Top 50 greatest Olympic Games moments – Times Online
Athens 1896. Greeks had expected to win lots of medals but none came until the marathon (which back then was conducted over 40km). Of the 17 runners, 14 of them were Greek. Part time water seller and shepherd, Spyridon Louis, overtook a Frenchman and an Australian to win and was accompanied over the line by Princes Constantine and George who subsequently gave him a farm. Legend says that he stopped at a restaurant half way through the race to down an alcoholic beverage and told everyone he would win.