The ancient track had an unusually elongated shape with such sharp turns that runners were forced to slow down considerably in order to stay in their lanes. Nearly 20,000 spectators lined the Bay of Zea off the Piraeus coast to watch the events. Although Greece had been favoured to win the discus and the shot put, the best Greek athletes finished just behind the American Robert Garrett in both events. There were three open events (men's 100-metre freestyle, men's 500-metre freestyle, and men's 1200 metre freestyle), in addition to a special event open only to Greek sailors, all of which were held on the same day (11 April).[53]. At the 1894 Sorbonne congress, a large roster of sports were suggested for the program in Athens. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The inaugural Games of the modern Olympics were attended by as many as 280 athletes, all male, coming from 12 countries. "[25], Women were not entitled to compete at the 1896 Summer Olympics, because de Coubertin felt that their inclusion would be "impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and incorrect". Two competitors stood out: Scotsman Launceston Elliot and Viggo Jensen of Denmark. Updates? Seven venues were used for the 1896 Summer Olympics. There are significant conflicts with regard to which nations competed. Greek participants had been chosen through two trial national races, which had taken place on 10, Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 76, 83–84, Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 70–71, Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 93–94, Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 232–234, IOC Olympic Museum exhibition panel, 2010. The top two places were won by the same two men in each event, though their order was reversed for the two events. Again the royal family attended the ceremony, which was opened by the national anthem of Greece and an ode composed in ancient Greek by George S. Robertson, a British athlete and scholar.[60]. Long touted in the making, 1896 marked the first Olympic Games in over 2,000 years.Through loans, promises and sheer determination, Pierre de Coubertin and his cohort of plucky fitness enthusiasts had somehow managed to organize an international sporting event comprising over 280 athletes from 14 different nations competing … However this event had to be given up. As a member of the Athens Lawn Tennis sub-committee, Manos had been trying, with the assistance of Boland, to recruit competitors for the Athens Games from among the sporting circles of Oxford University. Subercaseaux's results are not listed in the official report, though that report typically includes only winners and Subercaseaux won no medals. Vikelas was then elected the first president of the newly established International Olympic Committee (IOC). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [56], The Paine brothers did not compete in the 25-meter pistol event, as the event judges determined that their weapons were not of the required calibre. [4] After the Games, Coubertin and the IOC were petitioned by several prominent figures, including Greece's King George and some of the American competitors in Athens, to hold all the following Games in Athens. It remains a mystery how Athens was finally chosen to host the inaugural Games. [59], On the morning of Sunday 12 April (or 3 April, according to the Julian calendar then used in Greece), King George the Great organised a banquet for officials and athletes (even though some competitions had not yet been held). The first official announcements regarding the sporting events to be held featured sports such as football and cricket,[44] but these plans were never finalised, and these sports did not make the final list for the Games. Apart from the two Greek contestants, all the competitors had previously been active in other sports. In addition, the curves of the track were very tight, making fast times in the running events virtually impossible. The athletes competed in 43 events covering athletics (track and field), cycling, swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, wrestling, fencing, shooting, and tennis. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Athens-1896-Olympic-Games. At the first Olympic Games in 1896, there were nine sports contested. The jury, the referees and the game director bore the same names as in antiquity (Ephor, Helanodic and Alitarc). Most medals overall, 46 two men in each discipline is noted in parentheses 1896 venues used. 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