The American James Connolly won the fist medal given out (of the modern era) at the inaugural Athens Games, staged in 1896. In order to do so, he had to take a break from his studies at Harvard University and make his way to and through Europe. Luckily, his efforts paid off. Connolly competed in the triple jump and emerged victorious, becoming the first Olympic champion since the last Olympics were held, about 1,500 years prior. Instead of a gold medal, the top prize at the time was a silver medal and an olive leaf