311 (241) athletes (men) from 14 countries participated. 43 sets of medals were competed in 9 sports.
In Athens there was great opposition from the government due to lack of funds. However, the competent work of the organizing committee has led to the fact that funds are beginning to arrive in Athens from all over the country; the committee refuses to accept money from abroad. Thanks to the generosity of the Greeks, the amount of the Olympic fund reached 332 756 drachm. But this was not enough.
So in the afternoon 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 framing the city. In the deep silence the words rang out Greek King George I: “I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!”. When the king resumed his seat, a choir of 150 voices performed the 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 the 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 a 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 First Olympics, but 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 go to Greece, but they had to return due to lack of money before reaching Athens. V. Steinbach reports that Kiev Nikolai Ritter managed to arrive in the capital of the Olympic Games and applied to participate in wrestling and shooting competitions, but then withdrew his application and did not take part in the competitions. After the games Ritter prepared a draft for the establishment of the Russian Athletic Committee, which would include a department for preparation for the Olympic Games. But his project disappeared in the depths of the Russian bureaucratic machine.
Representatives won medals at the Games 11 states: Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Switzerland. The first place in the number of gold medals was taken by athletes from the USA 20 (11+7+2), the second place was taken by Greece 46 (10+17+19).
The program of the Games of the 1st Olympiad included competitions in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting And fencing. The sailing and rowing races did not take place due to strong winds and rough seas.
According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletic competitions. The first Olympic gold medal was awarded to an American James Connolly, winner of the triple jump.
Olympics pooled
1896
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Greece in 1896. They started with a scandal. The decision of the Paris Congress of 1894 to hold the Games of the First Modern Olympiad in 1896 in Athens was welcomed by the majority of the Greek population.
But the Athens mayor's office and the Greek government were unable to meet the full costs of hosting the Games. The government did not agree to allocate additional funds, citing the fact that the Athenians 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 government and political figures supported the government's statement. For example, the influential political figure Stephonos Dratomis wrote that Greece was unable to realize the magnificent idea of Pierre de Coubertin and the Games were best postponed until 1900, as part of the World Exhibition in Paris.
Things got to the point that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who came up with 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 without such large expenses. Crown Prince Constantine agreed with the baron and appointed the former mayor of Athens Philemon as secretary general of the organizing committee.
Constantine also issued a cry for help to all Greeks on the planet and money began to flow into the Olympic Fund. And not only from the residents of Greece, but also from London, Marseille, Constantinople and other cities where rich Greek colonies existed. With money coming from Alexandria from Georg Averoff, the ancient Olympic stadium was restored. A velodrome and a shooting range were also built in Athens. Tennis courts were located in the city center. Athletes were provided with pavilions with boathouses and locker rooms for rowing competitions.
As a result, all 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.
And yet 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 the Olympic competitions. About 70% of the participants were from Greece. The second largest team was the German team - 21 athletes, then France - 19, USA - 14. Only men took part in the competition. Russian athletes were actively preparing for the First Olympics, but 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 travel to 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 Olympic Games and applied to participate 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, tennis, weightlifting and fencing, in which 43 sets of awards were awarded. Already at the Games of the first Olympics, the organizers and the International Olympic Committee were faced with the problem of amateurism, which would accompany them until 1980.
The first modern Olympic champion was the American athlete James Conolly, who won a gold medal in the triple jump with a result of 13 m 71 cm. The national hero of Greece, who received high honors, was the winner in the marathon, Spyridon Louis, who ran 40 km in 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. L. Kuhn reports an interesting fact that in addition to Olympic awards and fame, the following prizes awaited the winner: a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including marathon running in the program of the Games, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food for a year, free tailoring dresses and the use of a hairdresser throughout life, 10 quintals of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.
Frenchman Paul Masson in track racing 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 - participant in the 100-kilometer race Leon Flament. The main rival of the athlete from France, the Greek Georgies Collettis, had a bicycle break down and he was forced to stop in order to change his car. Leon Flament also stopped and began to wait for his opponent. He became not only the winner of the Games, but also one of the most popular athletes.
There were no divisions into weight categories in wrestling competitions. All the more honorable was the victory of the athlete from Germany Carl Schumann, who was the lightest of the participants. In addition to the victory in wrestling, Schumann managed to win three more gold medals in gymnastics competitions - in the vault, as well as in the team championship in the parallel bars and horizontal bar exercises.
In the weightlifting tournament, Englishman Launceston Elliott distinguished himself with a result of 71 kg in the one-arm exercise, and Dane Viggo Jensen with a result of 111.5 kg in the two-arm exercise. In the 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 First Olympiad, the tradition of singing the national anthem and raising the national flag in honor of the winner has been established. The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games. The winner was crowned with a laurel wreath, given a silver medal made by the famous engraver Chaplain, an olive branch cut in the Sacred Grove of Olympia and a diploma made by a Greek artist. The largest number of medals were 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. Athletes from Bulgaria, Chile and Sweden were left without medals.
After the successful holding of the First Olympic Games, Greece hoped that subsequent Olympics would be held in Athens, which would become a modern Olympia. However, the International Olympic Committee decided to give the Games a truly international character and hold them alternately in different countries and on different continents. The International Olympic Committee did not object to major international competitions being held in Greece between the Games. 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 used from sites:
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,
"A Brief Biographical Dictionary: Athletes" by the publishing house "RIPOL CLASSIC";
"History of the Olympic Games. Medals, badges, posters." Treskin, Steinbach
newspapers:
"SPORT EXPRESS"
FIRST CAPITAL
Athens, which won the competition against Paris
In 1894, the First Congress of the International Olympic Committee took place at the Sorbonne. At the proposal 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, writer and poet Demetrius Vikelas, turning to the origins of Olympism in Ancient Greece, convinced the delegates to open a new page for the Olympic movement in his homeland.
Demetrius Vikelas became the first president of the IOC, Pierre de Coubertin became the secretary general.
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 difficult times. The whole world helped. 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 philanthropist 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 start of the liberation struggle against the Turkish yoke. It was in Athens that the ritual of raising the national flag in honor of the winner was established. It was here that the Olympic anthem, written by the Greek composer Spyros Samaras to the words of Constantine Palamas, was first performed. The anthem was a stunning 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 LOSER
Russian nobleman defeated by wine
Only one Russian representative managed to reach Greece. A nobleman of German origin, a resident of Kiev, Nikolai von Ritter dreamed of competing in fencing, shooting 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 missing talisman medallion, without which he categorically could not go to the start, and confusion in the competition schedule. But the real reason lay elsewhere. While traveling by ship from Odessa to Athens, Ritter began to get seasick. On the advice of experienced sailors, he treated her... with wine. And he got the taste for it so much that he continued to drink alcohol, and even in large quantities, during the Games. There was no time for competition here.
True, then von Ritter began to actively promote sports and the Olympic Games, traveling to many Russian cities with his lectures.
FIRST PARTICIPANTS
Russians who only reached Constantinople
Athletes from 34 countries were supposed to participate in the Games, but only 14 states were able to send representatives. Various sources give conflicting data on the number of participants, so let's take an approximate figure - about 300 athletes.
Despite the fact that the IOC had a representative of Russia, General Alexei Dmitrievich Butovsky, elected in 1894, Russian athletes did not participate in the First Olympics. The reason is still the same - lack of funds. Although preparations for the Olympics were actively carried out in St. Petersburg, Odessa and Kyiv. A small group of Odessa residents even went to Greece, but the money was only enough to reach 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, who leapt into history
According to ancient tradition, the Games were started by track and field athletes. The first Olympic champion of modern times was the American James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 m 71 cm. He took second place in the high jump and third in the long jump. James' story is amazing. The son of a large Irish emigrant fisherman, there were 12 children in the family, he dropped out of school and worked part-time as an insurance agent, and organized a football team in the army. Having matured, he passed his school exams as an external student and then entered the prestigious Harvard University. He came to the Olympics without permission from the university authorities, who were skeptical about his sporting interests. But a few years after the 1896 Games, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
After leaving sports, Connolly tried many different professions, participated in the Spanish-American War, and 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 from his pen, mainly on a maritime theme. And in one of the parks in the south of Boston, a monument was erected to him, in which Connolly is depicted at the moment of landing after a jump.
DISC THROWS
Robert Garrett, who paid the fare
Just two hours after Connolly's victory, the American team was celebrating again. Princeton University student Robert Garrett won in the ancient Greek discipline of discus throwing. A smart and wealthy young man ordered himself a discus similar to the one used by ancient throwers and began training. Already in Athens, having picked up a modern disk, he realized its advantages - lightweight, only 1.923 kilograms, and convenient in shape. A throw of 29.15 meters was enough to win. Garrett took another first place finish in the shot put with a throw of 11.28 meters. Robert was a good guy - he paid for three other teammates to travel to Athens.
CYCLING
Leon Flament, who showed nobility
But the French cyclist Paul Masson won the most 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 Flament, who won first place in the 100-kilometer race, showed himself to be a real gentleman and could today claim one of the Fair Play prizes. During the competition, he noticed that the Greek Georgis Kolletis had a broken bicycle. Then the Frenchman also stopped and waited for his opponent’s car to be repaired. It was only when Georgis got into the saddle that Leon continued the race and won a landslide victory.
Spyros Louis, refreshed with wine
The marathon turned into 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 Olympics, as in ancient times, only men participated. And the women's marathon will be introduced into the program for the first time only in 1984.
24-year-old Greek postal worker Spyros Louis was the winner with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes. 50 sec. Three days before the start, he did not train, but only prayed and prepared himself for victory. Louis lived up to the hopes of the Greeks. It was hot, and the runner could use a glass of cool wine, offered by his uncle along the course near the village of Halandri. Only at the 33rd kilometer did he take the lead. The spectators jumped up from their seats, and the judges rushed after the athlete and ran with him to the finish line. Fans poured onto the field and began pumping the hero.
His compatriots took 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th places. The contender for third place violated the rules of fair competition. Knowing the terrain well, the Greek marathon runner cut the corner 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 rewards: a hundredweight of chocolate, free sewing for a year, as well as the services of a hairdresser.... But our hero Spyros Louis took only a horse and cart from this whole set. After the Olympics, he led a quiet life in his native village of Amarussia. He worked in the police and became a farmer. But every leap year, when the next Olympics was held, he always led the Greek team. The last time this happened was in 1936 in Nazi Berlin. As an honored guest, Spyros was received by Hitler and even presented him with an olive branch, symbolizing peace. Alas, the olive branch did not help either. Spyros Louis passed away a week before the German invasion of Greece.
100 METER RUN
Tom Berg, who surprised with a low start
American Tom Berg also won the 100 and 400 meters. At these competitions, he used a low start for the first time, which initially caused ridicule. “What are you doing? Get up off the ground!” the spectators shouted. Yes, the Americans performed well at the first Olympic Games. In terms of the total number of medals, they lost to the Greeks, but in terms of the number of first places they were first.
SWIMMING
Alfred Hajos, conqueror of the storm
The hero of the swimming competition was the Hungarian athlete Alfred Hajos. There was no swimming pool then, and the swims were held in the open sea. The start and finish were marked with ropes attached to floats. We were unlucky with the weather: cloudy and cool - the water temperature barely reached 13 C. It was April after all. In his diary, the Hungarian swimmer spoke about the victory as follows: “Nine participants started at a distance of 1200 meters. On three small boats we were taken to the open sea, which was quite choppy. My body was covered with a layer of fat as thick as a finger; taught by the experience of swimming 100 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, I cut through the water with desperate strokes and calmed down only when the boats turned towards us and began to fish out the frozen swimmers from the water. I defeated my opponents with a great advantage, but the biggest struggle was not with them, but with four-meter sea waves and terribly cold water..."
On the shore, a crowd of spectators was noisy, cheering the swimmers on. Hayosh swam ahead. But 30 m before the end of the race, the Hungarian suddenly went to the right of the finish line. The audience fell silent in amazement. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, managed to notice his mistake. At that moment, the Greek swimmer almost overtook him. Alfred, with the last of his strength, increased his pace, fighting the cold water and the sea that was beginning to storm. And he became the winner.
Alfred Hajos did a lot for the development of sports in Hungary. After graduating from the university's Faculty of Architecture, he designed stadiums, houses, schools, and the world's first indoor swimming pool with stands for 2 thousand seats on Margaret Island in Budapest.
AWARDS
Bronze medals don't count
On the closing day of the Games, repeating the ancient ceremony, a laurel wreath was placed on the head of the Olympic champions, a medal and an olive branch were presented.
Only for first place, Olympians were awarded a medal made of silver. Second place winners received bronze medals.
Those who took third place were not taken into account, and only starting with the Games of the III Olympiad in St. Louis (1904) did the IOC include them in the medal count.
Nine Testaments of Baron Pierre de Coubertin
I. OH SPORT! YOU ARE A PLEASURE!
You are a faithful, constant companion in life. You generously give the joy of life to our spirit and body. You are immortal. You are still alive today, after the collapse of the Olympics, lost for centuries. You are the triumphant herald of the spring of humanity.
II. OH 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 a master of harmony.
III. OH SPORT! YOU ARE JUSTICE!
You indicate direct, honest paths that people are looking for to achieve their goals in life. You are impartial. You teach that the rules of competition are the law.
IV. OH SPORT! YOU ARE THE CHALLENGE!
You require a fight. You say you have to dream. We must dare. We must dare. You convince, demand, command. You invite people to compete. Get over yourself.
V. OH SPORT! YOU ARE NOBILITY!
You bestow laurels only on those who fought for victory honestly, openly, unselfishly. You proclaim: if anyone achieves his goal by misleading his comrades, achieves glory through low, dishonest 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 inscribed on your tablets: “Thrice sweet is the victory won in a noble, honest struggle.”
VI. OH SPORT! YOU ARE JOY!
You organize holidays for those who long for struggle, and for those who long to enjoy this struggle. You are the rejoicing. The sadness or sorrow of one recedes at the moment when it is necessary to overcome everything before the many-eyed gaze of many. Bring joy, pleasure, happiness to people, sports!
VII. OH SPORT! YOU ARE FERTILITY!
You stand in the way of the destructive illnesses that have always threatened people. You're making my blood boil. You make your heart beat faster. You heal from illnesses. You say: “A healthy mind in a healthy body!”
VIII. OH SPORT! YOU ARE PROGRESS!
You contribute to the perfection of man, the most beautiful creation of nature. You teach a person to voluntarily, consciously, and confidently act in such a way that no highest achievements, no records are the result of overexertion or affect health. You do not recognize any stimulants other than the thirst for victory and wise training.
IX. OH SPORT! YOU ARE THE WORLD!
You establish good, kind, friendly relations between peoples. You are consent. You bring together people who long for unity. You teach young people of different languages and ethnic backgrounds to respect each other. You are the source of noble, peaceful, friendly competition. You gather youth - our future, our hope - under your peaceful banners. Oh sport! You are the world!
(From "Ode to Sports", written in 1912.)
Time spending: April 6, 7, 9 and 10, 1896.
Number of disciplines: 12
Number of countries: 9
Number of athletes: 63
men: 63
women: 0
Sets of medals awarded: 12
Youngest participant: Georges de la Nézière (France, age: 17, 250 days)
Oldest Member: Eugen Schmidt (Denmark, age: 34, 49 days)
Medal winning countries: USA (17)
Medal-winning athletes: Bob Garrett USA (4)
On the afternoon of April 6, 1896, at the Marble Stadium, where about 80 thousand people had gathered, a cannon shot struck and the solemn sounds of the Olympic anthem sounded. They echoed far beyond the hills framing the city. In the deep silence the words of the Greek King George I were heard:
“I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!”
As in other events at the 1896 Summer Olympics, women were not allowed to participate.
Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - were won by representatives of the United States.
11 events were held at the Marble Stadium, which turned out to be inconvenient for runners. At the ancient Games, competitions were not held in a circle, but in a straight line (in races of more than 1 stage, 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 turned out to be too soft.
The American Tom Burke won the 100 m and 400 m races, the only one of the participants who used a low start, which initially caused ridicule from the audience. The 800m and 1500m were won by the only Australian at the Games, Teddy Flack, and the 100m hurdles were won by American Thomas Curtis.
All jumping events were won by 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 types of the Olympic program, and Connolly became the first Olympic champion of our time.
In discus throwing, which has ancient roots, the Greeks counted on victory: international competitions in it were not held before the 1896 Games, and Greek athletes prepared for several months in a training camp. However, taking the lead in the last attempt, the American Robert Garrett won, who saw the discus being thrown for the first time a few days before the competition. He also won the shot put; Having also taken 2nd place in the high jump, he became the most titled athlete of the Games.
Another event 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 Spyridon Louis, who became a national hero in his homeland.
Countries
63 athletes from 9 countries took part in the athletics competitions.
The number of athletes in athletics is indicated in parentheses, if it is known exactly:
Australia (1)
UK (5)
Hungary (3)
Germany (5)
Greece (29)
Denmark (3)
USA (10)
France (6)
Sweden (1)
In the near future, two major sports festivals await us. If Volgograd residents are well aware that in 2018 the World Cup matches will be held in Volgograd. Many people don’t remember where the Summer Olympic Games will be held in 2016. But a representative team of Volgograd athletes will take part in them.
About the history of the Olympic Games, history of Russia's participation in the Olympic Games , the portal website begins to talk about the participation of Volgograd athletes in them
For almost two millennia, the ancient Olympic Games in Greece seemed no more than a myth. But this myth again became a reality at the end of the 19th century.
The ideological inspirer and founder of the modern Olympic Games was the French historian and teacher Pierre de Coubertin. On June 23, 1894, in Paris, 2,000 delegates from 12 countries unanimously decided to revive the ancient tradition of holding the Olympic Games and establish the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Teacher Pierre de Coubertin
The organization of that very first modern Olympics probably caused a political crisis in a number of countries. This is how French journalists described everything that was happening then:
“At the end of October 1894, Pierre de Coubertin suddenly left Paris for Athens. What caused this unexpected departure? After all, the latest news received from the first president of the International Olympic Committee, his friend the Greek D. Vikelas, seemed encouraging. Vikelas wrote from the Greek capital. "From Brindisi to Athens, all my compatriots talk with joy about the Olympic Games." But after this, Vikelas met with Prime Minister Trikoupis, who persuaded him not to rush into organizing the Games. And this cautious position of the Prime Minister caused an instant reaction from Coubertin. He felt that refusal would not be long in coming, and decided to go out to meet the events. Coubertin did not go to Athens empty-handed: he had a document that, in his opinion, could put pressure on the Greek government. We are talking about a letter from Mr. Kemeny, the Hungarian representative to the IOC, who, in the event that Greece refuses to host the Games, makes it clear to him that Hungary will willingly host them as part of the grandiose demonstrations that will mark the millennium of the Hungarian state in 1896 ... When Coubertin got off the board of the motor ship "Ortegalya" in Greece, he saw his faithful friend Vikelas, who immediately asked him excitedly:
Have you received Dragoumis' letter? No? I brought you a copy.
Dragoumis, a deputy and former minister, was part of the commission that, according to Vikelas, was supposed to take control of the organization of the Games. In a letter that arrived in Paris after Coubertin had left, Dragoumis, citing more or less valid reasons, reported that Greece was abandoning the Games.
What are you going to do? - Vikelas asked when Coubertin familiarized himself with the contents of the letter. “I’ll go to the ruins of the stadium,” the baron answered calmly. According to Coubertin's calculations, 200 thousand drachmas will be required to reconstruct the stadium and equip other places for Olympic competitions. “We need to get two hundred thousand drachmas, and the First Olympic Games of modern times will be held here,” he tells Vikelas.
An hour later, there was a knock on the room at the Angleterre Hotel where Coubertin was staying. The Baron received a visit from the French Charge d'Affaires, Mr. Morouard. He is more than pessimistic. “You have provoked a serious political crisis,” he declares almost from the threshold. “The head of the opposition, Delianis, stood up for the Games.” Prime Minister Trikoupis maintains his hostility. We are talking about his portfolio. The press was divided into two camps. In Athens, everyone talks only about the Games. - Vikelas told me that the people accepted the idea of holding the Olympic Games with great interest. - Oh, people, you know... - This is important! - says Coubertin.
After some time, Karilaos Trikoupis appears in person at the hotel. He must be too interested in solving this problem, which arose again with the arrival of the Frenchman, since he decided to break protocol. Coubertin receives him with his usual courtesy. Trikoupis is amiable in conversation and firm in his refusal; Coubertin smiles, understanding but determined.
“Greece does not have sufficient financial resources,” says the Prime Minister. “We are talking about two hundred thousand drachmas...” Your calculations, it seems to me, are far from the truth.
They are accurate, Your Excellency.
Let's say you're right, but look at the problem from the other side: how will people abroad judge a country that, being covered in debt, indulges in expenses? - Useless, unnecessary expenses? - Let's say, expenses for pleasure.
All buildings will go to Athens, that is, to the young residents of the city. Two hundred thousand drachmas for the youth of Athens, for the athletes of the world, is that really a lot? Who wouldn’t understand the father of a family who signs a new debt so that his sons can make the name glorified in the past shine again?
Study our resources and the cost of the Games thoroughly,” Trikoupis asks, leaving, “and you will be convinced that this idea is impossible for us.”
These days, King George is not in Greece; he has gone to St. Petersburg. If the monarch were in Athens, Coubertin would definitely ask for an audience and persuade him. Now he is seeking a meeting with Crown Prince Constantine, Duke of Sparta. The prince is twenty-six years old. He is handsome, courageous, enterprising, loves sports, and is popular. Coubertin uses all his eloquence to make him an ally. Hearing Coubertin's arguments in favor of the Olympic Games, the prince hesitated. Coubertin tells him about Greece - not the old, ancient Greece, but about today's Greece. The prince, who thought that before him was an admirer of antiquity, with excitement sees in him a friend of the Hellenes, a friend of modern Greeks.
The Frenchman recalls the 1821 uprising of the Greeks against Turkish rule, when “the world no longer knew that Greece existed at all.” The heads of many states secretly helped the Turks: it was more profitable to support the strong. The desperate calls of the Greeks touch only the people and people of art. In many countries, Greek aid committees are being created, forcing governments to intervene and stop the bloodshed. Finally Greece is free! Three hundred thousand Greeks laid down their heads so that the remaining six hundred thousand would become masters of their own destiny.
It is in this Greece that I believe,” concludes Coubertin.
“And I,” says the prince, “believe in the Olympic Games.”
Constantine tells the Prime Minister that he intends to support Coubertin and recognizes the organizing committee of the Olympic Games.
Coubertin does not waste time: he pays visits to public figures, visits newspaper editorial offices and, finally, speaks at Parnassus, a literary club, with a lecture “Sports in the Modern World and the Olympic Games.”
On his way home, Coubertin makes a pilgrimage to Olympia. He wanders among the ruins of ancient temples, walks along the banks of the Alpheus, reads the names of Olympians carved on the columns... The mother of battles that bring golden wreaths, Olympia, the mistress of truth, Coubertin recites Pindar’s poems out loud.
Funds begin to arrive in Athens from all over the country; 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 this 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 could not have come at a better time. The cost of the stamps had to exceed the postal rate, and Sakarafos proposed to direct the proceeds from the sale of this issue to the Games fund. Sakarafos' idea was picked up by the newspapers. The Greek Parliament approved a law to issue the world's first Olympic stamps. The government 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.”
Finally, the Greek rich man and philanthropist from Alexandria, Georgios Averoff, gave a million drachmas for the reconstruction of the stadium made of Pentelic marble, the same stadium that Lycurgus built in the 4th century BC. e. and from which only ruins remained - traces almost erased by time.
Only 13 countries!
And then the long-awaited day came - April 6, 1896. A cannon shot rang out, and the sounds of the Olympic anthem soared upward, accompanied by the angelic singing of a women's choir. The echo of the music that brought fame to the now completely forgotten opera composer Spiro Samara echoed far beyond the hills that frame the city. 80 thousand people gathered at the Marble Stadium. In the deep silence the words of the Greek King George I are heard:
I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!
Envoys from thirteen countries - Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, the USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden and, of course, Greece - took to the stadium track that day.
311 athletes took part in the first Games of our time. True, two thirds of the total number of participants were nominated by the host of the Games - Greece. 21 athletes competed for the German team, 19 for France, 14 for the USA, and 12 for Hungary. The games almost became a European competition. The fact is that the American team was late for the opening of the Olympics. Representatives of the New World apparently believed that the Greeks still adhered to the old Julian calendar, and were in no hurry to leave - they arrived in Athens literally on the eve of the opening of the Games. Besides the Americans, there were only two representatives from countries outside Europe at the Games. This is the Australian Edwin Flack, who was passing through London and decided to take part in the Games, and one Chilean, it is not clear how he ended up in Greece.
Russia, due to poverty, did not take part in theI Olympics.
Despite the fact that the International Olympic Committee, elected in 1894, had a representative of Russia - General A. D. Butovsky, Russian athletes still did not take part in the First Olympics. The reason for this was lack of funds. Preparations for the Games took place in many large cities of the country, and primarily in Odessa, St. Petersburg and Kyiv. Odessa athletes prepared the most actively. A small group of Odessa residents went to Greece, but the money was only enough to reach Constantinople. I had to go back. True, one representative of Russia did arrive in Athens. It was Kiev resident Nikolai Ritter. He applied to compete in wrestling and shooting sports, but then withdrew it. Subsequently, Ritter became one of the most active promoters of the Olympic Games in Russia. Russian surnames appeared only in the protocol of the IV London Olympiad in 1908.
The program of the First Olympic Games included competitions in classical wrestling (this style of wrestling was then called Greco-Roman), cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. Rowing competitions were also planned, but due to a lack of participants they did not take place. According to ancient tradition, the Games were started by track and field athletes.
First Olympic champion American athlete James Connolly became a modern person. Jumping 13 meters 71 centimeters, he won a gold medal in the triple jump.
The winners of the first modern Olympic Games did not receive gold medals, but silver ones. Those who took second place received copper medals. The front side depicted Zeus the Thunderer. In his hands he holds the goddess of victory Nike. On the reverse side is the Acropolis.
Thickness: 3.8 mm
. Diameter: 48mm
. Weight: 47 g
. Quantity: 100
. Designer: Jules Clément Chaplain
What's interesting...
Women did not participate in the Olympic Games at that time. The participation of female athletes in the games was one of the reasons for de Coubertin’s resignation from the post of IOC president in 1925.