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,
Equatorial Guinea at the 2004 Summer Olympics of the men's 3000 metres steeplechase. Equatorial Guinea participated in six Summer Games between its début at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The highest number of athletes sent by Equatorial Guinea to a Summer Games is seven to the 1992 Olympics. No Equatoguinean athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games. Equatorial Guinea participated in the Athens Summer Games from 13 to 29 August 2004. The two athletes that were selected to represent Equatorial Guinea in the Athens Games were Roberto Mandje in the men's 1500 metres and the