United States at the 1896 Summer Olympics


Fourteen competitors from the United States competed in three sports at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Americans were the most successful athletes in terms of gold medals, beating host nation Greece, 11 to 10, despite fielding only 14 competitors compared to an estimated 169 Greek entrants. However, the Greeks' 46 total medals dwarfed the Americans' 20.
The United States team had 27 entries in 16 events, with 20 of the 27 resulting in top-three finishes.
Most of the American competitors were students at Harvard University or Princeton University or members of the Boston Athletic Association. The team trained at The Pennington School, in Pennington, New Jersey, while preparing for the first modern Olympic Games.

Medalists

Of the 14 Americans at the Athens Games, 12 won medals. Charles Waldstein, a shooter, and Gardner Williams, a swimmer, were the two who did not win any medals.
MedalNameSportEvent
AthleticsMen's 100 metres
AthleticsMen's 110 metre hurdles
AthleticsMen's 400 metres
AthleticsMen's high jump
AthleticsMen's long jump
AthleticsMen's triple jump
AthleticsMen's pole vault
AthleticsMen's discus throw
AthleticsMen's shot put
ShootingMen's 25 metre military pistol
ShootingMen's 30 metre free pistol
AthleticsMen's 400 metres
AthleticsMen's 1500 metres
AthleticsMen's high jump
AthleticsMen's high jump
AthleticsMen's long jump
AthleticsMen's pole vault
ShootingMen's 25 metre military pistol
AthleticsMen's 100 metres
AthleticsMen's long jump

Athletics

The United States squad of 11, which featured only one national champion, won nine gold medals in the twelve athletics events, with contributions from six different athletes. Six silver medals and two bronze medals also went to the Americans in athletics.
; Track & road events
; Field events

Shooting

The Paine brothers contested only two events, taking the top two spots in the event in which they both competed, the military pistol. Sumner was the only one of the two to enter the free pistol, which he won. Waldstein was the third member of the American shooting contingent, competing in the military rifle event.

Swimming

Williams competed in two swimming events, placing in neither.
;Men