Greece Athens
XVIII Summer International Olympic Games

The opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics was celebrated in Athens on August 13 at the Olympic Stadium. The cceremony was directed by choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou. The first part of the ceremony began with a show on the Stadium arena that became a big water pool. In the second part of the ceremony, the pool was drained to provide place for the parade of nations with Tiesto playing live on stage of the Olympics. In the third official part, the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad were opened, and the Olympic Flag was raised.
Athletes of all National Olympic Committees of the world competed at the Olympics. For the first time 201 nations including East Timor and Kiribati participated in the Games. Athletes of Afghanistan who missed the Sydney Summer Olympics also joined the family. So, the total number of participating nations was 202 i.e. 3 more than in the previous Games. 

WINNER MEDALS
The design of the winner medals of the Athens Summer Olympics differed from the traditional design of 1928. When inviting bids for the best design, organizers of the Olympics made it a mandatory condition that the design would include elements of the ancient Greek culture – Goddess of Victory Nike and outline of the Olympic Panathenaic Stadium of 1896.
OBVERSE: a figure of goddess Nike, a replica of an ancient statute created in 421 B.C. by well-known sculptor Paeonios, as Nike is descending from the gods to the Panathenaic Stadium to sing praises and crown a winner.
REVERSE: a composition of three elements including the eternal flame that was lit in ancient Olympia from the sun, the opening lines of Pindar`s Olympic Ode composed in 460 B.C. to honor Olympic wrestling winner Alkimedon, and the 2004 Athens Games emblem. 

COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL
OBVERSE: the official logo of the Games, inscription “ATHENS 2004” and Olympic rings decorated with an ancient ornament and inscriptions in ancient Greek.
REVERESE: a legend decorated with ancient ornament and inscriptions in ancient Greek reads “GAMES OF THE XXVII OLYMPIAD 13–29 AUGUST 2004”.