olympics pooling

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 Olympiad of Modernity in 1896 in Athens was approvingly accepted by the majority of the Greek population.

But the city hall of Athens and the Greek government were unable to bear the full cost of hosting the Games. The government did not agree to the allocation additional funds, explaining his refusal by the fact that the Athenians are supposedly 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 state and political figures supported the government's statement. For example, the influential politician Stefonos Dratomis wrote that Greece is unable to realize the magnificent idea of ​​Pierre de Coubertin and the Games are best postponed until 1900, as constituent part World Exhibition in Paris.

Things got to the point that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who owns 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 do without such big expenses. Crown Prince Constantine agreed with the baron and appointed the former mayor of Athens, Philemon, as general secretary of the organizing committee.

Konstantin also sent a call for help to all the Greeks of the planet and the 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 the money received from Alexandria from Georg Averoff, an ancient Olympic Stadium. A velodrome and a shooting range were also built in Athens. Placed in the city center tennis courts. Athletes were provided with pavilions with boathouses and locker rooms for rowing competitions.

As a result, all places for competitions 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 sport's event Franco-Greek idea.

And yet the Games took place. On April 6, 1896, at the Marble Stadium, the King of Greece, in the presence of 80,000 spectators, declared the Games of the I 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 representatives of 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 Olympics, but due to lack of funds Russian team was not directed to the Games. Only a few athletes from Odessa, most actively preparing for the Olympic Games, managed to leave for Greece, but they had to return due to lack of money, not reaching Athens. A resident of Kiev, Mykola Ritter, managed to arrive in the capital of the Olympic Games and applied for participation in wrestling and shooting sports, but then withdrew his application and did not take part in the competition.

The program of the Games included 9 sports - classical 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 faced the problem of amateurism, which would accompany them until 1980.

First Olympic champion modernity was the American athlete James Conolly, who won gold medal in the triple jump, showing a result of 13 m 71 cm. The national hero of Greece, who received high honors, was the winner in the marathon race Spyridon Louis, who ran 40 km in 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. L. Kuhn reports interesting fact that apart from Olympic awards and fame of the winner were waiting for the following prizes: a gold cup, established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on the inclusion of marathon running in the Games program, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food throughout the year, free tailoring of a dress and use of a hairdresser throughout life, 10 centners chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

The Frenchman Paul Masson won three gold medals in the sprint race, as well as in the 2,000 and 10,000 m races on the track. However, the cycling competition was remembered for the gentlemanly behavior of another Frenchman, a participant in the 100-kilometer race, Leon Flament. The main rival of the athlete from France, the Greek Georgies Kollettis, had a bicycle breakdown and he was forced to stop in order to change the car. Léon 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.

In wrestling competitions there was no division into weight categories. All the more honorable was the victory of an athlete from Germany, Karl Schumann, who was the lightest of the participants. In addition to winning the wrestling, Schumann managed to win three more gold medals in gymnastics competitions - in the vault, as well as in the team championship in exercises on uneven bars and the crossbar.

In the weightlifting tournament, the Englishman Launceston Elliot distinguished himself with a result of 71 kg in an exercise with one hand, and the Dane Viggo Jensen with a result of 111.5 kg in an exercise with two hands. In shooting competitions, Greek athletes received three gold medals - in shooting from an army rifle, and two American athletes - in shooting from a revolver.

The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games - April 15, 1896. Since the Games of the I Olympiad, a tradition of performance in honor of the winner has been established national anthem and raising the national flag. The award ceremony took place on the closing day of the Games. The winner was crowned with a laurel wreath, he was awarded a silver medal made by the famous engraver Chaplain, and an olive branch cut in the Sacred Grove of Olympia and a diploma made by a Greek artist. Greek athletes won the most medals - 10 gold, 19 silver and 17 bronze, US Olympians won 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 1st Olympic Games, Greece hoped that the subsequent Olympics would be held in Athens, which would become 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)

Used information from sites:
olympiad.h1.ru
"Encyclopedia of sports" - esport.com.ua
from the official website of the IOC 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,
"Short Biographical Dictionary: Athletes" of the publishing house "RIPOL CLASSIC";
"Story Olympic Games. Medals, badges, posters". Treskin, Steinbach

newspapers:
"SPORT-EXPRESS"

AT At the end of October 1894, Pierre de Coubertin suddenly left Paris by train for Marseille, and from there on board the Ortegal steamer to Athens. What was the reason for this sudden departure? After all 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 Trikoupis, who persuaded him not to rush to organize the Games. And this cautious position of the Prime Minister caused an instant reaction of Coubertin. He felt that the refusal would not keep him waiting, and decided to leave to meet the events. Coubertin did not go to Athens empty-handed: he had a document capable, in his opinion, of putting pressure on the Greek government. We are talking about a letter from Mr. Kemeny, the Hungarian representative to the IOC, who, in response to Coubertin's cautious proposal in case Greece refuses to host the Games, makes him understand that Hungary will willingly host them as part of the grandiose demonstrations that will be marked in 1896 the millennium of the Hungarian state ... When Coubertin got off the Ortegal, he saw his faithful friend Vikelas, who immediately asked him excitedly:
- Have you received Dragumis' letter? Not? I brought you a copy.
Dragoumis, an MP, 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 good reasons, reported that Greece was withdrawing from the Games.
- What are you going to do? - Vikelas asked when Coubertin got acquainted with the content of the letter. - I'll go to the ruins of the stadium, - the baron answered imperturbably. According to Coubertin's calculations, for the reconstruction of the stadium and the equipment of other places for Olympic competitions 200 thousand drachmas are required. “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 at the Angleterre Hotel where Coubertin was staying. The Baron was visited by the Chargé d'affaires of France, Mr. Moroir. He is more than pessimistic. - You 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 retains his hostility. It's about his portfolio. The press was divided into two camps. In Athens everyone only talks 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, the hotel itself is Karilaos Trikoupis. He must be too interested in solving this problem, which arose again with the arrival of the Frenchman, to dare to break the 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. look at the problem from the other side: how will they be judged abroad. About a country that, being covered with debts, - incurs expenses? - Useless, unnecessary expenses? - Say, expenses for pleasures. - All buildings will go to Athens, that is, young residents cities. Two hundred thousand drachmas for the Athenian youth, for the athletes of the world, is that a lot? Who will 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? - Study our resources and the cost of the Games thoroughly, - asks Trikoupis, leaving, - and you will be convinced 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 these words: "We French have a saying: the word 'impossible' is not French. Someone told me this morning that it is Greek. I don't believe it."
"All Athens talks only about the Games," the French envoy told Coubertin. The baron himself can be convinced of this. He walks the streets of the city with Vikelas, talking to students, merchants, workers, cab drivers. When it comes to the Games, there is the same excitement, the same hope everywhere.

AT These days there is no King George in Greece, he has gone to 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, 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 former, ancient, 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 the modern Greeks.

The Frenchman recalls the 1821 uprising of the Greeks against Turkish domination, when "the world no longer knew that Greece even existed." 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 massacre in Chio leaves politicians indifferent, but the canvas of the French painter Eugene Delacroix bleeds. In many countries, committees are being set up to help Greece, forcing governments to intervene and stop the bloodshed. Greece is finally free! Three hundred thousand Greeks laid down their lives for the remaining six hundred thousand to become masters of their own destiny.

It is in this Greece that I believe, - finishes Coubertin. - And I, - says the prince, - believe in the Olympic Games.
Constantine declares to the Prime Minister that he intends to support Coubertin and recognizes organizing committee Olympic Games.

To Ubertin does not waste time: he pays visits to public figures, visits the editorial offices of newspapers and, finally, speaks in Parnassus - a literary club - with a lecture "Sport in the modern world and the Olympic Games".

Z al was packed. Coubertin repeated much of what he said at the Sorbonne about the revival of the Olympics, in general he painted a picture ancient games and went on to express emphatically his boldest thoughts on the impact of sport on spiritual development human, about democracy and internationalism. Emphasizing the international nature of sport, he spoke about the need to rejoice at the successes not only of his fellow countrymen, but also of all those who came to the Games. - The word "foreigner", - said Coubertin, - should not exist in the sports lexicon. The victories of athletes from other countries should not upset, but inspire hard training. Shameful should not be defeat, but non-participation in the Games. He urged those present to turn the 1st 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 assembled the 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 compatriots? There is no need to even talk about it. But we must immediately get down to business. Every lost day works 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 banks of Alpheus, reads the names of Olympionists carved on the columns... Mother of battles bearing golden crowns, Olympia, mistress of truth, - Coubertin pronounces Pindar's verses aloud.

P After the departure of Coubertin, poetry gives way to prose. The Prime Minister of Greece is making one last effort to disrupt the Games. On his orders, deputy Skuluzis, a member of the organizing committee, criticizes the budget drawn up by Coubertin, says that it is much underestimated, convinces his colleagues of the unreasonableness of the enterprise, draws up a collective petition with them, motivating the refusal of the Games by the inability to get the necessary amount of money.
Then Prince Constantine resolutely takes over everything, reorganizes the committee, removing the opposition from it, appoints Timoleon Philemon, the former mayor of Athens, as secretary general and directs all meetings of the committee until the start of the Games. Trikoupis openly expresses dissatisfaction with the prince and, taking advantage of the very first clash 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 Sakaraphos to issue the world's first Olympic stamps turned out to be very useful. The value of the stamps was supposed to exceed the postal rate, and Sakarafos offered to send the proceeds from the sale of this issue to the fund for the Games. The idea of ​​Sakaraphos was picked up by the newspapers. The Greek Parliament approved a law on the issuance of 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 from 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.

The Organizing Committee sent invitations to many countries:
"On June 16, 1894, the International Sports Congress was held at the Paris Sorbonne, which decided to resume the Olympic Games and appointed the holding of the 1st Games in Athens for 1896. According to this decision, which was received with great enthusiasm in Greece, the All-Athen Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness the Prince- Regent of Greece is sending you this invitation to the opening of the competitions to be held from April 6 to 15, 1896 in Athens, with the conditions of the competition sent.
Athens, September 30, 1895.
Timoleon Philemon, Secretary General of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

...And the long-awaited day has come - April 6, 1896. A cannon shot rang out, and the sounds of the Olympic anthem shot up, accompanied by the angelic singing of a women's choir. The echoes of the music that brought fame to the opera composer Spiro Samara, now completely forgotten, 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 catch is drowned in applause and jubilant cries of the audience. 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 was put up 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 nearly 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 just on the eve of the opening of the Games. In addition to the Americans, there were only two representatives of countries located outside Europe at the Games. This is an 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.

H despite the fact that in the International Olympic Committee, elected in 1894, was the 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 were going on in many large cities of the country, and above all in Odessa, St. Petersburg and Kyiv. Athletes from Odessa prepared most actively. A small group of Odessans left for Greece, but the money was only enough to reach Constantinople. I had to go back. True, one representative of Russia nevertheless arrived 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.

AT The program of the I 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. More rowing competitions were planned, but due to the lack of participants, they did not take place. According to ancient tradition, athletes started the Games.

P The first modern Olympic champion was an American athlete. Jumping 13 meters 71 centimeters, he won the gold medal in the triple jump.
Connolly jumped a full meter further than French Olympic silver medalist Alexander Tuffer. James Connolly, a law student at Harvard University, came to Europe without the permission of his professors, moreover, despite their prohibition. But when he returned home with a gold medal, angry pundits changed their anger to mercy. Subsequently, the first Olympic champion became a well-known journalist and writer. He was also offered an honorary doctorate from Harvard, but Connolly turned down the offer.
   James Connolly also 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 champion, and this plunged the Greeks into complete discouragement. The fact is that in discus throwing, the Greeks were considered out of competition. And suddenly the discus throw is won by an American, and even having only a distant idea about this sport. There is something to be sad about.

This American was Robert Garrett, a student at Princeton University. Upon learning that the program of the Games included 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 the same discus would be used at the Olympics, which used by ancient throwers.

Having become acquainted with the throwing technique, Garrett ordered a similar disk for himself and calmly trained with it at home. Arriving in Athens, Garrett discovered that the modern disk 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, the Greek was 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 the shot put with a score of 11 meters 22 centimeters.

An interesting detail: Garrett traveled from New York to Greece at his own expense and also paid for the trip of three of his teammates.

In athletics, American dominance was overwhelming. He won two gold medals in the 100m and 400m Thomas Burke, and with a mediocre result, since Treadmill at the Marble Stadium was of very poor quality, and even uneven: closer to the finish line, it went up. Won the long and high jump Ellery Clark. By the way, in these types of athletics program, 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 800m and 1500m.

G The hero of the swimming competition at the 1st Olympic Games was a young, but already well-known swimmer in Europe, who arrived as part of the Hungarian team Alfred Hayosh. A year before the Olympics, he won several competitions in Budapest, but most importantly, in August 1895, he won international competitions 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 worried, the water temperature barely reached thirteen degrees. At a distance of 100 meters freestyle, 13 swimmers started: eight Greeks and five foreigners. Already in the first third of the race, Hayosh took the lead. With every meter he went further and further. The Greek E. Horafas rushed after him. An intense struggle ensued. The Athenian public, of course, rooted for their compatriot. The noise on the beach 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. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, raised his head and noticed his mistake. And just 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 Hajos became the owner of the first gold medal in swimming in the history of the modern Olympic Games.

At a distance of 500 meters, Hayosh did not start. He was resting, preparing for the competition at 1200 meters. At this distance, he almost did not have worthy rivals. Of the nine people, no one could seriously compete with the Hungarian. Hayosh was leading the whole distance and at the finish he was 80 meters ahead of his closest rivals.

All the Greek newspapers of that time wrote a lot about Hayosh. He was called " Hungarian dolphin". They especially emphasized the fact that he managed to win "gold" both in the short and in the long run.

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

AT In general, he was a man of the most diverse 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. Hajos was a pioneer of sports construction in Hungary. He helped many sports societies build their grounds, designed and built large stadiums and swimming pools. The world's first indoor pool with stands for two thousand seats on the Margaret Island in Budapest was also built by Alfred Hajos. The pool is supplied with water from the warm springs of Margaret Island. It perfectly solves the problems of ventilation, lighting, heating. - Here I had the opportunity to connect my profession with my passion - swimming Hayosh said.

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

...B French cyclist wins the most gold medals in Athens Paul Masson, who won a sensational triple victory on the track in the races: sprint, 2000 and 10,000 meters.

AT hundred-kilometer race, 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. And here's what happened. Flaman was leading the race and suddenly noticed that his opponent was a Greek Georgios Kolettis has stopped. It turned out that his bike was broken. Then the Frenchman also stopped and waited for his opponent to change the car. Only after the Greek got into the saddle, Flaman resumed the race and won a doubly convincing victory.

With it is worth mentioning the victory of the German Carl Schumann in the classical wrestling tournament. As you know, at that time there was no division into weight categories. Schumann weighed 40 feet less than his rivals, but this did not stop him from laying them all in turn on the shoulder blades.

P Five days have passed since the opening of the Olympic Games, the program of the 1st Olympiad was almost exhausted, and the "gold" was still given to foreigners. Every day the Greeks were waiting for their medal, every day they were waiting for their hero.

And Here comes April 10th. This day was the culmination of the 1st Olympiad. 24 athletes applied to participate in the marathon race, of which only four were foreigners. 2386 years after the battle with the Persians near the village Marathon Greece again expected 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. 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 set sail. And forty kilometers from Marathon, Athens was feverishly waiting for the outcome of the battle. The Athenians looked longingly at the horizon, they were afraid to see the vanguard of Darius's army - this would mean the end of Athens. Miltiades, of course, knew in what state his compatriots are in. He ordered the soldier Phidipides, who was very popular among the Athenians because of his fast running, to be called to him. When Phidipides appeared before the general, Miltiades ordered him to flee to Athens and declare victory. Phidipides, very tired after the battle, took off his equipment, laid down his weapon and rushed off quickly, crossing the hills and hills, small streams and copses that separate Marathon from Athens. This is not considerable, and if we consider that on that day there was a terrible heat and the road was not safe - one could meet the Persians lagging behind the army of Darius - it becomes clear that Phidipides did not go for a walk. Having broken his legs in the blood, choking, Pheidipides ran into Athens. - Rejoice, we won! Those were his last words: he immediately fell down dead. His death has become a 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. We only know for sure about the heroism of the soldier who fled from Marathon to Athens. Interesting , 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 famous run Greek soldier, I would give the winner of this contest 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 a strong heat and there is a high risk of getting a 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. e. Pheidipedes began his run. After a small solemn ceremony, a shot is heard and a group of runners sets 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, are baptized. In Pekermi, the first checkpoint. Everyone is given water and - surprise - wine! Two faint. At about the tenth kilometer, the French Albin Lermusier rushes forward. Soon he is already thirty meters ahead of his nearest rival - Australian Flack, Olympic champion in the 800 and 1500 meters. Lermusier is fifty meters ahead of the Hungarian Kellner and the American Black.

At Karvati, at the exit of the Marathon Valley, Lermusier learns that he is a kilometer ahead of Flack. The Greeks are even further 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 plain of Spata, a little further than the thirtieth kilometer of the distance, Lermusier stops at the side of the road. His compatriot Gisel, who is riding a bicycle nearby, rubs his legs with a special ointment. He runs again, but his impulse is broken and the rhythm of running is lost. After two thousand meters, the crash: Lermusier falls and loses consciousness.

At the thirty-third kilometer, Flack led the race. After some time, a Greek appears a few dozen meters from him. With long strides he overtakes the Australian. Flack, seeing that he is bypassed, cannot withstand the tension of the struggle and falls.

AT The Marble Stadium is already visible in front. The fact that the Greek runner was in the lead was reported to King George I. A cannon shot is heard. Eighty thousand hearts beat in unison. The complete silence is broken by a cry of relief: Louis, almost black with dust, ran onto the stadium track. The last lap around the stadium is both heaven and hell. The spectators jumped from their seats. The air rang with shouts of jubilation and joy. The judges rushed after the runner and ran to the finish line with him. Two Greeks picked up the winner on their shoulders and carried them to the king.

A contemporary describes this event, which adorned the 1st Olympiad, as follows:

"Thousands of flowers and gifts were thrown at the feet of the winner, the hero of the 1st Games. Thousands of doves flew into the air, carrying ribbons in the color of the Greek flag. People poured onto 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 unceasing applause of the public, the king embraced the peasant".

With From the very beginning of the I Olympic Games, Greece was waiting for its hero. And so he appeared in the guise of a young clerk from the village of Maroussi near Athens.

Spirtdon Louis became a national hero. He was the first modern athlete to receive the highest honors. The awarding of the winners of the Olympiad in all sports took place on the closing day of the Games. Repeating the ancient ceremonial, a laurel wreath was placed on the head of the champion, he was presented with a medal, a diploma and an olive branch cut in "sacred grove of Olympia".

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

In Athens, they met with 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 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 has reached 332 756 drachmas But that wasn't enough.

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

True, two-thirds of the athletes were from Greece, and the Games themselves almost turned into a European competition: the United States team was late for them to start. In addition to the Americans, only two athletes from non-European countries competed at the Games: an 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 1st Olympiad, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games. Only a few athletes from Odessa, most actively preparing for the Olympic Games, managed to leave for Greece, but they had to return due to lack of money, not reaching Athens. W. Steinbach reports that Kiev Nicholas Ritter managed to arrive in the capital of the Olympic Games and applied for participation in wrestling and shooting sports competitions, but then withdrew his application and did not take part in the competitions. After the games Ritter prepared a project for the establishment of the Russian Athletic Committee, which would include a department for preparing for the Olympic Games. But his project disappeared in the bowels of the Russian bureaucratic machine.

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

The program of the Games of the I Olympiad included competitions in Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. Sailing and rowing races did not take place due to strong winds and rough seas.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletics competitions. The first Olympic gold medal was awarded to an American James Connolly, who won the triple jump.

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

In Athens, they met with 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 from all over the country begin to arrive in Athens, the committee refuses to accept money from abroad. Thanks to the generosity of the Greeks, the amount of the Olympic fund reached 332,756 drachmas. But that wasn't enough.

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

True, two-thirds of the athletes were from Greece, and the Games themselves almost turned into a European competition: the United States team was late for them to start. In addition to the Americans, only two athletes from non-European countries performed at the Games: the Australian Edwin Flack (he was passing through London and decided to take part in the competition) and the Chilean. The second largest team was Germany - 21 athletes, then France - 19, USA - 14. Only men took part in the competition. Russian athletes were actively preparing for the 1st Olympiad, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games. Only a few athletes from Odessa, most actively preparing for the Olympic Games, managed to leave for Greece, but they had to return due to lack of money, not reaching Athens. V. Steinbakh reports that Nikolai Ritter from Kiev managed to arrive in the capital of the Olympic Games and applied for participation in wrestling and shooting competitions, but then withdrew his application and did not take part in the competitions.

The program of the Games of the I Olympiad of our time included competitions in nine sports: Greco-Roman wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing.

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

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

Two hours after Connolly's victory, another American became champion, and this plunged the Greeks into utter gloom. The fact is that in discus throwing, the Greeks were considered out of competition. And suddenly the discus throw is won by an American, and even having only a distant idea about this sport. There is something to be sad about. This American was Robert Garrett, a student at Princeton University. Upon learning that the program of the Games included 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 the same discus would be used at the Olympics, which used by ancient throwers. Having become acquainted with the throwing technique, Garrett ordered a similar disk for himself and calmly trained with it at home. Arriving in Athens, Garrett discovered that the modern disk 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, the Greek Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos was ahead with a score of 28 meters 95 centimeters. But in the last attempt, the American threw a projectile weighing 1.923 kilograms at 29 meters 15 centimeters. The next day, in the absence of Irish world record holder Dennis Horgan, Garrett won another gold medal - in the shot put with a score of 11 meters 22 centimeters. An interesting detail: Garrett traveled from New York to Greece at his own expense and also paid for the trip of three of his teammates.

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

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

About ten kilometers everyone runs in one group. Women, seeing marathon runners running past, are baptized. In Pekermi, the first checkpoint. Everyone is given water and - surprise - wine! Two faint. At about the tenth kilometer, the Frenchman Albin Lermusier takes the lead. Soon he is already thirty meters ahead of his nearest rival - Australian Flack, Olympic champion in the 800 and 1500 meters. Lermusier is fifty meters ahead of the Hungarian Kellner and the American Black. At Karvati, at the exit of the Marathon Valley, Lermusier learns that he is a kilometer ahead of Flack. The Greeks are even further 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 plain of Spata, a little further than the thirtieth kilometer of the distance, Lermusier stops at the side of the road. His compatriot Gisel, who is riding a bicycle nearby, rubs his legs with a special ointment. He runs again, but his impulse is broken and the rhythm of running is lost. After two thousand meters, the crash: Lermusier falls and loses consciousness.

At the thirty-third kilometer, Flack led the race. After some time, a Greek Spiridon Louis appears a few tens of meters from him. With long strides he overtakes the Australian. Flack, seeing that he is bypassed, cannot withstand the tension of the struggle and falls. And now you can see the Marble Stadium. The fact that the Greek runner was in the lead was reported to King George I. A cannon shot is heard. The complete silence is broken by a cry of relief: Louis, almost black with dust, ran onto the stadium track. Last lap around the stadium. The spectators jumped from their seats. The air rang with shouts of jubilation and joy. The judges rushed after the runner and ran to the finish line with him. Two Greeks picked up the winner on their shoulders and carried them to the king. Spyridon Louis, a young clerk from the village of Maroussi near Athens, became a national hero. 2386 years after the battle with the Persians near the village of Marathon, Greece again celebrates the victory.

Spyridon Louis became a national hero. He received the highest award for winning the marathon. L. Kuhn reports an interesting fact that in addition to Olympic awards and fame, the winner received: a gold cup, established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on the inclusion of marathon running in the Games program, a barrel of wine, a coupon for free food throughout the year, a certificate for free tailoring dresses and the use of a hairdresser throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

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

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

As already mentioned, Frenchman Paul Masson should be called another hero of the Athens Olympics. He won three gold medals in the track races 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, Leon Flamant. The main rival of the athlete from France, the Greek Georgies Kollettis, had a bicycle breakdown and he was forced to stop in order to change the car. Léon 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.

The young Hungarian Alfred Hajos (Arnold Guttman) won the swim. The swims at the Athens Games were not held in the pool, but on the high seas. The start and finish lines were marked with ropes attached to the floats. The weather was overcast, the sea was rough, the water temperature barely reached 13°C. 14 swimmers participated in the competition at a distance of 100 m freestyle: 11 Greeks and 3 foreigners. Hayosh immediately burst forward, the Greek Efstatius Korafas rushed after him. The noise on the beach was unimaginable. 30 m before the end of the distance, the Hungarian suddenly rushed to the right of the finish line. The audience froze. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, raised his head and noticed his mistake. And just right: the Greek was catching up with him. Alfred picked up the pace and won the first gold medal in swimming in modern Olympic history. Hayosh received his second gold medal at a distance of 1200 meters. Interestingly, 28 years after the victory in Athens, Hayosh again took part in the Olympic Games and won a silver medal in the art competition in the architecture section - for the stadium project.

There was no division into weight categories in wrestling competitions. All the more honorable was the victory of an athlete from Germany, Karl Schumann, who was the lightest of the participants. Carl Schumann's performances at the Athens Games are amazing. In Athens, he became a 4-time Olympic champion. He took part in 12 disciplines of 4 sports (wrestling, gymnastics, athletics, weightlifting) and won 3 gold ( team competition on uneven bars, team competitions on the crossbar, vault) and two bronze (exercises on horseback, exercises on the crossbar) medals in gymnastics, and, as already mentioned, a gold medal in wrestling.

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

In shooting competitions, Greek athletes received three gold medals - in shooting from an army rifle, and two American athletes - in shooting from a revolver.

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

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

In the weightlifting tournament, the Englishman Launceston Elliot distinguished himself with a result of 71 kg in an exercise with one hand, and the Dane Viggo Jensen with a result of 111.5 kg in an exercise with two hands.

The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games - April 15, 1896. Since the Games of the First Olympiad, a tradition has been established of performing the national anthem in honor of the winner and raising the national flag. The award ceremony took place on the closing day of the Games. The winner, repeating the ancient ceremonial, was crowned with a laurel wreath, he was awarded a medal made by the famous engraver Chaplain, and an olive branch cut in the Sacred Grove of Olympia.

On April 6, 1896, the first Olympic Games opened in Athens. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators. The success of the first Olympiad of the Games was so great that the Greek authorities offered to always hold this sporting event on their territory. However, the IOC subsequently introduced a rule that the location of the Games must change every 4 years.

How many athletes have taken part in the Olympics?

311 athletes from 13 countries took part in the Olympic Games:

• Australia
• Austria
• Bulgaria
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Hungary
• Greece
• Denmark
• France
• Sweden
• Switzerland.

Only men competed in 43 sports.

Olympic Games 1896. Photo: Public Domain

What was included in the program of the Olympic Games?

The program of the first Games included nine sports:

• wrestling classic
• cycling
• gymnastics
• Athletics
• swimming
• bullet shooting
• tennis
• Weightlifting
• fencing.

How many medals were awarded?

During the Olympic Games, 43 sets of awards were played. The largest number of medals - 46 (10 gold + 17 silver + 19 bronze) were won by Greek Olympians. The second was the US team - 20 awards (11 + 7 + 2). The third place was taken by the German team — 13 (6+5+2). Athletes from Bulgaria, Chile and Sweden were left without medals.

Why did Russian athletes not participate in the first modern Olympics?

Several Russians were supposed to take part in the first modern Olympics. But before the start of the competition, when it was already necessary to go on the road, it turned out that there was simply no money for the trip.