Olympic Games

ATHENS 1896
Games of the I Olympiad

The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. On 6 April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. Winners were awarded a silver medal and an olive branch. The German athlete Carl Schumann finished in the top five events of three different sports. The people of Athens greeted the Games with great enthusiasm. Their support was rewarded when a Greek shepherd, Spyridon Louis, won the most popular event, the marathon.

Participating Nations

14

Participants

241 athletes (0 women, 241 men)

Events

43

The top three winners were: United States of America, Greece and Germany

Medal Tally of 1st Olympic Games

Rank.	Nation	Medals
		Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States of America	11	7	2	20
2	Greece	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
Total		43	43	36	122