First modern Olympic Games 1896. History of the Olympic Games

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 event.

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, one had to take into account the uneasy 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.
United Kingdom.
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 a lack of funds, the team of the Russian Empire was never sent to the 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 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 his 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, the 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.

In the weightlifting tournament, the Englishman Launceston Elliot scored 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 Englishman John Bolend won all the games in singles and won the doubles with Fritz Thrawn from Germany. Equally impressive was the victory in swimming of the famous Hungarian athlete Alfred Hayos, who managed to get ahead of the competitors in stormy weather and won 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 arts 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 famous 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.

V At the end of October 1894, Pierre de Coubertin suddenly left Paris by train for Marseille, and from there on board the steamer Ortegal 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 speak with joy about the Olympic Games"... But after that Vikelas met with Prime Minister Tricupis, and he persuaded him not to rush to organize the Games. And this cautious position of the Prime Minister provoked Coubertin's immediate reaction. He felt that the refusal would not be long in coming, and decided to leave towards 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. This is a letter from Mr. Kemeny, the Hungarian representative to the IOC, who, on the cautious offer of Coubertin in case Greece refuses to host the Games, makes him understand that Hungary will willingly host them as part of the grandiose manifestations, which will be marked in 1896 year millennium of the Hungarian state ... When Coubertin stepped off the Ortegal, he saw his faithful friend Vikelas, who immediately asked him excitedly:
- Did you receive Dragumis's letter? No? I brought you a copy.
Dragumis, a deputy, a former minister, was a member of the commission, which, according to Vikelas, was supposed to take over the organization of the Games. In a letter that arrived in Paris after Coubertin's departure, Dragoumis, referring to more or less valid reasons, reported that Greece was refusing the Games.
- What are you going to do? - Asked Vikelas, when Coubertin got acquainted with the contents of the letter. - I will go to the ruins of the stadium, - the baron replied calmly. According to Coubertin's calculations, 200 thousand drachmas will be required to reconstruct the stadium and equip other venues for Olympic competitions. “We need to get two hundred thousand drachmas, and the First Olympic Games of the new time will be held here,” he says to Vikelas.

H An hour later, there was a knock on the room at the Angleterre Hotel where Coubertin was staying. The Baron was paid a visit by Monsieur Moroir, Chargé d'Affaires of France. He is more than pessimistic. “You have provoked a serious political crisis,” he says almost from the doorway. “The head of the opposition, Delianis, stood up for the Games. Prime Minister Tricupis maintains his grudge. It's 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 a while, Karilaos Tricupis is in the hotel in person. He must be too interested in solving this problem, which arose again with the arrival of the Frenchman, since he dared to violate protocol. Coubertin accepts his gray with his usual courtesy. Tricupis is kind in conversation and firm in his refusal; Coubertin smiles, understanding but determined.
“Greece does not have sufficient financial resources,” the Prime Minister says. “We are talking about two hundred thousand drachmas ...” “Your calculations, it seems to me, are far from the truth.“ They are accurate, Your Excellency. ”“ Suppose you are right, but look at the problem from the other side: how will they judge abroad. about a country that, being covered by debts, is allowed into expenses? - Useless, unnecessary costs? cities. Two hundred thousand drachmas for the Athenian youth, for the athletes of the world, is that a lot? Who does not understand the father of the family, who signs a new debt so that his sons make the name glorified in the past shine again? - Examine thoroughly our resources and the cost of the Games, - asks Tricupis, leaving, - and you will make sure that this idea is for us impossible.

On the same day, Coubertin writes a letter to the editor of the newspaper "l" Asty, which ends with the following words: “We French have a saying that the word“ impossible ”is not French. Someone told me this morning that it was Greek. I don’t believe it.”
“All Athens speaks only of the Games,” the French envoy told Coubertin. The Baron himself can be convinced of this. He walks the streets of the city with Vikelas, talks to students, merchants, workers, cabmen of fiacre. Whenever it comes to the Games, there is the same excitement, the same hope.

V King George is not in Greece these days, he left for Petersburg. If the monarch were in Athens, Coubertin would certainly have asked for an audience and would have persuaded 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, adventurous, 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 same old, ancient, but about today's Greece. The prince, who thought that he 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 what Greece was at all." The heads of many states secretly helped the Turks: it is more profitable to support the strong. The desperate appeals of the Greeks touch only the people and the people of art. English poet George Byron becomes a Greek freedom fighter. The Chio massacre leaves politicians indifferent, but the painting of the French painter Eugene Delacroix is bleeding. Aid committees for Greece are being set up in many countries, forcing governments to intervene and stop the bloodshed. Finally Greece is free! Three hundred thousand Greeks laid down their heads for the remaining six hundred thousand to become the masters of their fate.

It is in this Greece that I believe, ”concludes Coubertin.“ And I, ”says the prince,“ believe in the Olympic Games.
Constantin tells the Prime Minister that he intends to support Coubertin and recognizes the organizing committee of the Olympic Games.

TO Uberten does not waste time: he pays visits to public figures, visits the editorial offices of newspapers and, finally, speaks at Parnassus - a literary club - with a lecture "Sports in the Modern World and the Olympic Games".

Z the scarlet was jam-packed. Coubertin repeated much of what he said at the Sorbonne about the revival of the Olympics, in general terms he painted a picture of the ancient Games and then resolutely set forth his most daring thoughts about the influence of sport on the spiritual development of a person, about democracy and internationalism. Emphasizing the international character of sport, he talked about the need to rejoice at the successes not only of his fellow countrymen, but also of everyone who came to the Games. - The word "stranger" - said Coubertin - should not be used in the sports lexicon. The victories of athletes from other countries should not upset, but inspire them to persistent training. Not defeat should be shameful, but non-participation in the Games. He called on the audience to turn the First Games into a celebration of peace. This lecture was a resounding success and significantly increased the number of supporters of the Games. We can say that this lecture gave birth to a wave that swept away the last resistance of the opponents of the Games. Before leaving Athens, Coubertin convened an organizing committee and said: - For you, the heirs of the ancient Greeks, everything will be simple. Structures? You already have them, at least almost all of them. Organizers? Your very presence here gives a firm guarantee on this score. The enthusiasm of your fellow countrymen? We don't even have to talk about it. But we must immediately get down to business. Every lost day is working against us. As for the program, it was developed in detail by French and American specialists.

On the way home, Coubertin makes a pilgrimage to Olympia. He wanders among the ruins of ancient temples, walks along the coast of the Alpheus, reads the names of the Olympians carved on the columns ... Mother of battles bringing wreaths of gold, Olympia, mistress of truth, - Coubertin recites Pindar's verses aloud.

NS After Coubertin's departure, poetry gives way to prose. The Greek Prime Minister is making his last attempts to disrupt the Games. On his orders, the deputy Skuluzis, a member of the organizing committee, criticizes the budget drawn up by Coubertin, says that it is much understated, convinces his colleagues of the unreasonableness of the enterprise, draws up a collective petition with them, motivating the refusal from the Games by the inability to get the necessary amount of money.
Then Prince Constantine decisively takes over everything, reorganizes the committee, removing the opposition from it, appoints the former mayor of Athens, Timoleon Philemon, as general secretary, and presides over all committee meetings until the start of the Games. Tricupis openly expresses dissatisfaction with the prince and, taking advantage of the very first confrontation with him, asks the king to choose between his son and the prime minister. The king does not take the side of the minister, and he is forced to resign. From now on, the fate of the Games is entirely in the hands of the organizing committee. 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 it wasn't enough.

Then, the proposal of the founder of the Greek Association of Postage Stamp Collectors, Demetris Sakarafos, to issue the world's first Olympic stamps turned out to be very opportune. The cost of the stamps was supposed to exceed the postage rate, and Sakarafos proposed to send the proceeds from the sale of this issue to the fund for holding the Games. The idea of Sakarafos was taken up by newspapers. The Greek Parliament has approved a law to issue the world's first Olympic stamps. The government has allocated four hundred thousand drachmas for the sale of these stamps. Coubertin later recalled: "After the release of the Olympic stamps, the success of the organization of the Olympic Games was a foregone conclusion.".

Finally, the Greek rich man and philanthropist from Alexandria Georgios Averoff gave a million drachmas for the reconstruction of the stadium from Pentelik marble, the very stadium that Lycurgus built in the 4th century BC. NS. and from which only ruins remained - traces almost erased by time.

The organizing committee sent out invitations to many countries:
"On June 16, 1894, the International Sports Congress took place at the Paris Sorbonne, which decided to resume the Olympic Games and set the I Games in Athens for 1896. According to this decision, which was received with great enthusiasm in Greece, the All-Athens Committee chaired by His Royal Highness the Prince- The Regent of Greece is sending you this invitation to the opening of the competition which will take place from 6 to 15 April 1896 in Athens, with the conditions of the competition being sent.This invitation is being sent in accordance with the mandate received from the Paris-based International Olympic Committee. We look forward to your early reply.
Athens, September 30, 1895.
General Secretary of the Greek Olympic Committee Timoleon Philemon ".

...AND the long-awaited day has come - April 6, 1896... A cannon shot rang out, and the sounds of the Olympic anthem rose up into the air, accompanied by the angelic singing of the female choir. The echo of the music that brought glory 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 deep silence, the words of the Greek King George I are heard: - I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!

WITH The king's fishing tackle is drowned in the applause and cheers of the audience. On that day, envoys from thirteen countries - Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden and, of course, Greece - entered the stadium track. 311 athletes took part in the first Games of our time. True, two-thirds of the total number of participants was presented 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 competition for Europeans. 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 adhere 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. Apart from the Americans, there were only two representatives from countries outside Europe at the Games. This is 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 got to Greece.

H Despite the fact that in the International Olympic Committee, elected in 1894, there was a representative of Russia - General A.D. Butovsky, Russian athletes still did not take part in the I Olympiad. The reason for this was the lack of funds. Preparations for the Games took place in many large cities of the country, and above all in Odessa, St. Petersburg and Kiev. The most actively trained athletes from Odessa. A small group of Odessa residents left for Greece, but they only had enough money until Constantinople. I had to go back. True, one representative of Russia did arrive in Athens. It was Nikolai Ritter from Kiev. He applied to compete in wrestling and shooting sports, but then took it back. Subsequently, Ritter became one of the most active promoters of the Olympic Games in Russia.

V the program of the 1st 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 the lack of participants, they did not take place. According to ancient tradition, the Games were started by athletes.

NS An American athlete became the first Olympic champion of our time. Jumping 13 meters 71 centimeters, he won the gold medal in the triple jump.
Connolly jumped a full meter beyond the French Olympic silver medalist Alexander Tuffer... Harvard law student James Connolly came to Europe without the permission of his professors, moreover, despite their prohibition. But when he returned home with a gold medal, the angry pundits changed from anger to mercy. Subsequently, the first Olympic champion became a famous journalist and writer. He was also offered an honorary doctorate from Harvard, but Connolly declined the offer.
& nbsp & nbsp James Connolly participated in other competitions: he took second place in the high jump and third place in the long jump.

H 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. Upon learning 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. So much easier and more convenient that it was not difficult for him to beat the favorites. True, after two attempts, a Greek walked ahead with a score of 28 meters 95 centimeters Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos.

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 score 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 his three teammates.

In athletics, the American dominance was overwhelming. He won two gold medals in the 100 and 400 meters Thomas Burke, and with a mediocre result, since the treadmill at the Marble Stadium was of very poor quality, and even uneven: closer to the finish line, it climbed up. In the long and high jump he won Ellery Clarke... By the way, in these types of athletics programs, all the prizes went to American jumpers. The Australian managed to take the first two places from the Americans in athletics Edwin Flack... He won the 800 and 1500 meters.

G a young swimmer, who came as part of the Hungarian team, became a hero of the swimming competition at the 1st Olympic Games Alfred Hayos... A year before the Olympics, he won several competitions in Budapest, but most importantly, in August 1895, he won an international competition in Vienna, which the organizers called the European Championship. In Athens, the talented Hungarian swimmer performed brilliantly. Competitions were held on the high seas. 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 thirteen degrees. At a distance of 100 meters freestyle, 13 swimmers took the start: eight Greeks and five foreigners. Already in the first third of the distance, Hayosh took the lead. With every meter he went further and further. The Greek E. Horafas rushed after him. A sharp struggle ensued. The Athenian public, of course, was rooting for their compatriot. The noise on the shore was unimaginable.

Suddenly, 30 meters before the end of the distance, the Hungarian lost his way and rushed to the right of the finish line. The noise died down, the audience froze. The surprised silence Hayosh raised his head and noticed his mistake. And in time: the Greek swimmer was already catching up with him. Hayosh increased his pace and came to the finish line first, eight tenths of a second ahead of Horafas. So the Hungarian swimmer Alfred Hayos became the owner of the first gold medal in swimming in the history of the modern Olympic Games.

At a distance of 500 meters, Hayos did not start. He was resting preparing for the 1200m competition. At this distance he had almost no worthy rivals. None of the nine people could make a serious competitor to the Hungarian. Hayosh was leading the entire distance and at the finish was ahead of his closest rivals by 80 meters.

All the Greek newspapers of that time wrote a lot about Hayos. They called him " Hungarian dolphin"They especially emphasized the fact that he managed to win gold both at short and long distances.

Throughout his life, Hayosh has tirelessly popularized sports. He did a lot for the development of sports in Hungary.

V In general, he was a man of the most varied talents. He graduated from the University of Budapest and became an excellent architect. He designed factories, residential buildings, schools, hospitals, but with the greatest inspiration he worked on sports projects. Hayos was a pioneer in sports construction in Hungary. He helped many sports societies build their own grounds, designed and built large stadiums and swimming pools. Alfred Hayos also built the world's first indoor pool with two thousand seats on Margaret Island in Budapest. The pool is supplied with water from the warm springs of Margaret Island. It perfectly resolves the problems of ventilation, lighting, heating. - Here I had the opportunity to connect my profession with my passion - swimming- said Hayosh.

Alfred Hayos also became famous as a journalist. He was the publisher and editor of the first Hungarian sports weekly newspaper, Sporthirlap. On the pages of this newspaper, the Olympic champion waged an acute, principled struggle against an unfriendly attitude towards sports in the country, sharply criticized everything that hindered its development. He was a consultant in the construction of the famous Budapest "Nepstadion". In 1924, exactly 28 years after his triumphant victory in Athens, Hayos again took part in the Olympic Games. This time he won the silver medal. A medal was awarded to him for the design of the stadium in an art competition in the field of architecture.

...B French cyclist has won the most gold medals in Athens Paul Masson, who won a sensational triple victory on the track in races: sprint, 2000 and 10000 meters.

V the hundred-kilometer race, which was also held on the track, was won by another Frenchman - Leon Flaman... With his gentlemanly behavior during the competition, Flaman won the sympathy of the public, after the race he became one of the most popular athletes of the 1st Olympiad. Here's what happened. Flaman was leading the race and suddenly noticed that his rival was a Greek Georgios Colettis has stopped. It turned out that his bicycle had broken. Then the Frenchman also stopped and waited for his rival to change the car. Only after the Greek got into the saddle, Flaman resumed the race and won a doubly convincing victory.

WITH Means to mention the victory of the German Karl Schumann in a classic wrestling tournament. As you know, at that time there was still no division into weight categories. Schumann weighed 40 feet less than his rivals, but that did not stop him from laying them all in turn on the shoulder blades.

NS After the opening of the Olympic Games, five days have already passed, the program of the First Olympics 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.

AND April 10 has come. This day became the culmination of the 1st Olympiad. 24 athletes have applied to participate in the marathon, of which only four are foreigners. 2386 years after the battle with the Persians near the village Marathon Greece again awaited news of victory. This legend is one of the most remarkable in the history of Greece.

"... 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 one. 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 Marathon, Athens feverishly awaited the outcome of the battle. The Athenians looked longingly at the horizon, afraid to see the vanguard of the army of Darius - 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.

The idea to repeat this race belongs to the French philologist Michel Breal. She was born, as Breal recalled, in 1895. Together with his son, he then climbed Mount Olympus, and he thought: "What a pity that the records of the ancient Olympians did not reach us. Only poets wrote about them. For sure, we only know about the heroism of the soldier who fled from Marathon to Athens. Interestingly. , will modern athletes be able to repeat his record? "

Michel Breal wrote to Coubertin: "If the organizing committee of the Athens Olympics agreed to resume the famous race of the Greek soldier, I would present the winner of this competition with a silver cup."

...H On the eve of the competition, the rivals held in the village of Marathon. The representative of the organizing committee said that tomorrow there will be intense heat and a high risk of sunstroke. Several athletes immediately prudently refuse to participate in the competition and leave the Marathon. The next day, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the athletes gathered at a small bridge, from which in 490 BC. NS. Phidipides began his run. After a small solemn ceremony, a shot is fired and a group of runners set off on a forty-kilometer path, surrounded by numerous mounted soldiers, cyclists and gigs. The heat is terrible.

O about ten kilometers all run 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, a Frenchman Albin Lermusier pulls forward. Soon, he already by thirty meters bypasses the 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, on the way out of the Marathon Valley, Lermusier learns that he is a kilometer ahead of Flack. 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 run 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 led the race. After a while, a Greek appears a few tens of meters away from him. With long strides, he overtakes the Australian. Flack, seeing that he is being bypassed, cannot withstand the stress of the struggle and collapses.

V in front of you can already see the Marble Stadium. King George I was informed that the Greek runner was in the lead. A cannon shot was heard. Eighty thousand hearts beat in unison. Complete silence breaks with a cry of relief: Louis, almost black with dust, ran into the stadium path. The last round of the stadium is both heaven and hell. The spectators jumped up from their seats. The air rang with shouts of glee and joy. The judges rushed after the runner and ran to the finish line with him. Two Greeks grabbed the winner on their shoulders and carried him to the king.

A contemporary describes this event, which beautified the I Olympiad, as follows:

"Thousands of flowers and gifts were thrown at the feet of the winner, the hero of the First Games. Thousands of pigeons flew into the air carrying ribbons of the color of the Greek flag. People poured into the field and began to swing the champion. To free Louis, the crown prince and his brother descended from the stands to meet the champion and took him to the royal box. And here, to the incessant applause of the audience, the king embraced the peasant ".

WITH from the very beginning of the 1st Olympic Games, Greece was waiting for its hero. And so he appeared in the guise of a young letter-carrier from the village of Maroussi near Athens.

Spiritdon Louis became a national hero. He was the first modern athlete to be awarded the highest honors. The awards ceremony for the Olympic winners in all sports took place on the closing day of the Games. Repeating the ancient ceremony, a laurel wreath was placed on the champion's head, a medal, a diploma and an olive branch cut into "the sacred grove of Olympia".

Time spending: 6, 7, 9 and 10 April 1896.
Number of disciplines: 12
Countries: 9
Number of athletes: 63
men: 63
women: 0
Sets of medals played: 12
Youngest member: Georges de la Nézière (France, age: 17, 250 days)
Oldest member: Eugen Schmidt (Denmark, age: 34, 49 days)
Medal Winning Countries: United States (17)
Medal winners: Bob Garrett USA (4)

On the afternoon of April 6, 1896, at the Marble Stadium, where about 80 thousand people gathered, a cannon shot struck and the solemn sounds of the Olympic anthem began to sound. They echoed far beyond the hills that flank the city. In deep silence, the words of the Greek King George I were heard:

"I declare the first international Olympic Games in Athens open!"

As with other competitions in the 1896 Summer Olympics, women were not allowed to compete.

Track and field competitions have become the most massive - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - was won by the representatives of the United States.

11 events were held at the Marble Stadium, which turned out to be inconvenient for the runners. At the ancient Games, the competitions were held not in a circle, but in a straight line (in running for more than 1 stage, the participants at the opposite end of the stadium turned back). During the reconstruction, the stadium was not expanded, so the circular track turned out to be elongated with very steep turns, which reduced the speed. In addition, the track was too soft.

American Tom Burke won the 100 m and 400 m sprints, the only participant who used a low start, which initially caused ridicule from the audience. The 800m and 1500m runs were won by the only Australian at the Teddy Flack Games, and the 100m hurdles were won by the American Thomas Curtis.

All jumping events were won by the Americans - Ellery Clark (high and long jump), Wells Hoyt (pole vault) and James Connolly (triple jump). The triple jump competition ended on April 6 earlier than other types of the Olympic program, and Connolly became the first modern Olympic champion.

In discus throwing, which has ancient roots, the Greeks hoped to win: international competitions in it were not held until the Games of 1896, and Greek athletes trained in a training camp for several months. However, taking the lead in the last attempt, the American Robert Garrett won, who first saw how the discus was thrown, a few days before the competition. He also won the shot put; taking second place in the high jump, he became the most titled athlete of the Games.

Another view took place outside the stadium - a race along the legendary route from the city of Marathon to Athens (40 km), called the marathon. It was won by the Greek Spiridon Luis, who became a national hero in his homeland.

Country

63 athletes from 9 countries took part in the track and field competitions.
The number of athletes in athletics is indicated in parentheses, if it is known for sure:

Australia (1)
United Kingdom (5)
Hungary (3)
Germany (5)
Greece (29)
Denmark (3)
United States (10)
France (6)
Sweden (1)

Olympiad Collaboration

1896

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Greece in 1896. They started with a scandal. The decision of the Paris Congress of 1894 to hold 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 politician Stefonos Drathomis wrote that Greece is not in a position to realize the great idea of Pierre de Coubertin and the Games are best postponed until 1900, as an integral part of the World Exhibition in Paris.

It got to the point that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was behind the idea of the Olympics, was forced to ask Hungary to host the Games. Having received a categorical refusal, he tried to convince the Greek government that it was possible to get by with not so great expenses. Crown Prince Constantine agreed with the baron and appointed the former mayor of Athens, Philemon, general secretary of the organizing committee.

Constantine also threw a cry for help to all the Greeks of the planet and money began to flow into the Olympic fund. And not only from the inhabitants of Greece, but also from London, Marseille, Constantinople and other cities where rich Greek colonies existed. With money from Alexandria from Georg Averoff, the ancient Olympic stadium was rebuilt. A velodrome and a shooting range were also built in Athens. Tennis courts were placed in the city center. Sportsmen were provided with pavilions with boathouses and locker rooms for rowing competitions.

As a result, all the places for the competition were prepared in one year. The problem was that the IOC could not recruit participants for the Olympics in any way - 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 the 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 - classic wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing, in which 43 sets of awards were played. Already at the Games of the first Olympiad, the organizers and the International Olympic Committee were faced with the problem of amateurism, which will accompany them until 1980.

The first Olympic champion of our time was the American athlete James Conolly, who won the 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, Spiridon Louis, who ran 40 km in 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. L. Kuhn reports an interesting fact that, in addition to the Olympic awards and fame, the winner received the following prizes: 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 lifelong dress and hairdresser, 10 quintals 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, the 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.

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 I Olympic Games, Greece hoped that the subsequent Olympics would also be held in Athens, which would become modern Olympia. However, the International Olympic Committee decided to give the Games a truly international character and to hold them alternately in different countries and on different continents. The International Olympic Committee did not object to large international competitions being held in the intervals between the Games in Greece. Such competitions were planned to be held in 1898, and then in 1902. However, for organizational and financial reasons, they did not take place.

Venue - Athens, Greece
Date - April 6-15, 1896
Number of participating countries - 14
Number of sports - 9
Number of participants - 311 (men - 311, women - 0)

Information from sites used:
olympiad.h1.ru
"Encyclopedia of Sports" - esport.com.ua
from the official IOC website www.olympic.org,
from the website of the NOC of Russia www.olympic.ru

from books:
"From Olympia to Moscow" by Valery Steinbach,
"Sensations and scandals of the sports age" by Boris Bazunov,
"Brief Biographical Dictionary: Athletes" published by "RIPOL CLASSIC";
"History of the Olympic Games. Medals, Badges, Posters". Treskin, Steinbach

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