United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics | |
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IOC code | USA |
NOC | United States Olympic Committee |
in Athens, Greece April 15, 1896 | |
Competitors | 14 in 3 sports and 16 events |
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 athletes 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 for the first modern Olympic Games.