Ollie-Lympian tells the Academy about the birth of the Modern Games.

We can thank a Frenchman called Baron Pierre de Coubertin - with the help of his English buddy Dr William Brookes - for the modern Olympics.

He believed that international competitions between amateur athletes would improve friendly relationships between people from different countries.

Many were opposed to the idea, but in 1894 de Coubertin finally got his way.

He got together representatives from 12 countries who decided to re-establish the Olympic Games.

And two years later, where better to have the first Modern Games than the birthplace of the Olympic spirit? - Athens in Greece.

Big up for the Baron

Only men were allowed to compete and there were just 43 events with around 200 competitors from 14 countries taking part.

In front of a 60,000 crowd, the first competition was the first heat of the 100m won by American Francis Lane.

More glory followed for the United States with James Connolly claiming the first Olympic victory winning the triple jump.

The United Kingdom's first Olympian and very first Olympic winner bizarrely came from Australia.

He was Edwin Flack - his country's lone representative but was working as an accountant in the UK.

He won the 800 and 1500 metres races and only exhaustion prevented him from finishing the marathon.

Back then there were no gold medals for athletes to dream about.

The original Olympic medals were silver and were only awarded to the winner of an event.

And so the Olympics grew, and grew........

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