Olympic medal the 2004 Summer Olympics the competitors on the podium also received an olive wreath crown. In the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, each medalist received a wooden statuette of the Olympic logo. Olympic medal An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal: gold, awarded to the winner; silver, awarded to the 1st runner-up; and bronze, awarded to the second runner-up. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols. Medal designs have varied considerably since the first Olympic Games in 1896, particularly
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