Time spending: 6, 7, 9 and 10 April 1896.
Number of disciplines: 12
Countries: 9
Number of athletes: 63
men: 63
women: 0
Sets of medals played: 12
Youngest member: Georges de la Nézière (France, age: 17, 250 days)
Oldest member: Eugen Schmidt (Denmark, age: 34, 49 days)
Medal Winning Countries: United States (17)
Medal winners: Bob Garrett USA (4)
On the afternoon of April 6, 1896, at the Marble Stadium, where about 80 thousand people gathered, a cannon shot struck and the solemn sounds of the Olympic anthem began to sound. They echoed far beyond the hills that flank the city. In deep silence, the words of the Greek King George I were heard:
"I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!"
As with other competitions in the 1896 Summer Olympics, women were not allowed to compete.
Track and field competitions have become the most massive - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - was won by the representatives of the United States.
11 events took place at the Marble Stadium, which turned out to be inconvenient for the runners. At the ancient Games, the competitions were held not in a circle, but in a straight line (in running for more than 1 stage, the participants at the opposite end of the stadium turned back). During the reconstruction, the stadium was not expanded, so the circular track turned out to be elongated with very steep turns, which reduced the speed. In addition, the track was too soft.
American Tom Burke won the 100 m and 400 m sprints, the only participant who used a low start, which initially caused ridicule from the audience. The 800m and 1500m runs were won by the only Australian at the Teddy Flack Games, and the 100m hurdles were won by the American Thomas Curtis.
All jumping events were won by the Americans - Ellery Clark (high and long jump), Wells Hoyt (pole vault) and James Connolly (triple jump). The triple jump competition ended on April 6 earlier than other events Olympic program and Connolly became the first Olympic champion of our time.
In discus throwing, which has ancient roots, the Greeks hoped for victory: international competitions it was not held until the Games of 1896, and Greek athletes trained in a training camp for several months. However, taking the lead in the last attempt, the American Robert Garrett won, who first saw how the discus was thrown, a few days before the competition. He also won the shot put; taking second place in the high jump, he became the most titled athlete of the Games.
Another view took place outside the stadium - a race along the legendary route from the city of Marathon to Athens (40 km), called the marathon. It was won by the Greek Spiridon Luis, who became a national hero in his homeland.
Country
In competitions for athletics 63 athletes from 9 countries participated.
The number of athletes in athletics is indicated in parentheses, if it is known for sure:
Australia (1)
United Kingdom (5)
Hungary (3)
Germany (5)
Greece (29)
Denmark (3)
United States (10)
France (6)
Sweden (1)
Olympiad Collaboration
1896
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Greece in 1896. They began with a scandal. The decision of the Paris Congress of 1894 to host the Games of the I Olympiad of our time in 1896 in Athens was approved by the majority of the Greek population.
But the city hall of Athens and the Greek government could not afford the full costs of hosting the Games. The government did not agree to the allocation of additional funds, citing its refusal by the fact that the Athenians say they are poorly versed in sports, that the city does not have the necessary sports facilities for holding competitions, and the financial situation of Greece does not allow inviting representatives from many countries to the festival.
Many prominent statesmen and politicians supported the government's statement. For example, the influential political figure Stefonos Drathomis wrote that Greece is not in a position to realize the great idea of Pierre de Coubertin and the Games are best postponed until 1900, as an integral part of the World Exhibition in Paris.
It got to the point that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was behind the idea of the Olympics, was forced to ask Hungary to host the Games. Having received a categorical refusal, he tried to convince the Greek government that it was possible to get by with not so great expenses. Crown Prince Constantine agreed with the baron and appointed the former mayor of Athens, Philemon, general secretary of the organizing committee.
Constantine also threw a cry for help to all the Greeks of the planet and money began to flow into the Olympic fund. And not only from the inhabitants of Greece, but also from London, Marseille, Constantinople and other cities where rich Greek colonies existed. With money from Alexandria from Georg Averoff, the ancient Olympic stadium was rebuilt. A velodrome and a shooting range were also built in Athens. Tennis courts were placed in the city center. Sportsmen were provided with pavilions with boathouses and locker rooms for rowing competitions.
As a result, all the places for the competition were prepared in one year. The problem was that the IOC could not recruit participants for the Olympics - many countries simply refused to send athletes to Greece, considering this sporting event a Franco-Greek undertaking.
Nevertheless, the Games took place. On April 6, 1896, at the Marble Stadium, the King of Greece, in the presence of 80 thousand spectators, declared the Games of the First Olympiad open.
311 athletes from 12 countries - Australia, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, took part in Olympic competitions... About 70% of the participants were from Greece. The second largest team was Germany - 21 athletes, then France - 19, USA - 14. Only men took part in the competition. Russian athletes were actively preparing for the 1st Olympiad, however, due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games. Only a few athletes from Odessa, who were most actively preparing for the Olympic Games, managed to leave for Greece, but they had to return due to lack of money before reaching Athens. Kiev resident Nikolai Ritter managed to arrive in the capital of the Olympics and applied for participation in wrestling and shooting competitions, but then withdrew his application and did not take part in the competition.
The Games program included 9 sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, Athletics, swimming, shooting, bullet, tennis, weightlifting and fencing, in which 43 sets of awards were played. Already at the Games of the first Olympiad, the organizers and the International Olympic Committee were faced with the problem of amateurism, which will accompany them until 1980.
The first Olympic champion of our time was the American athlete James Conolly, who won gold medal in the triple jump, showing the result of 13 m 71 cm. The national hero of Greece, who received high honors, was the winner in the marathon, Spiridon Luis, who ran 40 km in 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. L. Kuhn reports interesting fact that in addition to the Olympic awards and fame, the following prizes awaited the winner: a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on the inclusion of a marathon in the Games program, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food throughout the year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of a hairdresser throughout all life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.
Frenchman Paul Masson won three gold medals in track races in the sprint race, as well as at distances of 2000 and 10,000 meters. However, the cycling competition was remembered for the gentlemanly behavior of another Frenchman, a participant in the 100-kilometer race, Leon Flamand. The main rival of the athlete from France, Greek Georgies Collettis, had a broken bike and he was forced to stop in order to change the car. Leon Flaman also stopped and waited for his opponent. He became not only the winner of the Games, but also one of the most popular athletes.
There was no division into weight categories in wrestling competitions. All the more honorable was the victory of the athlete from Germany Karl Schumann, who was the lightest of the participants. In addition to winning the fight, Schumann managed to win three more gold medals in gymnastics competitions - in the vault, as well as in team championship in exercises on uneven bars and a crossbar.
In the weightlifting tournament, the Englishman Launceston Elliot distinguished himself with a result of 71 kg in the exercise with one hand, and the Danish Viggo Jensen with the result of 111.5 kg in the exercise with two hands. In shooting competitions, three gold medals were won by Greek athletes - in shooting with an army rifle, and two American athletes - by shooting from a revolver.
The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games - April 15, 1896. Since the Games of the 1st Olympiad, a tradition has been established to perform in honor of the winner of the national anthem and to raise the national flag. The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games. The winner was crowned with a laurel wreath, a silver medal made by the famous engraver Chaplain, and an olive branch cut from the Sacred Grove of Olympia and a diploma by a Greek artist. The greatest number of medals was won by Greek athletes - 10 gold, 19 silver and 17 bronze, the US Olympians received 19 medals - 11 gold, 7 silver, 1 bronze, Germany 14 medals - 7 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze. Sportsmen from Bulgaria, Chile and Sweden were left without medals.
After the successful holding of the 1st Olympic Games, Greece hoped that the subsequent Olympics would also be held in Athens, which would become modern Olympia. However, the International Olympic Committee decided to give the Games a truly international character and to hold them alternately in different countries and on different continents. The International Olympic Committee did not object to large international competitions being held in the intervals between the Games in Greece. Such competitions were planned to be held in 1898, and then in 1902. However, for organizational and financial reasons, they did not take place.
Venue - Athens, Greece
Date - April 6-15, 1896
Number of participating countries - 14
Number of sports - 9
Number of participants - 311 (men - 311, women - 0)
Information from sites used:
olympiad.h1.ru
"Encyclopedia of Sports" - esport.com.ua
from the official IOC website www.olympic.org,
from the website of the NOC of Russia www.olympic.ru
from books:
"From Olympia to Moscow" by Valery Steinbach,
"Sensations and scandals of the sports age" by Boris Bazunov,
"Brief Biographical Dictionary: Athletes" published by "RIPOL CLASSIC";
"Story Olympic Games... Medals, badges, posters. "Treskin, Steinbach
newspapers:
"SPORT-EXPRESS"
In Paris, in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne, a commission for the revival of the Olympic Games met. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee - IOC was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.
The first modern Olympic Games were originally planned to be held at the same stadium in Olympia, where the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were held. However, this required too much restoration work, and the first revived Olympic competitions took place in the Greek capital Athens.
On April 6, 1896, at the restored antique stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of our time open. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.
The date of the ceremony was not chosen by chance - on this day Easter Monday coincided in three directions of Christianity at once - in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games laid two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state, where the competitions are held, and the performance of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes modern Games like the parade of the participating countries, the Olympic flame lighting ceremony and the taking of the Olympic oath, there was no; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village, the invited athletes provided themselves with housing.
241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the Games of the I Olympiad: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary (at the time of the Games, Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary, but Hungarian athletes performed separately at the competitions), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.
Russian athletes were actively preparing for the Olympics, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games.
As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.
The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were played.
According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletes' competitions.
Track and field competitions have become the most massive - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - was won by the representatives of the United States.
The first Olympic champion was the American track and field athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.
Wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, and there were no weight categories either. The style in which the athletes competed was close to today's Greco-Roman, but it was allowed to grab the opponent by the legs. Only one set of medals was played among five athletes, and only two of them competed exclusively in wrestling - the rest took part in competitions in other disciplines.
Since there were no artificial pools in Athens, swimming competitions were held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked with ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore by the beginning of the first swim. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.
Medals were played in four types, all heats were "freestyle" - it was allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At the time, the most popular swimming techniques were breaststroke, over-arm (improved sideways swimming) and treggen style. At the insistence of the organizers of the Games, the program also included an applied type of swimming - 100 meters in sailor clothes. Only Greek sailors took part in it.
In cycling, six sets of medals were played - five on the track and one on the highway. Track races were held at the Neo Faliron velodrome specially built for the Games.
In competitions for artistic gymnastics eight sets of awards were played. Competitions were held outdoors, at the Marble Stadium.
In shooting, five sets of awards were played - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.
Tennis competitions were held on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles... At the 1896 Games, there was not yet a requirement that all team members be from the same country, and some couples were international.
Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball bar with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.
In fencing, three sets of awards were played. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were admitted: separate competitions were held among "maestros" - fencing teachers ("maestros" were also admitted to the Games of 1900, after which this practice ceased).
The culmination of the Olympic Games was the marathon run. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the I Olympiad was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. Greek postman Spiridon Luis, who became a national hero after this success, finished first with a score of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including a marathon run in the Games program, a barrel of wine, a ticket for free food throughout the year, free tailoring of a dress and use of the services of a hairdresser throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.
FIRST CAPITAL
Athens winning the competition against Paris
In 1894, the First Congress of the International Olympic Committee was held at the Sorbonne. On it, at the suggestion of the French public figure and historian Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the idea of reviving the Olympic Games was adopted. Moreover, de Coubertin planned the first Olympics for 1900 and, of course, in his native Paris. But the representative of Greece, the writer and poet Demetrius Vikelas, referring to the origins of Olympism in Ancient Greece, persuaded the delegates to open a new page Olympic movement precisely in his homeland.
Demetrius Vikelas became the first President of the IOC, Pierre de Coubertin - the General Secretary.
FIRST SPONSOR
Geogios Averov, who built the stadium
In two years it was necessary to restore the stadium in Athens, and Greece was going through hard times. They helped the whole world. But the biggest contribution was made by a Greek millionaire with a non-Greek surname - Georgios Averov from Alexandria. It was he who donated a million drachmas for the construction of the marble stadium. Grateful Greeks erected a lifetime monument to the patron of art in front of the stadium.
FIRST RITUALS
Anthem approved after 62 years
The opening of the First Olympics was timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the liberation struggle against the Turkish yoke. It was in Athens that the ritual of raising the national flag was established in honor of the winner. It was here that the Olympic hymn, written by the Greek composer Spyros Samaras to the words of Constantine Palamas, was first played. The anthem was a tremendous success and was repeated twice as an encore. However, it was officially approved only in 1958 at the 55th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ...
FIRST LOSS
Russian nobleman defeated by wine
Only one Russian representative managed to get to Greece. A nobleman of German origin, Kievite Nikolai von Ritter dreamed of performing in fencing, shooting at a running boar and classical wrestling. In Athens, Ritter even won his first training competitions. The press started talking about him as a future Olympic champion. But, alas, von Ritter disappeared somewhere, never becoming a participant in the Olympics. He himself explained the reason for the absence of the loss of the mascot medallion, without which he categorically could not go to the start, and the confusion in the competition schedule. But the real reason lay elsewhere. While traveling by ship from Odessa to Athens, Ritter developed seasickness. On the advice of seasoned sailors, he treated her ... with wine. And so he got a taste that he continued to drink alcohol, and even in large quantities, during the Games. There was no time for competitions.
True, then von Ritter began to actively promote sports and the Olympic Games, having traveled around many cities of Russia with his lectures.
FIRST PARTICIPANTS
Russians who reached only Constantinople
Athletes from 34 countries were supposed to participate in the Games, but only 14 countries managed to send representatives. Various sources provide conflicting data on the number of participants, so let's take an approximate figure - about 300 athletes.
Despite the fact that the representative of Russia, General Aleksey Dmitrievich Butovsky, was elected to the IOC in 1894, Russian athletes did not participate in the First Olympics. The reason is the same - lack of funds. Although preparations for the Olympics were actively carried out in St. Petersburg, Odessa and Kiev. A small group of Odessa residents even went to Greece, but they only had enough money until Constantinople, from where they had to return home.
PROGRAM
1) French (Greco-Roman) wrestling
2) cycling
3) gymnastics
4) athletics (one of the disciplines is rope climbing)
5) swimming
6) shooting
7) tennis
8) weightlifting
9) fencing
FIRST CHAMPION
James Connolly Jumping into History
According to ancient tradition, the Games were started by athletes. The first Olympic champion of our time was the American James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 m 71 cm. He finished second in the high jump and third in the long jump. James's story is amazing. The son of a large Irish emigrant fisherman, the family had 12 children, he dropped out of school and worked as an insurance agent, and in the army he organized football team... Having matured, he passed exams for the school course as an external student, and then entered the prestigious Harvard University. He came to the Olympics without the permission of the university authorities, who were skeptical about his sports hobbies. But a few years after the 1896 Games, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Leaving sports, Connolly tried many different professions, participated in the Spanish-American War, was a sports journalist: in 1904 he covered the Olympics in St. Louis. But the main thing is that hundreds of stories and novels came out from under his pen, mainly on the marine theme. And in one of the parks in the south of Boston, a monument was erected to him, on which Connolly is depicted at the moment of landing after a jump.
DISC THROWING
Robert Garrett, who paid the fare
Just two hours after Connolly's victory, the American team was celebrating success again. Princeton University student Robert Garrett won the original Greek discipline of discus throwing. A smart and wealthy young man ordered a disc similar to the one used by ancient throwers and began training. Already in Athens, picking up a modern disc, he realized its advantages - light, only 1,923 kilograms, and comfortable in shape. A throw of 29.15 meters was enough to win. Garrett took another first place in the shot put with a result of 11.28 meters. Robert was a good guy - he paid for the trip to Athens for three more teammates.
Cycling
Leon Flaman, who showed nobility
But the French cyclist Paul Masson won more than all the first places. He became a three-time winner in the 333.3 meter round, the 2000 meter sprint race and the 10,000 meter race. And his teammate Leon Flaman, who won first place in the 100-kilometer race, proved himself to be a real gentleman and could claim one of the Fair Play prizes today. During the competition, he noticed that the bike of the Greek Georgis Kolletis broke. Then the Frenchman also stopped and waited for his opponent's car to be repaired. And only when Georgis got into the saddle, Leon continued the race and won a convincing victory.
Spyros Luis, refreshed with wine
The marathon has become the most memorable event of this Olympics. A woman, a Greek athlete named Melpomene, also dreamed of participating in the race. But the application was not accepted. At the games of the First Olympiad, as in ancient times, only men participated. And the women's marathon will be introduced to the program for the first time only in 1984.
The 24-year-old Greek postal worker Spyros Luis was the winner with a score of 2 hours 58 minutes. 50 sec. Three days before the start, he did not train, but only prayed and tuned in for victory. Louis lived up to the hopes of the Greeks. It was hot, and the runner did not mind a glass of cool wine offered by his uncle at a distance near the village of Halandri. Only at the 33rd kilometer did he become the leader. The spectators jumped up from their seats, and the judges rushed after the athlete and ran to the finish line with him. The fans poured onto the field and began to swing the hero.
His compatriots took 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th places. The contender for the third place violated the rules of fair play. Knowing the area well, the Greek marathon runner cut the turn and passed the Hungarian Gyula Kollner. As a result, he received a well-deserved disqualification.
Of course, all marathon runners wanted to receive not only a medal, but also the promised awards: a centner of chocolate, free sewing of clothes for a year, as well as a hairdresser's services ... But our hero Spyros Luis took only a horse with a cart from this set. After the Olympics, he led a quiet life in his native village of Amarussia. He worked in the police, became a farmer. But in every leap year, when the next Olympics were held, he always led the team of Greeks. The last time it was in 1936 in Nazi Berlin. As a guest of honor, Spyros was received by Hitler and even presented him with an olive branch, symbolizing peace. Alas, the olive branch did not help either. Spyros Luis passed away a week before the German invasion of Greece.
RUN 100 METERS
Tom Berg surprised with a low start
American Tom Berg also won the 100 and 400 meters. At these competitions, he first used a low start, which initially caused ridicule. “What are you doing? Get off the ground!” The audience shouted. Yes, Americans did well in the first Olympic Games. In terms of the amount of medals, they lost to the Greeks, but in terms of the number of first places they were the first.
SWIMMING
Alfred Hayosh, who defeated the storm
The hero of the swimming competition was the Hungarian athlete Alfred Hayos. There was no pool then, and the swims were carried out on the open sea. Start and finish were marked with ropes attached to floats. Bad luck with the weather: cloudy and cool - the water temperature barely reached 13 C. It's April, after all. In his diary, the Hungarian swimmer described the victory as follows: “Nine participants started at a distance of 1200 meters. We were taken in three small boats to the open sea, which was rather restless. My body was covered with a layer of fat as thick as a finger; meters, with the help of fat I tried to protect myself from the icy water.
The instinct of self-preservation overshadowed the desire to win, with desperate strokes I cut through the water and calmed down only when the boats turned towards us and began to catch the numb swimmers out of the water. I defeated my rivals with a great advantage, but the biggest fight had to be fought not with them, but with four-meter sea waves and terribly cold water ... "
On the shore, encouraging the swimmers, a crowd of spectators roared. Hayosh floated ahead. But 30 m before the end of the distance, the Hungarian suddenly left the finish line to the right. The audience fell silent in amazement. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, managed to notice his mistake. At this point, the Greek swimmer almost overtook him. Alfred increased his pace with the last of his strength, struggling with the cold water and the stormy sea. And he became the winner.
Alfred Hayos did a lot for the development of sports in Hungary. After graduating from the Faculty of Architecture of the University, he designed stadiums, houses, schools, the world's first indoor pool with stands for 2 thousand seats on Margaret Island in Budapest.
AWARDING
Bronze medals don't count
On the closing day of the Games, repeating the ancient ceremony, on the head Olympic champions laid a laurel wreath, awarded a medal and an olive branch.
Only for the first place the Olympians were awarded a medal made of silver. The runners-up received bronze medals.
Those who took third places were not taken into account, and only starting from the Games of the III Olympiad in St. Louis (1904) did the IOC include them in the medal standings.
The nine precepts of Baron Pierre de Coubertin
I. Oh, SPORT! YOU ARE PLEASURE!
You are a faithful, unchanging life partner. You generously give our spirit and body the joy of being. You are immortal. You are still in good health today, after the collapse of the Olympiads lost for centuries. You are the triumphant herald of the spring of mankind.
II. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE AN ARCHITECT!
You help to find the proportions of the most perfect creation of human nature, triumphant in victory and lamenting in failure. You are the master of harmony.
III. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE JUSTICE!
You show the direct, honest paths that people look for to achieve their goals in life. You are impartial. You teach that the rules of competition are the law.
IV. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE A CHALLENGE!
You demand a fight. You say you have to dream. You must dare. You have to dare. You convince, you demand, you order. You call people to measure their strength. Get over yourself.
V. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE NOBILITY!
You give laurels only to those who fought for victory honestly, openly, disinterestedly. You proclaim: if someone achieves a goal by misleading his comrades, achieves fame with the help of low, dishonorable methods, suppressing a sense of shame, he deserves a shameful epithet that will become inseparable from his name. You build stadiums - theaters without curtains. No behind-the-scenes fighting. You have inscribed on your tablets: "Three times sweet is the victory won in a noble and honest struggle."
Vi. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE JOY!
You arrange holidays for those who yearn for a struggle and for those who yearn to enjoy this struggle. You are jubilation. The sadness or grief of one recedes at the moment when it is necessary to overcome everything in front of the many-eyed gaze of many. Bring joy, pleasure, happiness to people, sports!
Vii. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE FERTILITY!
You are an obstacle to stand in the way of pernicious ailments that have eternally threatened people. You make your blood hot. You make your heart beat faster. You heal from ailments. You say: "There is a healthy mind in a healthy body!"
VIII. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE PROGRESS!
You contribute to the perfection of man of the most beautiful creation of nature. You teach a person to voluntarily, consciously, with conviction to act so that no higher achievements, no record are the result of overstrain, do not affect health. You do not recognize any stimulants, except for the thirst for victory and wise training.
IX. ABOUT SPORT! YOU ARE WORLD!
You establish good, kind, friendly relations between peoples. You are consent. You bring people closer together who yearn for unity. You teach multi-lingual, multi-tribal youth to respect each other. You are the source of noble, peaceful, friendly competition. You are gathering youth - our future, our hope - under your banner of peace. About sport! You are the world!
(From the "Ode to Sport", written in 1912.)
It cannot be denied that during the 19th century, in some European countries, competitions in various sports were held in one way or another, dedicated to the ancient Olympic Games. However, the idea of reviving the Olympic Games and giving them international status belongs to Pierre de Coubertin.
As you know, he voiced his idea in 1889, and the decision was made at the International Athletic Congress ( in some. sources mistakenly Olympic Congress), which took place on June 16-23, 1894 at the Sorbonne with the participation of representatives from 11 countries (according to some sources - 12).
After the historic decision to revive the Olympic Games, the question arose about the time and place of the Games. Coubertin proposed to hold the first games in 1900 in Paris, which in his opinion would be the best, since they would coincide with the holding of the World Exhibition in Paris in the same year. However, believing that interest in the Olympics would wane in six years, Congress decided to hold the first games in 1896.
Several congress participants suggested London as a venue for the games, but after short discussions with the Greek delegate D. Vikelas, Coubertin proposed Athens. Greece was the ancestor of the Games and therefore Congress unanimously agreed to Coubertin's proposal.
Organization of the 1st Olympiad
The news of the revival of the Olympic Games excited the world community. In Greece, the start of the competition was awaited with particular enthusiasm. However, serious difficulties soon became apparent that the organizers of the Games had to overcome. Holding competitions of such a high level required substantial financial costs, while an economic and political crisis was raging in the country.
The current Prime Minister of Greece, Harilaos Tricupis, who made various efforts to disrupt the Olympics, was also not thrilled with the Games. On his orders, the deputy Skuluzis, a member of the organizing committee, criticized the budget drawn up by Coubertin, said that it was much understated, convinced his colleagues of the unreasonableness of the enterprise, made a joint petition with them, motivating the refusal from the Games by the inability to get the necessary amount of money. Coubertin had to conduct many conversations and meetings with politicians, officials, businessmen, journalists in order to win them over to his side.
At the end of 1894, the predictions of skeptics came true - the organizing committee announced that the costs of the Games were actually three times higher than the estimated amount named before the start of the construction of sports facilities. An opinion was expressed about the impossibility of holding the Games in Athens. Tricupis gave the king an ultimatum - either he or the prince. The king was adamant, and on January 24, 1895, the prime minister resigned.
The Greek prince Constantine, who was at the helm of the organizing committee of the Games, reorganized the committee, removing all opposition from it, took a number of measures to attract private capital, appointed the former mayor of Athens Timoleon Philemon as general secretary and chaired all committee meetings personally until the start of the Games. Funds began to arrive in Athens from all over the country; the committee refused to accept money from abroad. Thanks to the generosity of the Greeks, the amount of the Olympic fund reached 332,756 drachmas. But that was not enough.
Then, the proposal of the founder of the Greek Association of Postage Stamp Collectors, Demetris Sakarafos, to issue the world's first Olympic stamps turned out to be just as opportune. The cost of the stamps was supposed to exceed the postage rate, and Sakarafos proposed to send the proceeds from the sale of this issue to the fund for holding the Games. The idea of Sakarafos was taken up by newspapers. The Greek Parliament has approved a law to issue the world's first Olympic stamps. The government has allocated four hundred thousand drachmas for the sale of these stamps. Coubertin later recalled: "After the release of the Olympic stamps, the success of the organization of the Olympic Games was a foregone conclusion.".
The sale of tickets and commemorative medals brought in another 200,000 drachmas. Finally, Prince Constantine wrote to the Greek rich man and art patron from Alexandria Georgios Averoff with a request to pay for the reconstruction of the Ancient Stadium, which was estimated at 580,000 drachmas. Georgios agreed. The reconstruction ultimately cost him 920,000 drachmas. The stadium built by Lecurgue in the 4th century BC. e. shone again with Pentelik marble.
Nevertheless, Greece's obvious unpreparedness for serious events of this scale affected primarily the sports results of the competitions, which were not high even according to the estimates of that time. There was only one reason for this - the lack of properly equipped facilities.
The famous Panathenian stadium was clad in white marble, but its capacity was clearly insufficient. The sports arena did not stand up to criticism. Too narrow, with a slope along one edge, it turned out to be ill-suited for the competition of track and field athletes. The soft cinder track had a rise to the finish line, and the corners were too steep. The swimmers competed in the open sea, where the start and finish were marked with ropes stretched between floats. In such conditions, one could not even dream of high achievements. In addition, the unprecedented influx of tourists who rushed to Athens revealed the need to adapt the city economy for their reception and service.
As for the accommodation of athletes, the concept of the Olympic Village was embodied much later, at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1932. At the very first games, athletes had to take care of their accommodation themselves.
And yet the games were destined to take place. The organizing committee sent out invitations to many countries:
"On June 16, 1894, the International Sports Congress took place at the Paris Sorbonne, which decided to resume the Olympic Games and set the 1st Games in Athens for 1896.
In accordance with this decision, received with great enthusiasm in Greece, the All-Athens Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent of Greece, is sending you this invitation to the opening of the competition to be held from 6 to 15 April 1896 in Athens. At the same time, the conditions of the competition are sent.
This invitation is being sent in accordance with the mandate received from the Paris-based International Olympic Committee. We look forward to your early reply.General Secretary of the Greek Olympic Committee Timoleon Philemon "
And then came the long-awaited day - April 6, 1896. A cannon shot rang out, and the sounds of the Olympic anthem rose up into the air, accompanied by the angelic singing of a female choir. The echo of the music that brought fame to the opera composer Spiro Samara echoed far beyond the hills that frame the city. 80 thousand people gathered at the Marble Stadium. In deep silence, the words of the Greek King George I were heard: - I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!
The beginning of a new Olympic era was laid ...
(From various sources)
Some interesting facts
The I Olympic Games were held from 6 to 15 April according to the Gregorian calendar (modern style). At that time, Greece recognized the Julian calendar, according to which the games were held from March 25 to April 3.
It should be noted that the closing of the games was scheduled to take place on Tuesday April 14th, but due to rainy weather, the ceremony was held on Wednesday April 15th at 10.30 am local time.
Unlike the current games, all the winners of the 1st Olympiad were awarded on the day the games closed. The prizes were presented by the King of Greece George I. The winners of the competition were awarded a diploma (artist - Greek Nikolaos Gyzis), a silver medal, and a wreath of olive branches was placed on the head. Runners-up received a diploma, a bronze medal (design by French sculptor Jules Chaplain) and laurel wreath. Bronze medalists in the current sense (3rd place) were not awarded (the tradition of defining three winners appeared at the III Olympic Games in St. Louis). All athletes who took part in the games were also awarded a commemorative medal (design by Greek artist Nikephoros Lytras).
Controversial issues from the history of the I Olympiad
A lot of controversy among sports historians is the question of the number of participants in the first Olympic Games. In various sources, the numbers range from 145 to 311. This is mainly due to the fact that the names of some Olympians have not been preserved. There was no statistics system, the principle of national teams also. Anyone could apply to the Games. At the moment, the names of 176 participants are known. Based on fragmentary information with a small error, it is possible to establish the participation of 246 athletes. The names of at least 41 competitors in gymnastics, 22 in shooting (army rifle) and seven in swimming have not survived.
There is no consensus on the participation of a particular country in the first Olympic Games. (see the relevant sections)... The International Olympic Committee refers to the fact that there were 14 such countries. Some sources indicate the participation of 12 countries (excluding Chile and Bulgaria), in others - 15 countries (including Cyprus). Egypt is also sometimes either included or excluded from the list of participating countries, since there is no single position on the Greek athlete Dionysios Kastaglis, who lived in Egypt. At the moment, participation is considered controversial Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Italy, Egypt, Turkey (Izmir).
Disputes around the participating countries, as well as the lack of clearly defined rules during the competition, give rise to disputes about medals. In statistics, in addition to correlating medals by country (or nationality), the question arises with those medals that were won in team competitions, where representatives of several countries (nationalities) were part of one team. At the moment, the practice has developed to include such medals in the "Mixed team" piggy bank. If necessary, such moments are reflected in the relevant statistical sections of this encyclopedia. For example, gold and bronze medals won in men's tennis competitions are currently credited to the Mixed Team.
