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The first
modern Olympics
The Modern Olympic Games started in 1896 in Athens,
Greece. The Athens Games of 1896 were a great success
and were held in a superb white marble stadium,
which was constructed in less than 18 months, able
to hold 60.000 spectators. King George of Greece
opened the event on April 5 in front of a full stadium.
Nine sports
Thirteen countries competed (Australia, Austria,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Chile, France, Germany, Great
Britain, Greece, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, and
the United States). Nine sports, cycling, fencing,
gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track
and field, weight lifting, and wrestling were on
the agenda April 6 – 15, 1896.
Some highlights
The first heat of the 100m which was won by Francis Lane, USA, in a time of 12.5 sec, was the first competition of the Modern Olympics. The first winner was the American James Connolly, who won the triple jump of 13.71 metres. Worth to mention is also Edwin Flack, the only representative from Australia, a 23 year old accountant who won the 800 and 1500 metres track events. He also competed in the marathon until fatigue forced him to withdraw and in the singles and doubles tennis events.
Yet the most impressive story of the Games was one involving a marathon-winning shepherd from the Athens area: Spiridon Louys who ran the distance in 2 hours, 58 minutes and 50 seconds. Louys' triumph sent the country wild. It was just one of many victories for the host country, who finished with 50 places of honor which were given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places.
Only one
medal
Only the winner in each of the 43 events was awarded with the Olympic medal, which was made of silver.
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