In this second part about the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, we talk about how the events at the first Olympiad felt a bit like the sports version of the Wild West. From starting over the fencing competition after three rounds just because the king showed up to watch, to swimmers literally dropped in the sea and told to swim to shore, to an early Olympics enthusiast signing up his college buddy for the tennis tournament as a surprise, these athletes became legends in their own right and established a legacy of sportsmanship and determination that set the standard for future Olympians and Paralympians.
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Sources:
Panathenaic Stadium Wikipedia article
Stuff You Missed in History Class: Coubertin and the Modern Olympics
History of the First Olympic Games Events and Winners video
1896 Wikipedia article
Launceston Elliott Wikipedia article
US at the 1896 Summer Olympics Wikipedia article
Alfréd Hajós Wikipedia article
John Pius Boland Team GB page
