Olympic medal began in 1896 medals started to be given to successful olympian competitors. However, gold medals were not awarded at the inaugural Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The winners were instead given a silver medal and an olive branch, while runners-up received a laurel branch and a copper or bronze medal. In 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals. The custom of the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze for the first three places dates from the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has retroactively assigned gold,
Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics was accompanied by the Greek Crown Prince on his final lap. Louis would never again compete in a race, but his victory made him a national hero. The exploits of Louis, Garrett, Connolly, and Flack would be chronicled in the 1984 NBC miniseries, "The First Olympics: Athens, 1896". These medals were retroactively assigned by the International Olympic Committee; at the time, winners were given a silver medal and runners-up bronze medals. Athletes coming third received no award. A total of 64 athletes from 10 nations competed at the Athens Games: Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics At the 1896 Summer