INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

network was not developed and the country was insufficiently
connected to the rest of Europe. Its archaeological sites, the
excavation findings of which had attracted general interest, were for
the first time visited by organized groups of tourists, who had the
opportunity to admire not only the ancient past, but also the hospitable
present of Greece. This, in combination with the success of the
Games, allowed to the newly established state to hope that, in the
future, it would receive travellers who would contribute to the
economic recovery of the country, as the athletes and the visitors who
returned to their countries, would talk to others about Greece.
The athletes themselves as well as the sports officials, who
returned to their homelands filled with positive impressions, were the
actual ambassadors of Greece. The words of the Consul General of
Greece in the U.S.A. regarding the enthusiasm with which he and the
American athletes were received in the Sports Associations Club in
Boston, could be mentioned as a characteristic example of that: “It
gave me great pleasure to listen to all those complimentary comments
on Greece and my fellow citizens and I have absolutely no doubt, Mr
Minister, that the visit of the American athletes to Greece will bring to
us great ethical benefits in the future. The Americans, on their return
to their homeland, spread all over the United States the opinion that
Greece should be placed among the great civilized nations of
Europe” 5 .
Greece, as a political entity, secured its place among the civilized
Western nations, and, because of its geographical position, engaged to
carry the torch of their ideas to the Eastern Mediterranean area and the
Balkans.
In addition, the Olympic Games of Athens in 1896 offered to the
people of Greece a unique opportunity to manifest their social unity.
The Olympic Games were the product of the efforts of all the Greek
people. Furthermore, all the people of Greek descent who lived
permanently abroad contributed decisively to the mutual effort, not
only with their generous economic assistance, but also with their
ethical support and their activation abroad. The revenues of the
Central Committee that came from contributions covered the total of
the expenses. For a country that had to deal with serious economic
problems, 1.210.799,9 drachmas that represented the revenues of the
Committee from donations 6 - without counting the 920 golden
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