When the modern olympics started in 1896, why were the first place winners given medals made of silver, not gold?

yatin, please bear in mind this reference is from another trivia page and not an official source. I've not been able to find a reason from any official source, only the fact that there was no third-place medal.

When the modern Olympics started in 1896, first place winners were given silver medals because gold was thought to be inferior. In 1904, first place got the gold for the first time. Today gold medals are sterling silver plated with a thin layer of pure gold.

absolutetrivia.com/Sports/Olympics/more6.shtml no longer exists

When the modern Olympics started in 1896, a silver medal was given to first-place winners because gold was considered inferior. Gold replaced silver beginning with the 1904 Olympics. Today the gold medals are sterling silver covered with a thin coat of pure gold

https://dspace.nau.edu.ua/bitstream/NAU/32675/1/%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BB%D1%96%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B0%20%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0.%20%D0%97%D0%B1%D1%96%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%85%20%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%96%D1%82.pdf [at p74]

When the Olympics were revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece, winners received silver medals instead of gold medals. Eight years later, at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, gold replaced silver for first place. Today's gold medals actually are sterling silver covered with a thin coat of gold.

didyouknow.cd/sport/olympics.htm webpage no longer exists