Spiridon Louis (1873)

Following the decision to revive the Olympic Games at the end of the 19th century, all eyes were on Athens, where the first modern games were held in 1896. Greek competitor Spiridon Louis won the first marathon event of the games and instantly became a national hero. He was first across the finish despite having allegedly taken a break from the race to have a glass of wine at an inn. It helped that some of his competitors collapsed along the way. Why was the third-place finisher disqualified? Discuss

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