Who Participated in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games from Türkiye?

Year 2025, Volume: 30 Issue: Special Issue, 69 - 83, 26.12.2025

Tolga Şinoforoğlu

https://doi.org/10.53434/gbesbd.1835539

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the first athlete from Türkiye to participate in the Modern Olympic Games. Towards the end of the 19th century, Thessaloniki and İzmir, important trading ports representing the Ottoman Empire's face towards the West, were the cities where the first modern sports activities in the country took place. Modern sports, which entered the country under the leadership of the Levantines, could not be practised by Turks under the conditions of the period, and were followed by minorities and non-Muslims, primarily Greeks. Indeed, the first known Olympic athletes from Türkiye were of Greek and Armenian origin. The identity of the first athlete from Türkiye to participate in the Olympic Games has been a subject of curiosity since the 1950s, and debates have continued into the 21st century. Although the existing literature points to athletes living in İstanbul, it is known that Rum clubs in İzmir, where modern sports entered the country, were quite active in the late 19th century and participated in competitions outside Ottoman territories. Although local and foreign literature mentions athletes from İzmir participating in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games, no comprehensive information about these athletes has been found to date. In conclusion, based on periodicals, official and private archive documents, this study shows that Dimitrios Tombroff, who participated in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games, is the first Olympic athlete from Türkiye.

Keywords

Dimitrios Tombroff , 1896 Athens Olympic Games , First Participation , Olympic Games , İzmir

Ethical Statement

No ethics committee declaration is required for this study.

Thanks

I extend my sincere gratitude to Andreas Baltas, who provided invaluable support in completing this study and facilitated the access and translation of Greek periodicals. I also owe thanks to Konstantinos Georgiadis, who helped me reach to Andreas Baltas and his support for the resources for the 1896 Athens Olympics. Finally, I extend my sincere gratitude to Marc Tombroff, who kindly shared with me the family archives and critical information of Dimitrios Tombroff, the focus of this study.

References

• “3rd Competition”. Akropolis, Mar. 26, 1896 [Apr. 7, 1896].
• “800-meter Race”. Neologos, Apr. 2, 1896 [Apr. 14, 1896].
• Akın, Yiğit. Gürbüz ve Yavuz Evlatlar. İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 2004.
• Albanidis, Evangelos. Athletic Activities of the Greek Community in Smyrna from the End of the 19th Century to 1922. Studies in Physical Culture and Tourism 18, no. 4 (2011): 329–338.
• Amalthia, Mar. 10, 1896 [Mar. 22, 1896].
• Amalthia, Jun. 15, 1896 [Jun. 27, 1896].
• “Rowing races”. Amalthia, Jun. 17, 1896 [Jun. 29, 1896].
• [Atabeyoğlu, Cem]. “1908 Olimpiyadı’na Katılan Tek Türk Sporcusu Kimdir?” Cumhuriyet, Sep. 26, 1956.
• [Atabeyoğlu, Cem]. “1908 Olimpiyadı’na Katılan Tek Türk Sporcusu Kimdir?” Cumhuriyet, Sep. 27, 1956.
• [Atabeyoğlu, Cem]. “Spor tarihimizin karanlık kalmış noktası aydınlandı” Cumhuriyet, Oct. 25, 1956.
• [Atabeyoğlu, Cem]. “1908 Olimpiyadına İştirak Eden Türk Moullos Efendi” Cumhuriyet, Nov. 11, 1956.
• Atabeyoğlu, Cem. Olimpiyatlarda Türk sporcuları. Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi yayınları-14. İstanbul: Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Cemiyeti, 2004.
• “Athlete from İzmir”. Amalthia, Mar. 23, 1896 [Apr. 4, 1896].
• “Athletes from İzmir”. Amalthia, Mar. 16, 1896 [Mar. 28, 1896].
• Baltas Andreas. 1890-1922 Arası İzmir’de Faaliyet Gösteren Rum Spor Kulüpleri. İzmir: Yakın Yayınları, 2021.
• BOA, Meclis-i Vükela Mazbataları (MV), (15.M.1324), 113–20.
• BOA, Teftişat-ı Rumeli Evrakı Manastır Evrakı (TFR.I.MN), 91-9048.
• BOA, Teftişat-ı Rumeli Evrakı (Rumeli Müfettişliği) Selanik Evrakı (TFR.I.SL), 106–10533.
• Candan, Nurullah & Tanju Bağırgan. “Türk Ocaklarından Halkevlerine: Türkiye’de Sporun Erken Dönem Öyküsü” Gazi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 15, no. 3 (2010): 17–32.
• Concours internationaux D’exercises Physiques et de sports, Rapports. (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1901).
• “Construction of a velodrome”. Amalthia, Oct. 24, 1896 [Nov. 5, 1896].
• Cust, Lionel. History of the Society of Dilettanti. London: Macmillan and Co., 1914.
• “Cycling trip”. Amalthia, Mar. 29, 1896 [Apr. 10, 1896].
• Demoyan, Hayk. Patriotizm, competetive nationalism and minority’s successes: Armenian sports in the late Ottoman Empire in the pre-1915 period. International Journal of Armenian Genocide Studies 1, no. 1 (2014): 7-38.
• “Fencing competition”. Amalthia, May 11, 1896 [May 23, 1896].
• First International Olympic Games in Athens 1896, Apr. 7, 1896.
• “Football Match”, Amalthia, May 1, 1896 [May 13, 1896].
• “Geçmiş zaman olur ki”. Spor Alemi, no. 23(1920): 14–15.
• “Gymnasion Association”. Amalthia, Feb. 16, 1896 [Feb. 28, 1896].
• “Gymnasium Club”. Amalthia, Mar. 2, 1896 [Mar. 14, 1896].
• “Heptathlon Gymnastic Competition”. Les Jeunes 6, no. 31: 2.
• Kahraman, Âtıf. Osmanlı Devleti’nde Spor. Ankara: Kültür Bakanlığı Yayınları, 1995.
• “Les Jeux Olympiques de Londres”. Stamboul, Jun. 26, 1908.
• “Londra’da Olimpiyad Oyunları”. Sabah, Jul. 18, 1908.
• MacAloon, John J. This great symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the origins of the Modern Olympic Games. USA: Routledge, 2013.
• Mallon, Bill. The 1906 Olympic Games: Results for all Competitors in all events, with commentary. Jefferson, North Caroline and London: McFarland & Company Inc., 2009.
• Mallon, Bill & Widlund, Ture. The 1896 Olympic Games: Results for all Competitors in all events, with commentary. Jefferson, North Caroline and London: McFarland & Company Inc., 1998.
• Mert, Hasan. Sport Activities of English in İzmir (Last of 19th Centruy – Beginning of 20th Century). Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi XXIII, no. 1 (2008), 171–186.
• Müller, Norbert. Pierre de Coubertin 1863-1937, Olympism selected writings. Lausanne: International Olympic Committee, 2000.
• “Olimpiyad Oyunları”. İkdam, Apr. 2, 1896.
• “Olimpiyad Oyunları”. İkdam, Apr. 4, 1896.
• “Olimpiyad Oyunları”. Tercüman-ı Hakikat, Apr. 28, 1906.
• “Panyonik Müsabakaları”. Sabah, Nov. 23, 1905.
• “Panyonik Müsabakaları”. Sabah, Dec. 27, 1905.
• Poulimenos, George & Chatziconstantinou, Achilleas. The Smyrna Quay: Tracing a Symbol of Progress and Splendour. Kapon Editions, 2018.
• Regulations of Smyrna Orpheus Musical Club, 1894.
• “Road and Cycling Races”. Amalthia, Apr. 24, 1896 [May 6, 1896].
• “Rowing races”. Amalthia, Jun. 17, 1896 [Jun. 29, 1896].
• San, Haluk. Olimpiyat oyunları, Ara Olimpiyat Oyunları Atina 1906. Cumhuriyet, Dec. 19, 1956.
• San, Haluk. Olimpiyatlarda Türk Sporcuları. İstanbul: Hürriyet Gazetesi Yayını, 1988.
• “Selim Sırrı Bey”. Yeni Gazete, Apr. 14, 1909.
• “Sports Club Gymnasium”. Amalthia, Mar. 27-28, 1896 [Apr. 7–8, 1896].
• “Smyrnaeans at the Olympic Games”. Amalthia, Mar. 9, 1896 [Mar. 21, 1896].
• “Smyrnaeans at the Olympic Games”. Amalthia, Mar. 13, 1896 [Mar. 25, 1896].
• Sullivan, James Edward. The Olympic Games at Athens 1906. (Newyork: The American Publishing Company, 1906).
• Şinoforoğlu, Tolga. “Modern Olimpiyatların Kuruluşu ve Olimpizm” In Spor Tarihi ve Olimpizm, edited by İbrahim Yıldıran, 1–25. Erzurum: Atatürk Üniversitesi Açık Öğretim Fakültesi, 2020.
• Şinoforoğlu, Tolga. Selim Sırrı Tarcan ve İsveç Jimnastiği: Beden Eğitiminde İsveç Modelinin II. Meşrutiyet Dönemi Türk Eğitim Sistemine Entegrasyonu. Ankara: Spor Yayınevi, 2022.
• Şinoforoğlu, Tolga. “Türkiye’de Olimpizmin Kuruluşu ve Olimpiyat Oyunlarına Katılım” In Spor Tarihi ve Olimpizm, edited by İbrahim Yıldıran, 1–24. Erzurum: Atatürk Üniversitesi Açık Öğretim Fakültesi, 2020.
• Şinoforoğlu, Tolga. “Türkiye’nin Erken Dönem Olimpik Serüveni ve Ay-Yıldız’ın Olimpiyat Oyunları’nda ilk Resmi Temsili (1896-1921)” Spormetre 18, no. Özel Sayı (2020): 21–55.
• “Olympic Games”. Akropolis, Mar. 27, 1896 [Apr. 8, 1896].
• “The Olympic Games”. Proia, Mar. 26, 1896 [Apr. 7, 1896].
• “The Olympic Games”. The Times, Jul. 23, 1908.
• “The Smyrna Athelete Tombrof”. To Asty, Mar. 25, 1896 [Apr. 5, 1896].
• “Today’s Competitions”. Akropolis, Mar. 26, 1896 [Apr. 7, 1896]
• “Turkey and Olympism”. Olympic Review, no. 89-90 (1975): 117–128.
• Turkish Olympic Committee. Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi’nin 100 Yılı, compiled by Altuğ İstanbulluoğlu. İstanbul: TMOK, 2008.
• Yamak Ateş, Sanem. Asker evlatlar yetiştirmek: II. Meşrutiyet Dönemi’nde beden terbiyesi, askeri talim ve paramiliter gençlik örgütleri. İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 2012.
• Yıldıran, İbrahim. “The Turks’ Offbeat Encounters with the Olympic Concept and Games” keynote adress at the International Society of Olympic Historians General Assembly 2025. Turkish Olympic Committee, İstanbul, November 07–09, 2025.
• Yıldıran, İbrahim. “Türkiye’de Olimpizmin Evrimi” keynote adress at the Yeni Dünya Düzeninde Olimpizm Sempozyumu. Hacettepe University, Ankara, April 24–26, 2009.
• Yıldıran, İbrahim & Şinoforoğlu, Tolga, “Spor Tarihi I”, In Sporda Psikosoyal Alanlar I, edited by İbrahim Yıldıran, 1–36. Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi, 2020.
• Yıldıran, İbrahim & Şinoforoğlu, Tolga, “Spor Tarihi II”, In Sporda Psikosoyal Alanlar II, edited by İbrahim Yıldıran, 1–37. Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi, 2020.