Athens 1896 Summer Olympics

Athens, Greece. The first modern Olympic Games, 241 athletes from 14 nations

Overview

King George I opened the Games at the rebuilt Panathenaic Stadium in April 1896. Some 241 male athletes from 14 nations competed in 9 sports, with athletics, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, fencing, weightlifting, wrestling, shooting and tennis on the program. Greek shepherd Spyridon Louis won the marathon, the hosts only athletics triumph, and became a national legend overnight. Pierre de Coubertin had revived the Olympic idea at the 1894 Paris Congress two years earlier.