1896 Athens Olympics

Also called: Games of the I Olympiad, Athens 1896

The first modern Olympic Games were held at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. 241 male athletes from 14 nations competed in nine sports, and the marathon was won by the Greek runner Spyridon Louis.

King George I of Greece opened the Games on 6 April 1896 (25 March in the Julian calendar then used in Greece, the anniversary of Greek independence), and they ran until 15 April. The main venue was the Panathenaic Stadium, rebuilt in marble on the ancient site, with much of the cost met by the Greek benefactor Georgios Averoff.

Forty-three events were held in nine sports: athletics, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, cycling, fencing, shooting, weightlifting and tennis. There were no women, and many of the competitors were Greek. The first champion was the American triple jumper James Connolly. Winners received a silver medal and an olive branch rather than gold.

The marathon, modelled on the story of a messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens with news of victory over the Persians, was held for the first time. Its winner, Spyridon Louis, a former water carrier, sent all of Greece into raptures. Greece wanted the Games to stay permanently in Athens, but the IOC decided to rotate them among cities in different countries.