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,
Spain at the 1900 Summer Olympics Spain at the 1900 Summer Olympics Spain competed at the modern Olympic Games for the first time at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Gold medals were given at the 1900 Games. A silver medal was given for second place, and a bronze medal was given for first. The International Olympic Committee has retroactively assigned gold, silver, and bronze medals to competitors who earned 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place finishes, respectively, in order to bring early Olympics in line with current awards. Pedro Pidal y Bernardo de Quirós (Marquis of Villaviciosa) got a silver medal in live pingeon shooting, but