United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics
| United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics |
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| IOC code | USA | ||||||||
| NOC | United States Olympic Committee | ||||||||
| in Athens | |||||||||
| Competitors | 14 in 3 sports | ||||||||
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Medals Ranked 1st |
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| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |||||||||
| Other related appearances | |||||||||
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |||||||||
Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Americans were the most successful nation in terms of gold medals, beating host nation Greece, 11 to 10, despite fielding only 14 competitors compared to an estimated 169 Greek entrants. However, the Greeks' 46 total medals dwarfed the Americans' 20.
The United States team had 27 entries in 16 events, with 20 of the 27 resulting in top-three finishes.
Most of the American competitors were students at Harvard University or Princeton University or members of the Boston Athletic Association. The team trained at The Pennington School, in Pennington, New Jersey, while preparing in secret for the first modern Olympic Games.
Of the 14 Americans at the Athens Games, 12 won medals. Charles Waldstein, a shooter, and Gardner Williams, a swimmer, were the two who did not win any medals.
The United States squad won nine gold medals in the twelve athletics (track and field) events, with contributions from six different athletes. Six silver medals and two bronze medals also went to the Americans in athletics.
The Paine brothers contested only two events, taking the top two spots in the event in which they both competed, the military pistol. Sumner was the only one of the two to enter the free pistol, which he won. Waldstein was the third member of the American shooting contingent, competing in the military rifle event.
Williams competed in two swimming events, placing in neither.
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