improved, and Jensen was declared the champion.

Elliot got his revenge in the single handed "snatch" event, which was held immediately after the two-handed one. The snatch is one of the two current Olympic Weightlifting events (the other being the Clean and jerk) Jensen had been slightly injured in his last two-handed attempt, and was no match for Elliot, who won the competition easily ahead of Jensen. The Greek audience was very charmed by the Scottish victor, whom they considered very attractive. Allegedly, he even received a marriage proposal from a "highly placed lady" in the audience.

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Schuhmann (left) and Georgios Tsitas shake hands before the final match of the wrestling competition. At the 1896 Summer Olympics, one wrestling event was contested Carl Schuhmann ( May 12, 1869 &ndash March 24 1946) was a German athlete who was born in Münster and won four Olympic

No weight classes existed for the wrestling competition, held in the Panathenaic Stadium which meant that there would only be one winner among competitors of all sizes. The rules used were similar to modern Greco-Roman wrestling, although there was no time limit, and not all leg holds were forbidden (in contrast to current rules). Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of Amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world

Apart from the two Greek contestants, all competitors had previously been active in other sports. Weightlifting champion Launceston Elliot faced gymnastics champion Carl Schuhmann from Germany. Launceston Elliot ( June 9, 1874 - August 8, 1930) was a Scottish weightlifter. Carl Schuhmann ( May 12, 1869 &ndash March 24 1946) was a German athlete who was born in Münster and won four Olympic The latter won easily and advanced into the final, where he met Georgios Tsitas. Georgios Tsitas (born 1872 &ndash died ? was a Greek wrestler. Their final match had to be abandoned after 40 minutes of wrestling when darkness fell in and was continued the following day, when the German finished the bout within a quarter of an hour.

Closing ceremony

On the morning of Sunday 12 April, King George organised a banquet for officials and athletes (even though some competitions were not to be held). Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. During his speech, he made clear that, as far as he was concerned, the Olympics should be held in Athens permanently.

The official closing ceremony was held the following Wednesday, being postponed from Tuesday due to rain. Again the royal family attended the ceremony, which was opened by the national anthem of Greece and an ode composed and cited by George S. Robertson, a British athlete and scholar. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's George Stuart Robertson ( May 25 1872 &ndash January 29 1967) was a British athlete, Tennis player and

Afterwards, the king awarded prizes to the winners. Unlike today, the first place winners received silver medals, an olive branch and a diploma; and the second-placed athletes received copper medals, a branch of laurel and a diploma. Third place winners did not receive a medal. Some winners also received additional prizes, such as Spyridon Louis, who received a cup from Michel Bréal, a friend of De Coubertin who had conceived the marathon event. Michel Jules Alfred Bréal ( March 26, 1832 - 1915 French Philologist, was born at Landau in Rhenish Bavaria, of French-Jewish Louis then led the medallists on a lap of honour through the stadium, while the Olympic Hymn was played again. The King then formally closed the Games, saying "I declare the First International Olympic Games terminated. "

Like the Greek king, many others supported the idea of holding the next Games in Athens as well; most of the American competitors signed a letter to the Crown Prince expressing this wish. De Coubertin, however, was heavily opposed to this idea, as he envisioned international rotation as one of the cornerstones of the modern Olympics. According to his wish, the next Games were held in Paris, although they would be subdued by the concurrently held Universal Exposition. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the

Participating nations

Participating countries

The concept of national teams was not a major part of the Olympic movement until the Intercalated Games ten years later, though many sources list the nationality of competitors in 1896 and give medal counts.

Sources conflict as to which nations competed. The International Olympic Committee gives a figure of 14, but no list. The following 14 are most likely the ones which the IOC figure includes. Some sources list 12, excluding Chile and Bulgaria; others list 13, including those two but excluding Italy. Egypt is also sometimes included, as Dionysios Kasdaglis was Greek-Egyptian and living in Egypt. Dionysios Kasdaglis (1880 - ? was a Greek - Egyptian Tennis player

1. Australia – Despite Australia's lack of independence from the British Empire, the results of Teddy Flack are typically given with him listed as Australian. One athlete from Victoria, a British colony which later formed part of Australia, competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.
2. Austria – Austria was part of Austria-Hungary at the time, though the results of Austrian athletes are typically reported separately. Three sportsmen from Austria competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich
3. Bulgaria – The Bulgarian NOC claims that gymnast Charles Champaud was competing as a Bulgarian. The Bulgarian Olympic Committee claims one gymnast Charles Champaud, competed for the nation at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Charles Champaud was a Swiss gymnast. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. ^[5] Champaud was a Swiss national living in Bulgaria. Mallon and de Wael both list Champaud as Swiss. ^[6]
4. Chile – The Chilean NOC claims to have had one athlete, Luis Subercaseaux, compete in the 100, 400, and 800 metre races in the athletics programme. Chile claims one athlete Luis Subercaseaux, competed for the nation at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Luis Subercaseaux Errázuriz was a Chilean diplomat and athlete. ^[7] No further details are given. No mention is made of Subersaceaux in Mallon, de Wael, or the Official Report.
5. Denmark
6. France
7. Germany
8. Great Britain – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has historically maintained separate athletic organisations for each of its constituent countries. Three athletes from Denmark competed in five sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Thirteen athletes from France competed in six sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Germany competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Ten athletes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed in seven sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The major exception to this has been the Olympic Games, in which the country is considered as a single entity. However, it has conventionally used the name "Great Britain" at the Olympics rather than the more common shortening of the name to "the United Kingdom".
9. Greece – Greek results typically include the results of competitors from Cyprus and Smyrna. Greece was the Host nation of the 1896 Summer Olympics held in Athens. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Occasionally, Kasdaglis of Egypt is also included in the Greek count.
   • Cyprus – Some sources give Cypriot results separately, though most count Anastasios Andreou, a Greek-Cypriot and the only athlete from Cyprus, as Greek. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Anastasios Andreou (Αναστάσιος Ανδρέου 1877 &ndash 1947 was a Greek athlete from Cyprus. Cyprus was a protectorate of the United Kingdom at the time.
   • Smyrna – The two athletes from Smyrna are nearly always included in the Greek listings, similarly to the Cypriot athlete. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day
10. Hungary – Hungary is usually listed separately from Austria, despite the two being formally joined as Austria-Hungary at the time. Hungary competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic However, Hungarian results are considered to include those of athletes from Vojvodina (now part of Serbia) and Slovakia. The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina ( Serbian: Аутономна Покрајина Војводина or Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina; Hungarian: Vajdaság Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million
11. Italy
12. Sweden
13. Switzerland
14. United States

Entered nations that did not compete

Belgium and Russia had entered the names of competitors, but withdrew. One competitor from Italy was present at the 1896 Summer Olympics. One competitor from Sweden was present at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Three competitors from Switzerland competed in two sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Whether or not the Chilean athlete competed is questionable. Many sources list Italy in this category, as the most prominent Italian involved with the games, Carlo Airoldi, was deemed a professional and excluded from competition. Carlo Airoldi ( Origgio, 21 September 1869 &ndash Milan, 18 June 1929) was an Italian Marathon runner However, the shooter listed by name simply as Rivabella was also Italian and did compete. Rivabella was an Italian shooter. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Medal count

Main article: 1896 Summer Olympics medal count

Currently, many media sources publish medal counts for the Olympic Games. This was not the case in 1896, but many sources have tallied the 1896 medals to be able to compare the 1896 edition with later Games. These statistics should be used with care, however.

It should be noted, first, that no gold medals were awarded at all, and the third place finishers did not receive any prize in Athens. Secondly, national teams as we know now hardly existed. Greece and Hungary had held selection matches, but most other athletes represented their clubs or themselves. Furthermore, not all of the countries listed below existed in 1896. For example, Australia was not yet independent of the UK, and Hungary and Austria were formally joined together as one nation. Nevertheless, most sources have the countries as listed below. ^[8]

Medal awarded in Athens

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	11	7	2	20
2	Greece (host nation)	10	17	19	46
3	Germany	6	5	2	13
4	France	5	4	2	11
5	Great Britain	2	3	2	7
6	Hungary	2	1	3	6
7	Austria	2	1	2	5
8	Australia	2	0	0	2
9	Denmark	1	2	3	6
10	Switzerland	1	2	0	3
11	Mixed team	1	1	1	3

Female competitors

Women were not allowed to compete at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Greece was the Host nation of the 1896 Summer Olympics held in Athens. Germany competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Thirteen athletes from France competed in six sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Ten athletes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed in seven sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Hungary competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Three sportsmen from Austria competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics. One athlete from Victoria, a British colony which later formed part of Australia, competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens Three athletes from Denmark competed in five sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Three competitors from Switzerland competed in two sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Early Olympic Games allowed for individuals in a Team to be from different Nations The International Olympic Committee (IOC now groups their results together One, named Stamata Revithi and nicknamed Melpomene after the Greek muse of tragedy, protested by running the marathon course on 11 April, the day after the men had run it. Stamata Revithi (Σταμάτα Ρεβίθη (1866 &ndash after 1896 was a Greek woman who ran the Marathon course of during the 1896 Summer Olympics Melpomène (Greek Μελπομένη mɛlˌpɒmɪˈni ("to sing" or "the one that is melodious", initially the Muse of Singing she then became the Muse Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. ^[9]

Notes

References

• Lampros, S. P. ; Polites, N. G. ; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P. J. ; & Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck.   (Digitally available at^[1])
• Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9.   (Excerpt available at^[2])
• Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X.  

Further reading

• Greenberg, Stan (1996). The Guinness Book of Olympic Facts and Feats. Enfield: Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-639-1.  
• Kluge, Volker (1997). Olympische Sommerspiele: die Chronik I. Berlin: Sportverlag. ISBN 3-328-00715-6.  
• Lennartz, Karl (ed. ) (1996). Die olympischen Spiele 1896 in Athen: Erläuterungen zum Neudruck des Offiziellen Berichtes. Kassel: Agon.  
• MacAloon, John J (1982). This Great Symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.  
• Wallechinsky, David (2000). The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics. Woodstock: Overlook Press. ISBN 1-58567-033-2.  

External links

• International Olympic Committee (IOC) page on the 1896 Summer Olympics.
• A chronicle of the 1896 Summer Olympics.
• Official Report of the 1896 Olympics (PDF format)