The 2004 Summer Olympic Games (Modern Greek: Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, Therinoí Olympiakoí Agó̱nes 2004), officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad and commonly known as Athens 2004, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team officials from 201 countries. There were 301 medal events in 28 different sports. Athens 2004 marked the first time since the 1996 Summer Olympics that all countries with a National Olympic Committee were in attendance. 2004 marked the return of the games to the city where they began.

A new medal obverse was introduced at these Games, replacing the design by Giuseppe Cassioli that had been used since the 1928 Games. This rectified the long lasting mistake of using a depiction of the Roman Colosseum rather than a Greek venue. The new design features the Panathenaic Stadium. The 2004 summer games were hailed as "unforgettable, dream games" by IOC President Jacques Rogge, and left Athens with a significantly improved infrastructure, including a new airport, ring road, and subway system. The cost of the 2004 Athens Summer Games has been cited as a contributor to the Greek government-debt crisis. Some of the venues lie vacant and rotting, while others are in use; the Independent newspaper reports as many as 21 out of 22 are unused.

The final medal tally was led by the United States, followed by China and Russia with host Greece at 15th place. Several World and Olympics records were broken during the games. Several concerns were raised over the preparations of the Games and these included excessive budget overruns, infrastructural compromise and delays in construction of the main Games' venues. The games were deemed generally successful with the rising standard of competition amongst nations across the world.

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