Editing 1896 Summer Olympics (section)

== Events ==
At the 1894 Sorbonne Congress, a large roster of sports was suggested for the program in Athens. 

The first official announcements regarding the sporting events to be held featured sports such as football and cricket,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/134962.html|title=The ignorant Olympians}}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=July 2024}} but these plans were not finalised, and these sports did not make the final program for the Games.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thread/sports/no-spot-the-olympics-its-not-cricket/article17949431.ece|title=No spot the Olympics? It's not cricket|website=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 April 2017 }}</ref> [[Sport rowing|Rowing]] and [[Sailing (sport)|sailing]] events were also scheduled but were cancelled on the planned days of competition: sailing due to a lack of special boats in Greece and no foreign entries, and rowing due to poor weather.<ref name="C98-99">Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897)</ref>{{rp|99–100, 109}} 

As a result, the 1896 Summer Olympics programme featured 9 sports encompassing 10 disciplines and 43 events. The number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses.

{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* {{GamesSport|Athletics|Events=12|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Cycling|Format=d}}
** Road <small>(1)</small>
** Track <small>(5)</small>
* {{GamesSport|Fencing|Events=3|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Gymnastics|Events=8|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Shooting|Events=5|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Swimming|Events=4|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Tennis|Events=2|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Weightlifting|Events=2|Format=d}}
* {{GamesSport|Wrestling|Events=1|Format=d}}
}}

=== Athletics ===
{{Main|Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

The athletics events had the most international field of any of the sports. The major highlight was the [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|marathon]], held for the first time in international competition. [[Spyridon Louis]], a previously unrecognised water carrier, won the event to become the only Greek athletics champion and a national hero. Although Greece had been favoured to win the [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw|discus]] and the [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's shot put|shot put]], the best Greek athletes finished just behind the American [[Robert Garrett]] in both events.{{r|Young|p=153}}

No [[world record]]s were set, as few top international competitors had elected to compete. In addition, the curves of the track were very tight, making fast times in the running events virtually impossible. Despite this, [[Thomas Burke (athlete)|Thomas Burke]], of the United States, won the [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100-meter]] race in 12.0 seconds and the [[Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400-meter]] race in 54.2 seconds. Burke was the only one who used the "[[crouch start]]" (putting his knee on soil), confusing the jury. Eventually, he was allowed to start from this "uncomfortable position".<ref>Sears (2001), 159</ref>

[[File:Masson flameng.jpg|thumb|right|Frenchmen [[Léon Flameng]] ''(left)'' and [[Paul Masson (cyclist)|Paul Masson]] won four cycling events]]

[[File:Leonidas Pyrgos.jpg|thumb|Fencer [[Leonidas Pyrgos]] became the first Greek modern Olympic champion by winning the masters foil competition]]

[[File:Schuhmann flatow weingartner.jpg|thumb|right|The German individual gymnastics champions: Schuhmann, [[Alfred Flatow|Flatow]], and [[Hermann Weingärtner|Weingärtner]]]]

[[Chile]] claims one athlete, [[Luis Subercaseaux]], who competed for the nation at the 1896 Summer Olympics. This makes Chile one of the 14 nations to appear at the inaugural Summer Olympic Games. Subercaseaux's results are not listed in the official report, though that report typically includes only winners and Subercaseaux won no medals.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://olimpismo2007.blogspot.com/2011/03/luis-subercaseaux-ii.html | title=Luis Subercaseaux (II) |date=March 12, 2011 | author=Fernando Arrechea Rivas | work=Olimpismo  | access-date=2016-04-09}}</ref>{{unreliable source|sure=y|date=July 2024}} Some sources{{specify|date=July 2024}} claim that he was entered to compete in the 100m, 400m and 800m events but did not start.<ref name="Subercaseaux">{{cite web | url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/922400 | title=Luis Subercaseaux | publisher=Olympedia | access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref> An appraisal of a famous photo of series 2 of the 100 meters sprint, performed by facial recognition experts of the [[Investigations Police of Chile|Chilean forensic police]], concluded that Subercaseaux was one of the participants.<ref name="LUN">{{cite news|first=Mario|last=Cavalla|title=Esta es la foto que descubrió al primer chileno olímpico|work=Las Últimas Noticias|location=Santiago, Chile|url=http://www.lun.com/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?dt=2014-05-17&PaginaId=29&bodyid=0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005051459/http://www.lun.com/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?dt=2014-05-17&PaginaId=29&bodyid=0|archive-date=5 October 2018|url-status=dead|date=17 May 2014|page=29|access-date=2021-08-08}}</ref>

The day after the official marathon, [[Stamata Revithi]] ran the 40-kilometer course in 5 hours 30 minutes, finishing outside [[Panathinaiko Stadium]].<ref>Martin & Gynn, ''Running through the Ages'', 22; Tarasouleas, ''Stamata Revithi, "Alias Melpomeni"'', 55; Tarasouleas, ''The Female Spiridon Loues'', 12.</ref> However, some of the authors, who believe that "Melpomene" and Revithi are the same person, attribute to the latter the more favorable time of {{frac|4|1|2}}&nbsp;hours.<ref>E.g. Miragaya, ''The Female Olympian'', 314, who cites {{cite conference |first=A. |last=DeFrantz |title=The Changing Role of Women in the Olympic Games |book-title=37th International Session for Young Participants&nbsp;– IOA Report |publisher=International Olympic Academy |date=1997 |location=Ancient Olympia }}</ref> She was denied entry into the official race as the 1896 Olympics [[Women at the Olympics|excluded women from competition]].<ref>Officially, she was rejected because the deadline for participation had expired; however, as Olympic historians David Martin and Roger Gynn point out, the real problem was her gender. Greek participants had been chosen through two trial national races, which had taken place on 10 {{smaller|<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe|O.S.]] 27&nbsp;February}} and 24&nbsp;March {{smaller|<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe|O.S.]] 12&nbsp;March}}. Another athlete, [[Carlo Airoldi]], was also not allowed to run because he was a professional (Martin–Gynn, ''Running through the Ages'', 12, 21).</ref>

=== Cycling ===
{{Main|Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

The rules of the [[International Cycling Association]] were used for the cycling competitions.{{r|Coubertin|pp=46–47}} The [[track cycling]] events were held at the newly built [[Neo Phaliron Velodrome]]. Only one road event was held, a race from Athens to Marathon and back (87 kilometres).

In the track events, the best cyclist was Frenchman [[Paul Masson (cyclist)|Paul Masson]], who won the one lap [[time trial]], the sprint event, and the 10,000 meters. In the 100 kilometres event, Masson entered as a pacemaker for his compatriot [[Léon Flameng]]. Flameng won the event, after a fall, and after stopping to wait for his Greek opponent [[Georgios Kolettis]] to fix a mechanical problem. The Austrian fencer [[Adolf Schmal]] won the 12-hour race, which was completed by only two cyclists, while the road race event was won by [[Aristidis Konstantinidis]].<ref name="LW">Lennartz-Wassong (2004), 23</ref>

=== Fencing ===
{{Main|Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

The fencing events were held in the [[Zappeion]], which, built with money [[Evangelis Zappas]] had given to revive the ancient Olympic Games, had never seen any athletic contests before.{{r|Young|p=148}} Unlike other sports (in which only amateurs were allowed to take part at the Olympics), professionals were authorised to compete in fencing, though in a separate event. These professionals were considered gentlemen athletes, just like the amateurs.{{r|C46-47}}

Four events were scheduled, but the [[épée]] event was cancelled for unknown reasons. The [[Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's foil|foil event]] was won by a Frenchman, [[Eugène-Henri Gravelotte]], who beat his countryman, [[Henri Callot]], in the final.{{r|Young|p=148}} The other two events, the [[Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre|sabre]] and the [[Fencing at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's masters foil|masters foil]], were won by Greek fencers. [[Leonidas Pyrgos]], who won the latter event, became the first Greek Olympic champion in the modern era.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

=== Gymnastics ===
{{Main|Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

The gymnastics competition was carried out on the infield of the Panathinaiko Stadium. Germany sent an 11-man team, which won five of the eight events, including both team events: in the team event on the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's team horizontal bar|horizontal bar]], the German team was the only entry.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Three Germans added individual titles: [[Hermann Weingärtner]] won the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's horizontal bar|horizontal bar event]], [[Alfred Flatow]] won the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's parallel bars|parallel bars]], and [[Carl Schuhmann]], who also won the wrestling event, won the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's vault|vault]]. [[Louis Zutter]], a Swiss gymnast, won the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's pommel horse|pommel horse]], while Greeks [[Ioannis Mitropoulos]] and [[Nikolaos Andriakopoulos]] were victorious in the [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's rings|rings]] and [[Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's rope climbing|rope climbing]] events, respectively.{{r|Young|p=151}}

=== Sailing and rowing ===
[[File:BASA-3K-7-422-21-1896 Summer Olympics.jpg|thumb|German team at the 1896 Summer Olympics]]
A regatta of sailing boats was on the program of the Games of the First Olympiad for 31 March 1896 (Julian calendar). However this event had to be given up.

The official English report states:{{r|C98-99|pp=99–100}}

{{blockquote|quote=The Regatta could not take place because some special boats embarkation had not been provided for.|source=Charalambos Anninos|The Olympic Games B.C. 776. – A.D. 1896}}

The German version states:

{{blockquote|quote=The sailing competitions were cancelled because neither had we provided the special boats for it, nor had foreign applicants registered.}}

Rowing races were scheduled for the next day, 1 April 1896 (Julian); however, poor weather forced their cancellation.

The official English report states:{{r|C98-99|p=109}}

{{blockquote|quote=The regatta was therefore postponed to three o'clock in the afternoon. In the afternoon however the storm was still on the increase, some of the lighter embarkations were thrown on the shore by the violence of the waves, and the elements continued to rage with such fury that every idea of a boatrace had to be given up.}}

The German rower, Berthold Küttner, wrote several articles about the 1896 Games that were published in his Berlin rowing club's magazine in 1936 and reprinted in the [[Journal of Olympic History]] in 2012. He stated that he and Adolf Jäger had lined up for the start of the [[double sculls]] event. He further wrote that "The double scull would be the first to start because the wind had become much stronger. On a fishing boat we took our double scull to the starting line. We already had problems getting into the double scull because of the swells. From our opponents no one had appeared – although both Greeks and Italians had applied. Because a longer wait for them seemed pointless, the starter told us to sail without competition.

"After the official salutation and presentation in the Court Loge, where many of the attendees could not hide a laugh about my clothing, Prince George, President of the Committee, praised me for our appearance at the racing track and presented me with the winners medal in bronze. At the same time he also gave me one for ''Bundesbruder'' Jäger. The commemorative medal, which each of the participants received, had already been presented to us earlier."

He went on to state that the single sculls and race for naval boats were postponed until the following day, then ultimately cancelled when the weather worsened. The [[International Olympic Committee]] does not recognize any of this.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://heartheboatsing.com/2016/04/13/athens-1896-the-first-olympic-rowing-medallists/|title=Athens 1896: The First Olympic Rowing Medallists?|date=13 April 2016}}</ref>

=== Shooting ===
{{Main|Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

Held at a range at [[Kallithea]], the shooting competition consisted of five events—two using a rifle and three with the [[pistol]]. The first event, [[Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre military rifle|the military rifle]], was won by [[Pantelis Karasevdas]], the only competitor to hit the target with all of his shots. The second event, for [[Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 25 metre military pistol|military pistols]], was dominated by two American brothers: [[John Paine (sharpshooter)|John]] and [[Sumner Paine]]. They became the first siblings to finish first and second in the same event. To avoid embarrassing their hosts, the brothers decided that only one of them would compete in the next pistol event, the [[Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 30 metre free pistol|free pistol]]. Sumner Paine won that event, thereby becoming the first relative of an Olympic champion to become Olympic champion himself.<ref name="CP76,83">Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 76, 83–84</ref>

The Paine brothers did not compete in the [[Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol|25-meter pistol event]], as the event judges determined that their weapons were not of the required calibre. In their absence, [[Ioannis Phrangoudis]] won. The final event, the [[Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 300 metre free rifle, three positions|free rifle]], began on the same day. However, the event could not be completed due to darkness and was finalised the next morning, when [[Georgios Orphanidis]] was crowned the champion.{{r|CP76,83}}

=== Swimming ===
{{Main|Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

[[File:Hajos.jpg|thumb|left|[[Alfréd Hajós]], the first Olympic champion in swimming, is one of only two Olympians to have won medals in both sport and art competitions]]

The swimming competition was held in the open sea because the organizers had refused to spend the money necessary for a specially constructed stadium. Nearly 20,000 spectators lined the [[Bay of Zea]] off the [[Piraeus]] coast to watch the events. The water in the bay was cold, and the competitors suffered during their races. There were three open events ([[Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle|men's 100-metre freestyle]], [[Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 500 metre freestyle|men's 500-metre freestyle]], and [[Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 1200 metre freestyle|men's 1200 metre freestyle]]), in addition to a [[Swimming at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's sailors 100 metre freestyle|special event open only to Greek sailors]], all of which were held on the same day (11 April).{{r|LW}}

For [[Alfréd Hajós]] of Hungary, this meant he could only compete in two of the events, as they were held too close together, which made it impossible for him to adequately recuperate. Nevertheless, he won the two events in which he swam, the 100 and 1200 meter [[freestyle swimming|freestyle]]. Hajós later became one of only two Olympians to win a medal in both the athletic and [[Art competitions at the Summer Olympics|artistic competitions]], when he won a silver medal for architecture in 1924. The 500-meter freestyle was won by Austrian swimmer [[Paul Neumann (swimmer)|Paul Neumann]], who defeated his opponents by more than a minute and a half.

=== Tennis ===
{{Main|Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

Although tennis was already a major sport by the end of the 19th century, none of the top players turned up for the tournament in Athens. The competition was held at the courts of the [[Athens Lawn Tennis Club]], and the infield of the velodrome used for the cycling events. [[John Pius Boland]], who won the event, had been entered in the competition by a fellow-student of his at Oxford; the Greek, Konstantinos Manos. As a member of the Athens Lawn Tennis sub-committee, Manos had been trying, with the assistance of Boland, to recruit competitors for the Athens Games from among the sporting circles of Oxford University. In the first round, Boland defeated [[Friedrich Traun]], a promising tennis player from [[Hamburg]], who had been eliminated in the 100-meter sprint competition. Boland and Traun decided to team up for the doubles event, in which they reached the final and defeated their Greek opponents after losing the first set.<ref>Gillmeister (1995), 23–24</ref>

=== Weightlifting ===
{{Main|Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

[[File:Launceston Elliot.jpg|thumb|[[Launceston Elliot]], winner of the one-armed weightlifting event, was popular with the Greek audience, who found him very handsome]]

The sport of weightlifting was still young in 1896, and the rules differed from those in use today. Competitions were held outdoors, in the infield of the [[Panathenaic Stadium|main stadium]], and there were no weight limits. The first event was held in a style now known as the "[[clean and jerk]]". Two competitors stood out: Briton [[Launceston Elliot]] and [[Viggo Jensen]] of Denmark. Both of them lifted the same weight, but the jury, with Prince George as the chairman, ruled that Jensen had done so in a better style. The British delegation, unfamiliar with this tie-breaking rule, lodged a protest. The lifters were eventually allowed to make further attempts, but neither lifter improved, and Jensen was declared the champion.<ref name="C70-71">Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 70–71</ref>

Elliot got his revenge in the [[Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's one hand lift|one hand lift]] event, which was held immediately after the two-handed one. Jensen had been slightly injured during his last two-handed attempt and was no match for Elliot, who won the competition easily. The Greek audience was charmed by the British victor, whom they considered very attractive. A curious incident occurred during the weightlifting event: a servant was ordered to remove the weights, which appeared to be a difficult task for him. Prince George came to his assistance; he picked up the weight and threw it a considerable distance with ease, to the delight of the crowd.{{r|C70-71}}

=== Wrestling ===
{{Main|Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics}}

[[File:Schuhmann lotta atene 1896.jpg|thumb|left|[[Carl Schuhmann]] (left) and [[Georgios Tsitas]] shake hands before the final match of the wrestling competition]]

No weight classes existed for the wrestling competition, held in the Panathenaic Stadium, which meant that there would only be one winner among competitors of all sizes. The rules used were similar to modern [[Greco-Roman wrestling]], although there was no time limit, and not all leg holds were forbidden (in contrast to current rules).

Apart from the two Greek contestants, all the competitors had previously been active in other sports. Weightlifting champion Launceston Elliot faced gymnastics champion [[Carl Schuhmann]]. The latter won and advanced into the final, where he met [[Georgios Tsitas]], who had previously defeated [[Stephanos Christopoulos]]. Darkness forced the final match to be suspended after 40 minutes; it was continued the following day, when Schuhmann needed only fifteen minutes to finish the bout.<ref>Coubertin–Philemon–Politis–Anninos (1897), 93–94</ref>
{{Clear}}