Greater than Gold: Why Presence at the Olympics is more Valuable Than Medal Counts
After several attempts to revive the ancient Greek Olympic Games, a 2-year-old International Olympic Committee hosted the first truly international version of the games in 1896. The Games of the First Olympiad[1] served as an important stepping stone for Greece. The tiny nation had only reclaimed its independence from an aging Ottoman Empire 60 years prior. Indeed, for Greece, much of the 19th century was pockmarked with ongoing conflicts between the country’s restless citizens and an Ottoman Empire that many Greeks saw as damaging to their history and pride[2]. Photo credit: History.com At the time, simply hosting the first, revitalized…