The First Modern Olympic Games (1896) Trivia Questions

Spyridon Louis, a Greek water carrier and postal worker, won the marathon, becoming a national hero. He never ran another race.

No women competed. The 1896 Games were exclusively male; female athletes first appeared in 1900 in Paris.

First-place winners received a silver medal and an olive branch. Gold medals were introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Games.

All swimming events were held in the Bay of Zea, a cold, choppy bay. Swimmers battled waves and 12°C water, not a modern pool.

The 1896 marathon was about 40 kilometers (24.85 miles). The modern 26.2-mile distance was set at the 1908 London Games.

All four swimming events in 1896 were freestyle races, allowing any stroke. No separate breaststroke or backstroke events existed.

The Games were not tied to a specific anniversary. They were held in Athens to honor the ancient Olympic tradition, but no exact anniversary was celebrated.

The U.S. won 11 first-place finishes (now recognized as gold medals), more than Greece's 10. Greece won the most total medals (46), but the U.S. led in golds.