Chile at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Chile competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first Olympics, in Athens, Greece, from 6 to 15 April 1896. The delegation consisted of one athlete competing in two sports and four events – runner and cyclist, Luis Subercaseaux. He claimed to have competed for Chile in the 100, 400 and 800 metres running events, along with the men's road race cycling event. Although Subercaseaux’s participation remains a subject of debate among historians, as these claims cannot be substantiated because the Official Report typically includes only medal winners and Subercaseaux did not win any, a photo of the 100 metres sprint appraised by the Chilean forensic police is evidence that he participated. The country's involvement is historically significant as it was the only South American competitor at the Games.