According to the IOC, how many athletes competed at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896?

Answer

241 athletes

All 241 were men, from just 14 nations — and the marathon was won by a Greek water-carrier, Spyridon Louis, who became a national hero overnight. Paris 2024, by contrast, hosted about 10,500 athletes with a 50-50 gender split.

Source: IOC