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Modern Olympic Games since 1896. Rules for a fair Olympic game

Modern Olympic Games since 1896. Rules for a fair Olympic game

16.09.2021

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, explaining 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 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 modernity 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 meals throughout the year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of hairdresser services 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 - in shooting with 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 the large international competitions... 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"

On June 23, 1894 at the Sorbonne (Paris, France), the Congress for the Revival of the Olympic Games was held. The main initiator of this event was the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. The result of the Congress was not only an attempt to revive the Olympic Games, but also the creation of the IOC, the choice of the IOC President (he was the Greek Dimitrios Vikelas), the choice of the first host city of the Olympics, which rightfully became the capital of Greece - Athens.

I Olympic Games poster

The date April 6, 1896 was not chosen by chance, it is the Greek Independence Day. Also, this Sunday was Easter, and coincided at once in three directions of Christianity - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics. In this way, the organizers of the Games wanted to preserve one of the most important traditions of the ancient Greek Olympic competitions.

According to the IOC, representatives of fourteen countries took part in the First Games of our time, including: Australia, Bulgaria, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Izmir, Italy, Denmark, USA, Chile, France, Sweden and Switzerland ... Some sources indicate the participation of 12 countries (excluding Chile and Bulgaria), in others - 15 countries (including Cyprus).

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 precisely known. Based on fragmentary information with a small error, it is possible to establish the participation of 246 athletes.

Panathinaikos Stadium (Marble) during the 1896 Olympics

Panathinaikos stadium modern look

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 at the restored antique Marble Stadium (Panathinaikos) in Athens, tennis competitions were held on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club, cycling at the Neo Faliron velodrome, in other forms in the open areas of Athens and surrounding areas.

During the opening ceremony of the Games, the Olympic anthem, written by Spyros Samaras and lyrics by Kostis Palamas, was performed by a choir of 150 people. This is the first opening ceremony of the Games, which has preserved two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state, where competitions and the performance of the Olympic anthem are held. The parade of the participating countries, the Olympic flame lighting ceremony and the taking of the Olympic oath were absent. There was no Olympic village, the invited athletes provided themselves with housing.

The opening ceremony of the Games was attended by 80 thousand spectators.

Silver medal of the Olympics

43 sets of medals were played in 9 sports.

Representatives of 11 countries won medals at the Games: Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Switzerland. The first place in terms of the number of gold medals was taken by athletes from the USA 20 (11 + 7 + 2), the second - by Greece 46 (10 + 17 + 19).

The Games program included competitions in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. The sailing and rowing races were canceled due to strong winds and rough seas.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletes' competitions. First gold Olympic medal was awarded to American James Connolly, who won the triple jump (13 meters 71 centimeters). American student Robert Garrett became the champion first in discus throw, then in shot put. In addition, he was second in the long jump and third in the high jump.

Track and field competitions have become the most massive - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. Athletes from the USA were in the lead in athletics. Thomas Burke won two gold medals in the 100 and 400 meters. Already in the First Games, American sprinters used a low start for the first time.

Not all sports disciplines aroused the interest of the audience. The public found tennis boring and incomprehensible. Shooting competitions did not attract attention either. Fencing fights were held in a small room in front of a few spectators, led by the king. Gymnastics competitions were also lost in the general program, in which only small groups of German and Greek athletes took part.

Cycling

But the competition in one of the newest types - cycling - was received with enthusiasm by the audience. An eyewitness described the 100 km cycling race: “After 50 km, only two participants remained at the distance - the Frenchman Flamand and the Greek Collettis. The latter has a problem with his bike, Flaman stops and gives the opponent time to fix it. After the competition, which was won by the Frenchman, the enthusiastic audience carried both participants in their arms. " The most gold medals in Athens went to French cyclist Paul Massoy with three track victories.

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 weather was unfavorable - rough and cold (about 13 ° C) water. 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 6 countries took part, most of them were 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 in the course of the distance. At that time, the most popular swimming techniques were breaststroke, over-arm (improved sideways swimming) and treggen style. The Hungarian Alfred Hyosch achieved the greatest success, winning two heats - 100 m and 1200 m.At the insistence of the organizers of the Games, an applied type of swimming was included in the program - 100 m in sailor clothes, only Greek sailors participated in it.

Fencing at the Games of the I Olympiad

In the fencing competition, 3 sets of awards were played, athletes from 4 countries took part. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were allowed: separate competitions were held among "maestros" - fencing teachers ("maestros" were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased). They competed only on foils, and amateurs, in addition to foils, participated in saber competitions. All fights took place up to three injections. Among the foil fencers, the French Eugene-Henri Gravloti (among the "maestro") and the Greek Leonidas Pyrgos became champions, the Greek Ioannis Georgiadis won the saber battle.

In competitions for weightlifting 7 athletes from 5 countries took part in the 1st Summer Olympic Games, who competed in two disciplines. These disciplines were one-handed and two-handed jerks, and in these competitions there was no division into weight categories.

Shooting competitions were in 5 disciplines: army rifle, 200 m, army rifle, 300 m, army pistol, 25 m, high-speed pistol, 25 m, pistol, 50 m. Athletes from 7 countries took part in them. All events took place in the city of Kalithea. The undisputed leaders are Greek athletes.

In gymnastics competitions in gymnastics, 8 sets of medals were played, of which 6 in individual competitions, 2 in team competitions (vault, horse, rings, crossbar, parallel bars, rope climbing; command bars - command crossbar). The German team was in the lead in gymnastics.

Germans Alfred Flatov, Karl Schumann and Hermann Weingartner, who won five gold, three silver and one bronze medals together.

In the wrestling competition, one set of medals was played. The competition was distinguished by the fact that there were no weight categories in them. There were also no precise and approved rules. There was no time limit for fights, and although it was believed that the competition was held in the Greco-Roman style, athletes were allowed to grab each other by the legs. Results: gold - Karl Schumann (Germany), silver - Georgios Tsitas (Greece).

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. During the preparation for the Games, the French philologist and connoisseur of ancient history Michel Breal sent a letter to Pierre de Coubertin, which said: “If the organizing committee of the Athenian Olympics were inclined to include in the competition program a running that revives the glorified feat of a soldier from the Marathon, I would gladly agree to donate an award for the winner of this marathon. " The Greeks supported this idea and for the first time included such a long distance in the program. The local press turned the marathon into a nationwide event.

The race started from the village of Marathon, and the finish line was in Athens. Along this route in 490 BC. fled the legendary Greek warrior Philippiadad, who brought the news of the victory of the Hellenes over the Persians (though immediately after that he fell to the ground and never got up).

18 runners took the start, among whom were well-known distance runners, including Australian Edwin Flack, who had already won the 800 and 1500 m distances, Frenchman Lermusier and American Blake. The race was very dramatic. The strongest runners immediately broke away from the main group, but, unable to distribute the forces, exhausted one after another, they left the race.

The winner was the Greek postman Spyros (Spiridon) Luis. With the result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds, Spiridon Luis, after this success, became a national hero. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food throughout the year, free tailoring and use of the hairdresser's services throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

As already noted, according to ancient Greek traditions, women were not allowed to participate in the Games, but the representative of this country, Stamata Revihti, wanted to participate in the marathon. She was refused, and then she ran the distance alone the next day after the official race. At the end of the run, she ran around the Marble Stadium, since she was even forbidden to run into its territory.

The youngest participant in the First Olympic Games (up to the present day) was Dimitrios Lundras, bronze medalist in artistic gymnastics- he was 10 years and 218 days old.

The greatest number of medals - 46 (10 gold + 17 silver + 19 bronze) - were won by the Olympians of Greece. The second place was taken by the USA team - 20 awards (11 + 7 + 2). The third place was taken by the German team - 13 (6 + 5 + 2).

Repeating the ancient ceremony of awarding, a laurel wreath was laid on the champion's head, he was awarded an olive branch cut in the sacred grove of Olympia, a diploma and a silver medal (for the second place he was awarded bronze medal). The third places were not taken into account, and only later the International Olympic Committee included them in medal standings among countries (the tradition of determining three winners appeared at the III Olympic Games in St. Louis). In order for the audience to know who won the competition (there was no scoreboard or radio transmission at that time), the organizers raised the national flag of the winning country on the flagpole. This laid the foundation for a tradition that has become mandatory in all international competitions.

The 1896 Olympic Games in Athens broke through the wall of indifference and mistrust on the part of many sports and political figures. Despite the rather modest results, these Games turned into a vibrant sporting event and aroused great public interest. Newspapers and magazines of the time wrote that these competitions contributed to the revival of the spirit of noble sports rivalry. The main achievement of the first Olympic Games can be considered the widespread popularization of sports and Olympic ideas throughout the world.

Photos and materials are taken from free sources on the Internet

311 (241) sportsmen (men) from 14 countries participated. 43 sets of medals were played in 9 sports.

Athens met with great opposition from the government due to lack of funds. However, the competent work of the organizing committee led to the fact that funds from all over the country begin to arrive in Athens, the committee refuses 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.

So in the afternoon April 6, 1896 of the year at the Marble Stadium, where about 80 thousand people gathered, a cannon shot struck and the solemn sounds of the Olympic anthem sounded. They echoed far beyond the hills that flank the city. In deep silence the words rang out Greek King George I: "I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!"... When the king took his seat again, a choir of 150 voices sang an Olympic ode, written especially for the occasion by the Greek composer Samara.

True, two-thirds of the athletes were from Greece, and the Games themselves almost turned into a competition for Europeans: the United States team was late for their start. In addition to the Americans, only two athletes from non-European countries competed at the Games: Australian Edwin Flack(he was passing through London and decided to take part in the competition) and Chilean. 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, the 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. W. Steinbach reports that the Kievite Nikolay 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. After the games Ritter prepared a project for the establishment of the Russian Athletic Committee, which would include a department for the preparation for the Olympic Games. But his project disappeared in the bowels of the Russian bureaucratic machine.

Medals at the Games were won by representatives of 11 states: Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Switzerland. The first place in terms of the number of gold medals was taken by athletes from the USA 20 (11 + 7 + 2), the second - by Greece 46 (10 + 17 + 19).

The program of the Games of the I Olympiad included competitions in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing... The sailing and rowing races were canceled due to strong winds and rough seas.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletes' competitions. The first Olympic gold medal was awarded to an American James Connolly to the winner of the triple jump.

14 countries. 241 athletes. 9 kinds of sports. Leaders in the unofficial team event: 1. USA (11-7-2) 2. Greece (10-17-19) 3. Germany (6-5-2)

So in 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 sounded. 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!" When the king took his seat again, a choir of 150 voices sang an Olympic ode, written especially for the occasion by the Greek composer Samara.

True, two-thirds of the athletes were from Greece, and the Games themselves almost turned into a competition for Europeans: the United States team was late for their start. In addition to the Americans, only two athletes from non-European countries participated in the Games: Australian Edwin Flack (he was passing through London and decided to take part in the competition) and Chilean. 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. V. Steinbach reports that Nikolai Ritter from Kiev 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 program of the Games of the I Olympiad of our time included competitions in nine sports: Greco-Roman wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletics competitions. American James Connolly became the first Olympic champion. For the triple jump (13 m 71 cm), he received a gold medal, almost a meter ahead of the silver medalist, Frenchman Alexander Tuffer. James Connolly took part in other competitions: he finished second in the high jump and third in the long jump.

Harvard champion Connolly traveled to Europe without the permission of his teachers, but after his return from Athens with outstanding achievement, the angry teachers changed their anger to mercy and even honored the winner with an honorary doctorate from Harvard, but Connolly turned down the offer. Subsequently, Connolly became a famous journalist and writer, author of 25 novels.

Two hours after Connolly's victory, another American became the champion, and this plunged the Greeks into utter discouragement. The fact is that in discus throwing the Greeks were considered out of competition. And suddenly an American wins the discus throw, and he has only a distant notion about this sport. There is something to be sad about. This American was Robert Garrett, a student at Priston University. Having learned that the program of the Games includes discus throwing, Garrett decided to take part in it, but since this sport was unknown in America, he began to make inquiries, and someone told him that at the Olympics they would use the same disc as used by antique throwers. Having become familiar with the throwing technique, Garrett ordered a similar disc for himself and calmly practiced with it at home. Arriving in Athens, Garrett discovered that the modern disc is much lighter and more comfortable in shape. It is so much easier and more convenient that it was not difficult for him to beat the favorites. True, after two attempts, the Greek Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos was ahead with a score of 28 meters 95 centimeters. But in the last attempt, the American threw a projectile weighing 1,923 kilograms at 29 meters 15 centimeters. The next day, in the absence of the Irish world record holder Dennis Horgan, Garrett won another gold medal - in shot put with a result of 11 meters 22 centimeters. Interesting detail: Garrett came from New York to Greece at his own expense and also paid for the trip of three of his teammates.

Athletes from the United States were confidently leading in athletics. Thomas Burke won two gold medals in the 100 and 400 meters, and with a mediocre result, because the treadmill at the Marble Stadium turned out to be uneven and climbed closer to the finish line. The American 100 meter sprinters used a low start - a novelty for the time. When Thomas Burke sat down at the start, his pose amused the audience in the stands. However, after 12 seconds, Burke became the Olympic champion.

The games were in full swing, the program of the 1st Olympiad was almost exhausted, and the "gold" so far went to foreigners. Every day the Greeks were waiting for their medal, every day they were waiting for their hero. Recall that Greek athletes accounted for two thirds of all participants. And then came April 10th. The marathon race was attended by 24 athletes (and only four of them are foreigners). Due to the intense heat, the fight at a distance of 40 km was very hard.

They all run about ten kilometers in one group. Women, seeing marathon runners running past, cross themselves. The first checkpoint is at Pekermee. Everyone is given water and - surprise - wine! Two faint. About ten kilometers away, the Frenchman Albin Lermusier takes the lead. Soon he is already thirty meters ahead of his closest rival - Australian Flack, Olympic champion in the 800 and 1500 meters. Lermusier is fifty meters ahead of the Hungarian Kellner and the American Black. In Karvati, at the exit from the Marathon Valley, Lermusier learns that he is ahead of Flack for a whole kilometer. The Greeks are even more behind, the best of them is three kilometers behind the leader! But on the long climb behind Megalo Revan, the Frenchman's running gets harder. Approaching the Spata plain, a little beyond the thirty kilometer distance, Lermusier stops at the side of the road. His compatriot Gisel, who rides a bicycle nearby, rubs his feet with a special ointment. He runs again, but his impulse is broken and the rhythm of his running is lost. After two thousand meters crash: Lermusier falls and loses consciousness.

At the thirty-third kilometer, Flack took the lead. After a while, the Greek Spiridon Luis appears a few tens of meters away from him. With long strides, he overtakes the Australian. Flack, seeing that he is bypassed, cannot withstand the stress of the struggle and collapses. And now the Marble Stadium is visible. King George I was informed that the Greek runner was in the lead. A cannon shot was heard. Complete silence breaks with a cry of relief: Louis, almost black with dust, ran into the stadium path. The last round of the stadium. The spectators jumped up from their seats. The air rang with shouts of glee and joy. The judges rushed after the runner and together with him ran to the finish line. Two Greeks grabbed the winner on their shoulders and carried him to the king. Spyridon Louis, a young letter-bearer from the village of Maroussi near Athens, became a national hero. 2386 years after the battle with the Persians near the village of Marathon, Greece again celebrates victory.

Spiridon Louis became a national hero. He received the highest honor for winning the marathon. L. Kuhn reports on an interesting fact that, in addition to Olympic awards and fame, the winner received: 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 meals throughout the year, a certificate for free tailoring lifelong dress and hairdresser, 10 quintals of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

Why did Louis become the hero of the Athens Olympics in 1896, although several athletes received significantly more Olympic awards (Frenchman Paul Masson received 3 gold medals). Here it is necessary to dwell in more detail on the history of the marathon distance.

There is a glorious page in the history of Greece - the victory at Marathon and the legendary story of the fate of the messenger. "... In 490 BC. Ten thousand Athenians under the command of the Greek strategist Miltiades in the Marathon valley opposed the army of the Persian king Darius, which was many times larger than the Athenian. Excellent tactics, the Greeks managed to inflict a serious defeat on the Persians. The remnants of the army of Darius retreated to the sea, embarked on ships and sailed away. And forty kilometers from the Marathon, Athens feverishly awaited the outcome of the battle. The Athenians looked longingly at the horizon, afraid to see the vanguard of Darius's army - this would mean the end of Athens. Miltiades, of course, knew in what state are his compatriots. He ordered to call to him a soldier Phidipides, very popular among the Athenians because of his fast run. When Phidipides appeared before the strategist, Miltiades ordered him to flee to Athens and declare victory. Phidipides, very tired after the battle, took off his equipment, put down his weapon and quickly rushed, crossing hills and hills, small rivers and copses separating Marathon from Athens. Forty kilometers - distance Not a lot, and if you consider that there was a terrible heat that day and the road was not safe - one could meet Persians who were lagging behind the army of Darius - it becomes clear that Phidipides did not go for a walk. Having broken his legs in blood, gasping for breath, Phidipides ran into Athens. - Rejoice, we won! These were his last words: immediately he fell down dead. His death became the symbol of the nation.

As already mentioned, the Frenchman Paul Masson should be called another hero of the Athens Olympics. In track races, he won three gold medals 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 who won the sympathy of the public, along with E. Clarke and A. Konstantinidis.

The young Hungarian Alfred Hayosh (Arnold Guttman) won the voyage. Swimming at the Athens Games was not carried out in the pool, but on the open sea. The start and finish lines were marked with ropes attached to the floats. The weather was cloudy, the sea was agitated, the water temperature barely reached 13 ° С. The competition at a distance of 100 m freestyle was attended by 14 swimmers: 11 Greeks and 3 foreigners. Hayosh rushed forward at once, the Greek Ephstatius Korafas rushed after him. The noise on the shore was unimaginable. 30 m before the end of the distance, the Hungarian suddenly rushed to the right of the finish line. The audience froze. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, raised his head and noticed his mistake. And just right: the Greek was catching up with him. Alfred increased his pace and won the first gold medal in swimming in the history of the modern Olympic Games. Hayos received his second gold medal at a distance of 1200 meters. Interestingly, 28 years after the victory in Athens, Hayos again took part in the Olympic Games and won a silver medal in the art competition in the section of architecture - for the design of the stadium.

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. Karl Schumann's performances at the Athens Games are mind-boggling. In Athens, he became a 4-time Olympic champion. He took part in 12 disciplines of 4 sports (wrestling, gymnastics, athletics, weightlifting) and won 3 gold (team competition on uneven bars, team competition on the bar, vault) and two bronze (exercises on a horse, exercises on the crossbar) medals in gymnastics, and, as already mentioned, a gold medal in wrestling.

Having started talking about gymnastic competitions, one cannot fail to note the success of German athletes - brothers Alfred and Gustov Flatov. Alfred Flatov became a 3-time Olympic champion in Athens. He won 3 gold (team competition on uneven bars, team competition on the bar, exercise on uneven bars) and a silver (exercise on the bar) medals. His brother, Gustav Felix Flatov, became a 2-time Olympic champion. He won 2 gold (team competition on uneven bars, team competition on the bar) medals.

In shooting competitions, three gold medals were won by Greek athletes - in shooting with an army rifle, and two American athletes - in shooting with a revolver.

In the fencing tournament, the Frenchman Eugene-Henri Gravelotte, the foil, and the Greek Ioannis Georgiadis, the saber, distinguished themselves. Among the professional athletes in foil competitions - the foil for the maestro, the well-known owner of the fencing school in Athens, Leon Pyrgos, achieved a convincing victory.

The victory in the tennis competition was won by the Englishman John Bolend, who won all the games in singles and who won together with Fritz Traun from Germany in doubles.

The first Olympic Games of our time were held in Greece.

The decision to hold them was made in Paris in 1894.

Members of the IOC 1894

The vast majority of the Greek population enthusiastically embraced the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin to revive the ancient tradition.
However, the Greek government did not have the opportunity to fully finance the upcoming world sports festival.

According to Pierre de Coubertin, the organization of the Games could have done without special government costs and rely on the help of only private individuals. This point of view was also shared by the Greek crown prince Constantine, who created a special commission for assistance. He appointed the former mayor of Athens, Philemon, the general secretary of the commission, and also appealed to the people for donations to the fund for the preparation of the Olympics.

Money began to flow not only from the inhabitants of Greece, but also from London, Marseilles, 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.

The organizing committee of the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 had to solve a huge number of problems, not only of a financial and organizational nature, but also of a political one.

For example, we had to take into account the difficult relationship between Greece and Germany.
The drawing up of the competition program also caused a lot of controversy. The Greeks insisted on a complete repetition of the program of the ancient games held at Olympia.
Other countries categorically refused to participate in the games if they did not include the sports they cultivate.

Opening of the first Olympic Games in Athens 1896

Despite all the difficulties, 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.

Here is what Baron Pierre de Coubertin wrote about this in his memoirs:

“It was an exciting moment. One thousand five hundred and two years ago, the emperor of Theodosia banned the Olympic Games, no doubt believing that by destroying this hated relic of paganism, he contributes to the cause of progress. Now the Christian monarch announced the formal cancellation of the imperial decree ... When the king took his seat again, the choir of 150 voices sang the Olympic ode, written especially for this occasion by the Greek composer Samara. "

The competition was attended by 311 people from 12 countries:

Australia.
Austria-Hungary.
Bulgaria.
Great Britain.
Germany.
Greece.
Denmark.
France.
Chile.
Switzerland.
Sweden.

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.

In Russia, the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 aroused great interest among the sports community, however, due to lack of funds, the national team Russian Empire was never focused on games.
It is known that several residents of Odessa, who were actively preparing for the competition, went to Athens at their own peril and risk, but they did not manage to get to Greece.
The only one Russian athlete who managed to get into the capital of the 1896 Olympic Games was Nikolai Ritter from Kiev.
The archives preserved his application for participation in competitions in wrestling and shooting sports.
However, he never went to the start for unknown reasons.

Heroes of the first modern Olympiad

The Games program included 9 kinds of sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing.
In total, 43 sets of awards were played.

The first Olympic champion of our time was the American athlete James Conolly, who won the triple jump with a result of 13 m 71 cm.

However, the marathon winner Spiridon Luis, who covered the distance of 40 kilometers in 2 hours 58 minutes, became the true hero of the 1896 Olympic Games and the National Hero of Greece.
Please note that at the first Olympic Games of our time, the distance was exactly 40 km, and not 42 km 195 m as it is now.
The start of the race was given in the city of Marathon, and the finish was at the Marble Stadium of Athens.

According to Pierre de Coubertin: “When Louis appeared at the stadium, 60 thousand spectators who were waiting for him jumped up from their seats, seized with extraordinary excitement. A flock of pigeons released from their cages shot up again ... Some of the spectators, who were closer than others to Louis, tried to get to him in order to take him out of the field with triumph. Louis would have been strangled in their arms if the Crown Prince and Prince George had not escorted him out of the arena. "

The famous Russian and Soviet historian Nikolai Albertovich Kuhn, author of the book "Myths of Ancient Greece", wrote in one of his works dedicated to the Olympic Games that Spiridon Louis received the following awards for his victory:
“Gold Cup, established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on joining the program of the marathon running, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free meals throughout the year, free tailoring and a hairdresser for life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams . "

Exactly 40 years after his triumph, Spiridon Louis became the guest of honor at the Berlin Olympics. During the opening ceremony of the games, he presented Hitler with a laurel branch

Spiridon Louis 40 years later. Berlin 1936.

Frenchman Paul Masson in track races won three gold medals in the sprint race, as well as at distances of 2000 and 10,000 m.

However, the cycling competition was remembered for the gentlemanly behavior of another Frenchman - a participant in the 100-kilometer race Léon 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 who won the sympathy of the public, along with E. Clark and A. Konstantinidis.

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 the team championship in exercises on the uneven bars and the crossbar.

The Englishman John Bolend won all the games in singles and won together with Fritz Thrawn from Germany in doubles. Equally impressive was the victory in swimming of the famous Hungarian athlete Alfred Hayos, who managed to outrun the competitors in stormy weather and win the 1200 m swim.

Interestingly, 28 years after the victory in Athens, Hayos again took part in the Olympic Games and won a silver medal in the art competition in the section of architecture - for the design of the stadium.

In the fencing tournament, the Frenchman Emile Gravlot, the foil, and the Greek Yannis Georgiadis, the saber, distinguished themselves. Among professional athletes in foil competitions - the foil for the maestro, the well-known owner of the fencing school in Athens, Leon Pyrgos, achieved a convincing victory. 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. The Games of the 1st Olympiad convincingly testified to the humanistic and pacifist orientation of the Olympic movement.