The 2004 Athens Games was a return to the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Athens held the first modern Olympics in 1896. Athens had been turned back in their bid for the 100th anniversary games in 1996. They won the 2004 bid over Rome, Cape Town, Africa, Stockholm and Buenes Aires.

The 2004 Athens Games took place from August 11th to August 29th.  10,560 athletes took part with 4305 women athletes. 40.8 percent of the athletes were women an all-time high. 201 nations took part. There were 3o1 events in 28 different sports. The Games were opened in the new Olympic Stadium by the President of Greece Konstantinos Stephanopoulas and the torch was lit by Nikolaos Kakiamanakis. The motto for the 2004 Games was “Welcome Home”

The mens and women’s shot put events were held in the ancient olympic stadium in Olympia which was a perfect torch. The Marathon race followed the same course as the 1896 Games did from Marathon ending at the Panathenaic Stadium.

Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco became the first in track to win the 1500 and 5000 in the same Olympic Games since the great Paavo Nurmi did in the 1924 Games.

34 year old Kelly Holmes would become the first to win the 800 and 15oo in the same games.

18 year old swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland named Michael Phelps won 6 gold and 2 bronze medals. This would not be the last we would hear from him.

The USA’s professional basketball players dominance ended when Argentina beat them 89-81 in the semi-final game.

There had been a lot of concerns going into the games that Athens would not be ready and there were also a lot of worry over security at the games but there were no big security issues.

The final medal count- The US finished first with 36 gold and 102 total. China came in second with 32 gold and 63 total, Russia was third with 29 gold, 93 total. Coming in 4th was Austrailia with 17 gold and 49 total and in 5th was Japan with 16 gold and37 total.