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241 athletes (none of them women) from 14 Nations competed in 43
events.
Aquatics
There were only three swimming events at the first modern Olympics and
athletes had to swim in the Bay of Zea.
Athletics
Greek runner Spyridon
Louis won the first 40,000m marathon race; created to honour Pheidippides, who ran
from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of the Greek victory at the Battle of
Marathon, in 490 BC.
Cycling
On the Olympic sports calender at the First Modern Olympics, cycling
is still the major means of transportation in some parts of the world.
Paul Masson,
of France, won three of the six cycling events (1km time trial, 10km track race and 1,000m
sprint).
Fencing
An Olympic sport since the beginning, fencing is one of only four
sports that has been featured at every modern Olympic Games.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics can be traced back to ancient Greece, where similar skills
featured in the ancient Olympic Games.
Shooting
The Olympic sport started off with three events in the first Modern
Olympics.
Tennis
Although an original Olympic sport, tennis would be dropped after Paris 1924 and not appear again until Seoul
1988.
John Boland,
an Oxford student interested in Greek mythology, was the surprise winner; especially as
he'd only travelled to the Games as a spectator.
Weightlifting
As a basic athletic activity and a natural means to measure strength
and power, the lifting of weights was present in both the ancient Egyptian and Greek
societies.
Wrestling
In the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, wrestling was an integral part
of the Pentathlon; a form of all around athletic championship featuring running, jumping,
wrestling, discus and javelin throwing.
Aquatics, Archery, Athletics,
Badminton, Baseball,
Basketball, Boxing,
Canoe, Cycling,
Equestrian, Fencing,
Football, Gymnastics,
Handball, Hockey,
Judo, Modern
Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting,
Softball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis,
Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling.
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