Date
August 13 - August 29
Teams
201
Country
Greece
Events
301
Athletes
10625
Big Games
201 National Olympic Committees participated in the Olympic Games, a record number not seen in previous Games. The total number of sporting events on the program was 301 (more than the Sydney Games in 2000).
most popular
The popularity of the Games was boosted with 3.9 billion people watching on television compared to 3.6 billion people at the Sydney Games. The global audience enjoyed unprecedented coverage of sports such as women's wrestling, which joined the Olympic program for the first time.
Numbers and achievements
Swimmer Michael Phelps won six gold medals and set a record in the individual competition with eight medals in total. Leontine Szilliard-Van Moorsel became the first female cyclist to win four gold medals in her sporting career, clinching a total of six Olympic medals, while canoeist Birgit Fischer became the first athlete in any discipline to win two medals at each of the five Olympic Games.
Immortal heroes
Sprinter Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races, while Kelly Holmes won the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races. In team sports, Argentina won the men's soccer championship with a clean sheet, and the USA Softball National Team outscored their opponents by an aggregate score of 51-1.
National Olympic Committees: 201
Athletes: 10,625 athletes (4,329 women and 6,296 men)
Sports events: 301
Volunteers: 45000
The media: 21500
Celebrations
August 13, Athens, opening ceremony of the 28th Olympic Games. The last runner in the Olympic Torch Relay, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, ran in front of the athletes in the Olympic Stadium. © IOC / Tsuyoshi Kishimoto
Official opening of the games:
President of the Greek Republic, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos
Lighting the Olympic torch:
Nikolaos Kaklamanakis (sailboats)
Olympic Oath:
Zoe Demoschaki (swimming)
Officials swore:
Lazarus Foridis (basketball)
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