On April 6, 1896—1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I — the Olympic Games were reborn in Athens. At the opening of the first modern Games, King Georgios I of Greece welcomed 280 participants from 13 nations to compete in 43 events covering nine sports: track and field, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, shooting, and tennis. The 2016 Rio Olympics, which opened on the weekend, involves more than 11,000 athletes from 207 nations and territories, competing in 28 sports across 42 disciplines.
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Japan’s Kosuke Hagino reacts after winning the men’s 400m individual medley gold medal. ( Photo by Marcos Brindicci / Reuters) |
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| A face-painted fan lines up to buy tickets. (Photo by Marcos Brindicci / Reuters) |
