Olympic and Paralympic Games 2004

In 2004, the Olympic Games are returning to their ancient birthplace (776 BC, ancient Olympia) and the city of their revival (1896 AD, Athens). In 1896 King George of Greece opened the Games on April 5, in front of a crowd of 60,000. The original Olympic medals were silver and were only awarded to the winner of an event. 13 countries came to Athens to compete for the silver medals. The first Olympiad challenged athletes in 43 events, falling under nine sports: cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track and field, weight lifting and wrestling. The events were open to anyone wanting to participate. Most entrants were college students or athletic club members, and the concept of national teams had not yet emerged.

Athens 1896: The first Olympics of the modern era. The start of the final 100-meter run

Now in 2004 athletes from all nations will unite in Greece to engage in noble competition. The event will take place from August 13 - 29, 2004 and there is competition in 28 Olympic sports with a total of 37 disciplines. An Olympic sport must be "widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents". Two hundred and two National Olympic Committees are going to participate in the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games.

Olympics 2004: 28 Olympic sports with a total of 37 disciplines
Aquatics	Swimming | Water Polo | Diving | Synchronised Swimming
Archery
Athletics	incl. Marathon - Track | Field | Road | Combined
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Canoeing	Canoe - Kayak Flatwater Racing | Canoe - Kayak Slalom Racing
Cycling	Cycling Road | Cycling Track | Cycling Mountain Bike
Equestrian	Dressage | Jumping | Eventing
Fencing	Foil | Epee | Sabre
Football
Gymnastics	Gymnastics Artistic | Gymnastics Rhythmic | Gymnastics Trampoline
Handball
Hockey
Judo
Modern Pentathlon	Shooting | Fencing | Swimming | Riding | Cross-Country Running
Rowing
Sailing	Fleet Racing | Match Racing
Shooting	Shotgun | Rifle | Pistol | Running-target
Softball
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball	Volleyball | Beach Volleyball
Weightlifting	Snatch | Clean and Jerk
Wrestling

It will be followed by the Paralympic Games, from September 17 - 28, 2004, with 15 different sports.

The Olympic venues are spread over Greece, and mainly take place in new stadiums, located in Thessaloniki, Volos/ Magnesia, Athens, Patras, Ancient Olympia and Heraklion/ Crete. For the first time, stadiums built in four different centuries will host Olympic sports: Ancient Olympia Stadium (5th century B.C), Panathinaiko Stadium (19th century A.C.), Olympic Stadium (20th century A.C.) and Pankritio Stadium (21th century A.C.).

Pankritio Olympic Stadium, Heraklion, Crete

Crete, the age old cross road of civilizations, the cradle of knowledge and the cornerstone of modern Europe, is awarded a leading role in the events as its major town, Heraklion, has been nominated Olympic City to host the first events of the Olympic Games. Renowned historical figures from Crete left their indelible marks in numerous ancient Olympic Games either as organizers or as athletes. Historical records provide incontestable proof that many ancient athletes from Crete returned to the island crowned with the “Kotinos”, the olive branch wreath awarded to Olympic winners. Now Crete will host Olympic events for the first time in modern history.

When the Persian military officer Tigranes "heard that the prize was not money but a crown [of olive, Kotinos], he could not hold his peace, but cried, 'Good heavens, Mardonius, what kind of men are these that you have pitted us against? It is not for money they contend, but for glory of achievement!" Herodotus, Histories, 8.26.3

Pankritio Olympic Stadium, Heraklion, Crete

The new Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion/ Crete has a capacity of 27,000 seats, and will host 10 games of the sport of football during the Olympic Games. It will also include a 400 m track of eight lanes, shot put and hammer throw valves and other facilities (swimming pool, multipurpose hall, administration offices etc.) for post-Olympic use. It will officially be opened as an Olympic Stadium on August 11, 2004. The stadium was inaugurated on 31 March 2004, with an international friendly game of the Greek National Football Team.