Dimitrios Vikélas

Greek author and Olympic Games enthusiast

Also known as: Demetrios Bikelas

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Dimitrios Vikélas was a Greek author and a key figure in the revival of the Olympic Games. He was the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), serving from 1894 to 1896. Vikélas advocated for the revival of the ancient Olympic tradition, which had been abolished around 400 CE due to their pagan associations.412

The modern Olympic Games were inspired by the ancient Greek festivals held at Olympia in honor of Zeus. While Pierre de Coubertin is widely recognized as the father of the modern Olympics, Vikélas played a crucial role in its establishment, particularly in securing Athens as the host city for the first modern Games in 1896. Vikélas also authored a novel, Loukis Laras, which offered a less heroic perspective on the Greek War of Independence.3415

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

6 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Olympic Games
Revival of the Olympics
…that, except for his coworkers Dimítrios Vikélas of Greece, who was to be the first president of the International Olympic Committee, and Professor William M. Sloane of the United States, from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University), no one had any real interest in the revival of the…
Read More
…that, except for his coworkers Dimítrios Vikélas of Greece, who was to be the first president of the International Olympic Committee, and Professor William M. Sloane of the United States, from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University), no one had any real interest in the revival of the…
Read More