At the 28th Olympiad in Athens in 2004, more nations (201) participated in more events (301) than ever before. In the pool, American swimmer Michael Phelps churned out a record-tying performance for most medals in a single Games winning eight. On the pitch, the Argentine men's team dominated in similar fashion, yielding no goals en route to the tournament title.

In women's cycling, Dutch rider Leontien Ziljaard-van Moorsel won the fourth gold medal of her career with a victory in the road individual time trial. In men's running, Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj collected gold in the 1,500m and the 5,000m. In the medal count, the U.S. topped Russia, 102-92.