Awarded for | Given to successful competitors in various Olympic Sports |
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Presented by | International Olympic Committee |
History | |
First award | 1896 |
Website | www.olympic.org/ |
Olympic Games |
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Main topics |
Games |
An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold, silver, and bronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols.
Medal designs have varied considerably since the Games in 1896, particularly in the size of the medals for the Summer Olympic Games. The design selected for the 1928 Games remained for many years, until its replacement at the 2004 Games in Athens as the result of controversy surrounding the use of the Roman Colosseum rather than a building representing Greek roots. The medals of the Winter Olympic Games never had a common design, but regularly feature snowflakes and the event where the medal has been won.
In addition to generally supporting their Olympic athletes, some countries[ which? ] provide sums of money and gifts[ quantify ] to medal winners, depending on the classes and number of medals won. [1]
The olive wreath was the prize for the winner at the Ancient Olympic Games. It was an olive branch, off the wild-olive tree that grew at Olympia, [2] intertwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. According to Pausanias, it was introduced by Heracles as a prize for the winner of the running race to honour Zeus. [3]
When the modern Olympic Games began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful olympian competitors. However, gold medals were not awarded at the inaugural Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. [4] The winners were instead given a silver medal and an olive branch, [5] while runners-up received a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal. [6]
The 1900 Summer Olympics is unique in being the only Olympic Games to feature rectangular medals, which were designed by Frédérique Vernon . [7] Gilt silver medals were awarded for 1st place in shooting, lifesaving, automobile racing and gymnastics. [8] [9] Whilst 2nd place silver medals were awarded in shooting, rowing, yachting, tennis, gymnastics, sabre, fencing, equestrian and athletics. [10] With 3rd place bronze medals being awarded in gymnastics, firefighting and shooting. [11] [12] In many sports, however, medals were not awarded. With most of the listed prizes being cups and other trophies. [13]
The custom of the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze for the first three places in all events dates from the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best-placed athletes in each event of the 1896 and 1900 Games. [14] [13] If there is a tie for any of the top three places all competitors are entitled to receive the appropriate medal according to IOC rules. [15] Some combat sports (such as boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling) award two bronze medals per competition, resulting in, overall, more bronze medals being awarded than the other colours.
Medals are not the only awards given to competitors; every athlete placed first to eighth receives an Olympic diploma. Also, at the main host stadium, the names of all medal winners are written onto a wall. [15] Finally, as noted below, all athletes receive a participation medal and diploma.
The IOC dictates the physical properties of the medals and has the final decision about the finished design. Specifications for the medals are developed along with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) hosting the Games, though the IOC has brought in some set rules: [15] [16]
The first Olympic medals in 1896 were designed by French sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain and depicted Zeus holding Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, on the obverse and the Acropolis on the reverse. [4] They were made by the Paris Mint, which also made the medals for the 1900 Olympic Games, hosted by Paris. This started the tradition of giving the responsibility of minting the medals to the host city. For the next few Olympiads, the host city also chose the medal design. Until 1912 the gold medals were made of solid gold. [21]
In 1923 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a competition for sculptors to design the medals for the Summer Olympic Games. Giuseppe Cassioli's Trionfo design was chosen as the winner in 1928. [4] [22] [23] The obverse brought back Nike but this time as the main focus, holding a winner's crown and palm with a depiction of the Colosseum in the background. [22] In the top right section of the medal, a space was left for the name of the Olympic host and the Games numeral.
The reverse features a crowd of people carrying a triumphant athlete. His winning design was first presented at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The medals for the 1960 Games in Rome inverted the design, with the obverse featuring the crowd and the reverse featuring Nike. [24] The competition saw this design used for 40 years until the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became the first Games with a different design for the reverse side of the medal. [4]
Cassioli's design continued to inspire the obverse of the medal for many more years, though recreated each time, with the Olympic host and numeral updated. The obverse remained true to the Trionfo design until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where the IOC allowed an updated version to be created. For the next few events , they mandated the use of the Nike motif but allowed other aspects to change. [16]
The trend ended after 2000, due to the negative reaction to the medal design for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The designer of the 2000 medal (Wojciech Pietranik) had originally featured the Sydney Opera House on the obverse instead of the traditional Roman Colosseum but the International Olympic Committee decided that the Colosseum should remain. [25] The Greek press criticised the design for ignorance of the birthplace of the Olympic Games, pointing out that the long-standing feature on the front of medals was mistakenly depicting the Roman Colosseum rather than the Greek Parthenon. [4] [26] The Sydney Organising Committee decided to continue with the design as it was, noting that there was insufficient time to complete another version and that it would be too costly. [16] After 76 years a new style by designer Elena Votsi depicting the Panathenaic Stadium was introduced at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. [27] This new obverse design remains in use.
The German Olympic Committee, Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland, was the first Summer Games organisers to elect to change the reverse of the medal. The 1972 design was created by Gerhard Marcks, an artist from the Bauhaus, and features mythological twins Castor and Pollux. [28] Since then the Organising Committee of the host city has been given the freedom of the design of the reverse, with the IOC giving final approval.
The IOC has the final decision on the specifications of each design for all Olympic medals, including the Summer Games, Winter Games, Summer Paralympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games. There has been a greater variety of design aplications for the Winter Games; unlike with the Summer Games, the IOC never mandated one particular design. The medal at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France did not even feature the Olympic rings. Nike was featured on the medals of the 1932 and 1936 Games but has only appeared on one medal design since then. One regular motif is the use of the snowflake, while laurel leaves and crowns appear on several designs. The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius features on four Winter Games medals but does not appear on any Summer Games medal.
For three events in a row, hosts of the Winter Games included different materials in the medals: glass (1992), sparagmite (1994), and lacquer (1998). It was not until the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China that a Summer Olympic host chose to use something different, in this case, jade. While every Summer Olympic medal except for the 1900 Games has been circular, the shapes of the Winter Games have been considerably more varied. The designs for the Winter Games medals are also generally larger, thicker, and heavier than those for the Summer Games.
Details about the medals from each of the Summer Olympic Games: [28] [29]
Games | Host | Details | Designer(s) | Mint | Diameter (mm) | Thickness (mm) | Weight (g) | image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 | Athens, Greece | Obverse: Zeus holding Nike Reverse: The Acropolis | Jules-Clément Chaplain | Paris Mint | 48 | 3.8 | 47 | |
1900 | Paris, France | Obverse: Winged goddess (possible Nike) holding laurel branches; Paris in the background Reverse: A victorious athlete holding a laurel branch; the Acropolis in the background Note: The only Summer Olympic medal that is not circular | Frédérique Vernon | Paris Mint | 59 x 41 | 3.2 | 53 | |
1904 | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Obverse: Nike holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown; Greek temple in the background | Dieges & Clust | Dieges & Clust | 37.8 | 3.5 | 21 | |
1908 | London, Great Britain | Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: Saint George atop a horse Edge: "Vaughton", event name and winner | Bertram Mackennal | Vaughton & Sons | 33 | 4.4 | 21 | |
1912 | Stockholm, Sweden | Obverse: An athlete receiving a laurel crown from two female figures Reverse: A herald opening the Games with a statue of Pehr Henrik Ling behind him | Bertram Mackennal (obverse) Erik Lindberg (reverse) | C.C. Sporrong & Co | 33.4 | 1.5 | 24 | |
1920 | Antwerp, Belgium | Obverse: An athlete holding a laurel crown and a palm leaf Reverse: Statue of Silvius Brabo Edge: Name, event, team, "Antwerp", and the date | Josué Dupon | Coosmans | 59 | 4.4 | 79 | |
1924 | Paris, France | Obverse: An athlete helping another to stand Reverse: A harp and various items of sports equipment | André Rivaud | Paris Mint | 55 | 4.8 | 79 | |
1928 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Design: Trionfo Note: This obverse design, sometimes recreated, remains until 2004, the reverse design remained until 1972 | Giuseppe Cassioli | Dutch State Mint | 55 | 3 | 66 | |
1932 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | Whitehead & Hoag | 55.3 | 5.7 | 96 | |
1936 | Berlin, Germany | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | B.H. Mayer | 55 | 5 | 71 | |
1948 | London, Great Britain | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | John Pinches | 51.4 | 5.1 | 60 | |
1952 | Helsinki, Finland | Design: Trionfo Edge: 916 M / Y6 (Factory Stamp) | Giuseppe Cassioli | Kultakeskus Oy | 51 | 4.8 | 46.5 | |
1956 | Melbourne, Australia | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | K.G. Luke | 51 | 4.8 | 68 | |
1960 | Rome, Italy | Design: Trionfo Surround: A bronze laurel wreath and laurel leaf chain (The Rome games were the first to place the medal around the athletes neck) | Giuseppe Cassioli | Artistice Fiorentini | 68 | 6.5 | 211 | |
1964 | Tokyo, Japan | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli and Toshikaka Koshiba | Japan Mint | 60 | 7.5 | 62 | |
1968 | Mexico City, Mexico | Design: Trionfo | Giuseppe Cassioli | 60 | 6 | 130 | ||
1972 | Munich, West Germany | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus and Leda Edge: Winner's name and sport | Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) Gerhard Marcks (reverse) | Bavarian Mint | 66 | 6.5 | 102 | |
1976 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised laurel crown and the Montreal Games logo Edge: Name of the sport | Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) | Royal Canadian Mint | 60 | 5.8 | 154 | |
1980 | Moscow, Russia | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: A stylised Olympic flame and the Moscow Games logo | Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) Ilya Postol (reverse) | Moscow Mint | 60 | 6.8 | 125 | |
1984 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: An Olympic champion held aloft by a crowd Note: The reverse returns to the Cassioli design | Giuseppe Cassioli | Jostens, Inc | 60 | 7.9 | 141 | |
1988 | Seoul, South Korea | Obverse: Trionfo Reverse: An outline of a dove carrying a laurel branch and the Seoul Olympic logo | Giuseppe Cassioli (obverse) | Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation | 60 | 7 | 152 | |
1992 | Barcelona, Spain | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: Barcelona Games logo | Xavier Corbero | Royal Mint of Spain | 70 | 9.8 | 231 | |
1996 | Atlanta, U.S. | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: A stylised olive branch, the Atlanta Games logo, and "Centennial Olympic Games" Edge: "Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games" | Malcolm Grear Designers | Reed & Barton | 70 | 5 | 181 | |
2000 | Sydney, Australia | Obverse: Updated interpretation of Trionfo Reverse: The Sydney Opera House, Olympic Flame, and Olympic rings Edge: Event name | Wojciech Pietranik | Royal Australian Mint | 68 | 5 | 180 | |
2004 | Athens, Greece | Obverse: Nike of Paionios with Panathenaic Stadium in the background Reverse: The Olympic Flame, the opening lines of Pindar's Eighth Olympic Ode, and the Athens Games logo | Elena Votsi | 60 | 5 | 135 | ||
2008 | Beijing, China | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium in the background Reverse: A jade ring with the Beijing Games logo in the centre and the event details on the outer edge | Xiao Yong [30] | China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation | 70 | 6 | 200 | |
2012 | London, United Kingdom | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium in the background Reverse: The River Thames and the London Games logo with angled lines in the background | David Watkins | Royal Mint | 85 | 8–10 | 357–412 [31] | |
2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium in the background Reverse: The Rio 2016 logo and name, surrounded by a laurel leaf design in the form of the wreaths Edge: The name of the event for which the medal was won is engraved by laser along the outside edge. Note: For the first time, the medals are slightly thicker at their central point compared with their edges. [32] | Casa da Moeda do Brasil | 85 | 6–11 [33] | 500 [34] | ||
2020 | Tokyo, Japan | Obverse: Nike with Panathenaic Stadium in the background Reverse: The Tokyo 2020 logo and name, surrounded by rays of sun. | Junichi Kawanishi [35] | Japan Mint [36] | 85 | 7.7–12.1 | 450–556 |
Details about the medals from each of the Winter Olympic Games: [4] [37]
Games | Host | Details | Designer(s) | Mint [15] | Diameter (mm) | Thickness (mm) | Weight (g) | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1924 | Chamonix, France | Obverse: A skier holding skates and skis and the designer's name Reverse: Written information about the Games | Raoul Bénard | Paris Mint | 55 | 4 | 75 | |
1928 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: A skater surrounded by snowflakes Reverse: Olive branches and host details | Arnold Hunerwadel | Huguenin Frères | 50.4 | 3 | 51 | |
1932 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: Nike with the Adirondack Mountains in the background Reverse: Laurel leaves and written host details Shape: Circular but not with a straight edge | Robbins Company | 55 | 3 | 51 | ||
1936 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany | Obverse: Nike atop a horse-drawn chariot traversing an arch over winter sporting equipment Reverse: Large Olympic rings | Richard Klein | Deschler & Sohn | 100 | 4 | 324 | |
1948 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Obverse: The Olympic torch with snowflakes in the background and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A snowflake and written host details | Paul Andre Droz | Huguenin Frères | 60.2 | 3.8 | 103 | |
1952 | Oslo, Norway | Obverse: The Olympic torch and the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius Reverse: A pictogram of Oslo City Hall with three snowflakes and written host details | Vasos Falireus and Knut Yvan | Th. Marthinsen | 70 | 3 | 137.5 | |
1956 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Obverse: An "ideal woman" and written host details Reverse: A large snowflake with Pomagagnon in the background, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and further host details | Costanttino Affer | Lorioli Bros. | 60.2 | 3 | 120.5 | |
1960 | Squaw Valley, U.S. | Obverse: The head of a male and female with host details written around them Reverse: Large Olympic rings, the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius, and the name of the sport | Herff Jones | Herff Jones Company | 55.3 | 4.3 | 95 | |
1964 | Innsbruck, Austria | Obverse: Torlauf Mountains, "Innsbruck 1964", and "Torlauf" Reverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them | Martha Coufal (obverse) Arthur Zegler (reverse) | Austrian Mint | 72 | 4 | 110 | |
1968 | Grenoble, France | Obverse: Three snowflakes and the red rose emblem of Grenoble surrounded by host details Reverse: A stylised image of each sport | Roger Excoffon | Paris Mint | 61 | 3.3 | 124 | |
1972 | Sapporo, Japan | Obverse: Pictogram of lines in the snow Reverse: A snowflake, the Sun, and the Olympic rings Shape: Square with rounded, wavy lines | Yagi Kazumi (obverse) Ikko Tanaka (reverse) | Mint Bureau of the Finance Ministry | 57.3 x 61.3 | 5 | 130 | |
1976 | Innsbruck, Austria | Obverse: The Olympic rings above the emblem of Innsbruck with host details around them Reverse: The Alps, Bergisel, and the Olympic flame | Martha Coufal (obverse) Arthur Zegler (reverse) | Austrian Mint | 70 | 5.4 | 164 | |
1980 | Lake Placid, U.S. | Obverse: The Olympic torch held in front of the Adirondack Mountains Reverse: A pine cone sprig and the Lake Placid logo | Gladys Gunzer | Medallic Art Company | 81 | 6.1 | 205 | |
1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: An athlete's head wearing a laurel crown Shape: Circular but set in a large rounded rectangular shape | Nebojša Mitrić | Zlatara Majdanpek and Zavod za izradu novčanica | 71.1 x 65.1 | 3.1 | 164 | |
1988 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Obverse: Event logo with host details surrounding it Reverse: Two people, one wearing a laurel and the other wearing a headdress made up of winter sports equipment | Fridrich Peter | Jostens | 69 | 5 | 193 | |
1992 | Albertville, France | Obverse: Glass set into the metal, showing the Olympic rings in front of mountains Reverse: Rear side of glass section | René Lalique | René Lalique | 92 | 9.1 | 169 | |
1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | Sparagmite partially covered in gold, one side showing the Olympic rings and host details, the other depicting the sport in which the medal was won and the Games emblem | Ingjerd Hanevold | Th. Marthinsen | 80 | 8.5 | 131 | |
1998 | Nagano, Japan | Obverse: Partly lacquered, shows the Games emblem Reverse: Mainly lacquer, containing the Games emblem over the Shinshu mountains | Takeshi Ito | Kiso Kurashi Craft Center | 80 | 8 | 261 | |
2002 | Salt Lake City, U.S. | Obverse: An athlete carrying the Olympic torch steps out of flames Reverse: Nike holding a victory leaf surrounded by event details Shape: Irregular circle, like the rocks in Utah's rivers | Scott Given , Axiom Design | O.C. Tanner | 85 | 10 | 567 | |
2006 | Turin, Italy | Obverse: Graphic elements of the Games Reverse: Pictogram of the specific event Edge: words "XX Olympic Winter Games" in Italian, English, and French Shape: Circular with a hole representing a piazza | Dario Quatrini | Ottaviani | 107 | 10 | 469 | |
2010 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Obverse: An individually cropped section of a large First Nations artwork (orca or raven), making each medal unique Reverse: Emblem of the Games and event details Shape: Circular but with undulations stopping it from being flat | Corrine Hunt and Omer Arbel | Royal Canadian Mint | 100 | 6 | 500–576 | |
2014 | Sochi, Russian Federation | Obverse: "Patchwork quilt" design representing different regions of Russia Reverse: Name of the competition in English and the Sochi logo Edge: words "XXII Olympic Winter Games" in Russian, English, and French Shape: Circular | ADAMAS | ADAMAS [38] | 100 | 10 | 460, 525, 531 | |
2018 | Pyeongchang County, South Korea | Hangul "symbolising the effort of athletes from around the world" [39] Edge: words "Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018" in Korean (stylized) and English | Lee Suk-woo | 92.5 | 586, 580, 493 | |||
2022 | Beijing, China | The design and concept were a joint reinterpretation of the 2008 Summer Olympics as Beijing is the first Olympic dual host city.This medal design also incorporate the chinese astronomy and astrology ideals as the games were held coinciding with the Chinese New Year festivities. [40] | Hang Hai | |||||
Since the beginning of the modern Olympics the athletes and their support staffs, event officials, and certain volunteers involved in planning and managing the games have received commemorative medals and diplomas. Like the winners' medals, these are changed for each Olympic Festival, with different ones issued for the summer and winter games. [41]
The presentation of the medals and awards varied significantly until the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles brought in what has now become standard. Before 1932 all the medals were awarded at the closing ceremony, with the athletes wearing evening dress for the first few Games. Originally the presenting dignitary was stationary while the athletes filed past to receive their medals. The victory podium was introduced upon the personal instruction in 1931 of Henri de Baillet-Latour, who had seen one used at the 1930 British Empire Games. [43] The winner is in the middle at a higher elevation, with the silver medallist to the right and the bronze to the left. [43] At the 1932 Winter Olympics, medals were awarded in the closing ceremony, with athletes for each event in turn mounting the first-ever podium. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, competitors in the Coliseum received their medals immediately after each event for the first time; competitors at other venues came to the Coliseum the next day to receive their medals. [15] [43] Later Games have had a victory podium at each competition venue.
The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy were the first in which the medals were placed around the neck of the athletes. The medals hung from a chain of laurel leaves, while they are now hung from a coloured ribbon. [28] When Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo. [44]
It is customary for many medals at the Winter Olympics to be presented in a separate ceremony on the evening of or the evening after competition. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the "medals plaza" was popularized as a way for the public to see presentations that would have otherwise taken place at far-flung, low-capacity or high-altitude venues and to have an evening program that often included musical performances.
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 teams, representing sovereign states and territories participating; by default the Games generally substitute for any World Championships the year in which they take place. The Olympic Games are normally held every four years, and since 1994, have alternated between the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years during the four-year period.
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years on leap years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and the most recent Games were held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responsible for organising the Games and for overseeing the host city's preparations. The tradition of awarding medals began in 1904; in each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals for second place, and bronze medals for third place.
The Winter Olympic Games were created out of the success of the Summer Olympic Games, which are regarded as the largest and most prestigious multi-sport international event in the world.
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad and commonly known as Athens 1896, was the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which had been created by French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, it was held in Athens, Greece, from 6 to 15 April 1896.
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives a gold medal and the second place a silver medal. More generally, bronze is traditionally the most common metal used for all types of high-quality medals, including artistic ones. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals in the Olympic Games began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri, before which only first and second places were awarded.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags, and symbols to elevate the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competition—such as the flame, fanfare and theme—as well as those used throughout the years, such as the Olympic flag.
The 2004 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Athens, the capital city of Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. A total of 10,625 athletes from 201 countries represented by National Olympic Committees participated in these games, competing in 301 events in 28 sports. Kiribati and Timor Leste competed for the first time in these Olympic Games.
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union from 19 July to 3 August. A total of 5,179 athletes representing 80 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 203 events in 22 sports. They were the first Games to be staged in a communist nation.
The 1904 Summer Olympics were held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States from July 1 to November 23, 1904, as part of the St. Louis World's Fair.
The 1900 Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France, from May 14 to October 28, 1900, as part of the 1900 World's Fair.
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Athens, the capital of Greece, from 6 to 15 April 1896, and were the first Olympic Games of the Modern era.
Australia has sent athletes to all editions of the modern Olympic Games. Australia has competed in every Summer Olympic Games, as well as every Winter Olympics except 1924–32 and 1948. In 1908 and 1912 Australia competed with New Zealand under the name Australasia.
Greece has a long presence at the Olympic Games, as they have competed at every Summer Olympic Games, one of only five countries to have done so, and most of the Winter Olympic Games. Greece has hosted the Games twice, both in Athens. As the home of the Ancient Olympic Games it was a natural choice as host nation for the revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, while Greece has also hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. During the parade of nations at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Greece always enters the stadium first and leads the parade to honor its status as the birthplace of the Olympics, with the notable exception of 2004 when Greece entered last as the host nation. Before the Games the Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia, the site of the Ancient Olympic Games, in a ceremony that reflects ancient Greek rituals and initiates the Olympic torch relay. The flag of Greece is always hoisted in the closing ceremony, along with the flags of the current and the next host country.
Canada has competed at 23 Summer Olympic Games, missing only the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics and the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. The nation made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Canada competes under the IOC country code CAN.
Russia, officially known as the Russian Federation, has competed at the modern Olympic Games on many occasions, but as different nations in its history. As the Russian Empire, the nation first competed at the 1900 Games, and returned again in 1908 and 1912. After the Russian revolution in 1917, and the subsequent establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922, it would be thirty years until Russian athletes once again competed at the Olympics, as the Soviet Union at the 1952 Summer Olympics. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia competed as part of the Unified Team in 1992, and finally returned once again as Russia at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Brazil first participated at the Olympic Games in 1920, after missing the previous five Summer editions. The country has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the 1928 Games. As of 2020, Brazilian athletes have won a total of 150 medals in 18 different Summer sports.
The Olympic medal table is a method of sorting the medal placements of countries in the modern-day Olympics and Paralympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not officially recognize a ranking of participating countries at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the IOC does publish medal tallies for information purposes, showing the total number of Olympic medals earned by athletes representing each country's respective National Olympic Committee. The convention used by the IOC is to sort by the number of gold medals the athletes from a country have earned. In the event of a tie in the number of gold medals, the number of silver medals is taken into consideration, and then the number of bronze medals. If two countries have an equal number of gold, silver, and bronze medals, they are ordered in the table alphabetically by their IOC country code.
Greece, the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games that hosted the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, did not compete in the Summer Paralympics until 1976 and in the Winter Paralympics until 2002, but since then the Greeks have taken part in every edition of both events. Although the Greek delegation traditionally enters first during the parade of nations at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, this tradition does not apply to the Paralympics, where Greece enters within alphabetical order. The National Paralympic Committee for Greece is the Hellenic Paralympic Committee.
Giuseppe Cassioli was an Italian painter and sculptor known for his Summer Olympic Games medal design. Many of his paintings are on display at the Museo Cassioli di Pittura senese dell'Ottocento in Asciano, Tuscany.
The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan, from 23 July to 8 August 2021. The games were postponed by one year as part of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports. However, the Games was referred to by its original date in all medals, uniforms, promotional items, and other related media in order to avoid confusion in future years. A total of 11,417 athletes from 206 nations participated in 339 events in 33 sports across 50 different disciplines.