There were either 13 or 14 countries with athletes at the 1896 Olympics. That is because Chile claims to have one athlete that ran in the 100 meter, 400 meter, and 800 meter races. No mention of this athlete appears in any official Olympic report. The 13 countries that had documented athletes at the first modern Olympics in 1896 were Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece (athletes from Cyprus and Smyrna were considered part of the Greek team), Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
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There were either 13 or 14 countries with athletes at the 1896 Olympics. That is because Chile claims to have one athlete that ran in the 100 meter, 400 meter, and 800 meter races no mention of this athlete appears in any official Olympic report. The 13 countries that had documented athletes are the first modern Olympics in 1896 were Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece (athletes from Cyprus and Smyrna were considered part of the Greek team), Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
The 1896 Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece is cited as the first version of the Modern Olympic Games. It featured 241 athletes from 14 different nations. These athletes, however, came as individuals, most sponsoring themselves, as national teams had not yet been organized.