History.

The XXVIII Olympic Summer Games were held in Athens (Greece) from August 13 to August 29, 2004. For 17 days sporting events were held which brought togetherdelegates from 201 countries and more than
 10 000 athletes.
The official mascots Athena and Phoebus were so named in honor of the godsAthena and Apollo, ancient protectors of the city.

The symbol of the event was the laurel wreath, given its significance in ancient Greece and in his first Olympics, so she placed a crown similar to the three medalistsin each event.
Candidacy.
After losing the Centennial Olympic Games with the U.S. Atlanta, Athens wasengaged in a process to be chosen to host the Olympics. In September 1997, in Lausanne, Switzerland, a year after Atlanta 1996, Athens surpassed the city of Rome, Italy by 66 votes to 41, being chosen to host the XXVIII Olympic Games. Cape Town in South Africa, Stockholm in Sweden and Buenos Aires in Argentina, were eliminated in previous rounds.

Other cities that were nominated to host the Games, but not made ​​the cut were:   Istanbul, Turkey.   Lille, France.   Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   San Juan, Puerto Rico.   Sevilla, Spain.   St. Petersburg, Russia.

The opening ceremony of the XXVIII Olympic Games took place on August 13, 2004, in Athens Olympic Stadium before more than one hundred thousand spectators. Afteran introduction to the maritime character of Greece, the main field was filled with water simulating a large pool. From this large lake in flames emerged the five Olympic rings a huge kicking staging of hundreds of actors telling the story floats in Greece, counting from ancient mythology to modern times.
The ceremony was terminated after the lighting of the Olympic flame for windsurfingmedalist of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis.