Rue Oudinot plaque marking Pierre de Coubertin's birthplace.
By Philip Barker
That ISOH should celebrate its 30th anniversary in Paris is appropriate.
It is a city which can lay claim to some of the richest Olympic heritage in the world.
It is the home city of Pierre de Coubertin, born at number 20 Rue Oudinot, in the seventh arrondissement on New Year’s Day 1863.
It is barely three kilometres away from the University of the Sorbonne, where the meetings to revive the Olympics eventually took place.
At a meeting in late 1892, he proposed an Olympic revival. The manifesto he used in that meeting recently sold for $8,806,500 at auction.
His ideas did not immediately bear fruit, but in June 1894 he arranged another even more impressive meeting at the Sorbonne.
The tone was set by a musical rendition of a newly discovered ode by Pindar. Set to music by Gabriel Faure, it was performed by opera singer Jeanne Remacle.
Coubertin felt this lent “a spirit of Hellenism” to the proceedings.
A document held in the vaults of the Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne reveals how he wanted the first modern Olympics to be held in Paris in 1900.
Plans changed after a speech by Greek representative Dimitrios Vikelas made his plea for Athens to host in 1896.
Vikelas himself lived in Paris so the first two IOC Presidents could be said to be “Parisian,” in spirit at least.
The Olympics were held in Paris in 1900 but they were not considered a success.
They were however notable for the first appearance of women competitors in golf and tennis, though this was not of Coubertin’s choice.
There were South American competitors in fencing. Initially they were not recorded as such. Ramon Fonst of Cuba and Carlos de Candamo, son of the Peruvian ambassador, both lived in France.
The main arenas were at the Bois de Boulogne and the Vélodrome de Vincennes on the other side of the city.
This was used for cycling, football, rugby union and even cricket in1900.
Later it was where the Tour de France finished, before the great event was switched to the Champs Élysées.
Vincennes remains a wonderful monument to the history of sport. It looks little changed from the turn of the century.
An IOC session was held in the city in 1901. The minutes record considerable discussion on the 1904 host city and initially Chicago was the preferred option, although the Games eventually took place in St Louis.
In 1906 Coubertin organised another “Congress” in Paris.
The invitation was to “come and study to what extent
and in what way art and literature could be included in the celebration of the modern Olympiad and be associated with the practice of sport in general so as not only to benefit from it but at the same time ennoble it.”
It proposed five contests of architecture, sculpture, painting, music and literature. These were eventually introduced in 1912.
In 1914 when the IOC returned to Paris, the world was heading towards war, but Coubertin and France pushed the boat out to celebrate the IOC’s 20th anniversary.
Banquets, a nocturnal fête in the Bois de Bologne, displays of fencing, costumed riding, and a festival at the Trocadero made the occasion memorable. Coubertin, in poetic terms described it as “a prelude by a septet of harps in ‘blueish’ obscurity.” The “Voices of the North,” a Swedish singing group, and procession in ancient costume.
The festivities were many but Coubertin insisted that even so “a considerable amount of work was accomplished.”
War came a few days after the Olympic meetings had finished.
Parisian Leon Flameng, an 1896 cycling champion was killed whilst serving in the air corps.
Jean Bouin, 1912 silver medallist over 5000m, lost his life early in the war. A stadium in Paris bears his name to this day, and is set to hold the rugby sevens in 2024.
Brothers Ismael and Bertrand de Lesseps both competed in the 1908 fencing competition, but they too lost their lives in the war.
After four years of slaughter, the Olympic movement resumed.
In 1921, at the IOC session in Lausanne, Paris was selected as the host city for 1924 along with Amsterdam for 1928. By a twist of fate, almost a century later, Paris was chosen for 2024 at the same time as Los Angeles for 2028.
Comte Justinien de Clary was put in charge as “Commissaire Générale” for the 1924 Games.
The management also included IOC member Albert Glandaz, politician Gaston Vidal, athletics official Joseph Genet and Jules Rimet, later better known as the creator of FIFA’s World Cup.
The main stadium was at Colombes, renovated with two covered stands each seating 10,000 and room for a further 40,000 spectators in the standing areas.
45 nations came to Paris and a village was built close to the stadium to accommodate the teams.
The Games proved a great success. American swimmer and future Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller, Paavo Nurmi of Finland and Uruguay’s football team all forged their place in Olympic lore.
These were Coubertin’s last in charge of the Olympic movement. He stood down as President the following year.
By the time the IOC returned to Paris in 1955, another Parisian had become a leading figure. Armand Massard, individual epee champion in 1920, was now an IOC Vice President.
“Paris is an extremely busy city where everything is difficult to arrange. I hope you do not have too many regrets at coming amongst us,” he told his fellow members.
He need not have worried. There was a record attendance.
“I am happy to state we have never been so numerous in the whole existence of the IOC,” President Avery Brundage declared in his opening speech.
Massard wanted to “lend a little more dignity to the official ceremony” for the introduction of new IOC members.
He proposed they “make a declaration according to a text formulated by the Executive Board and will be introduced to all members of the IOC in turn.”
Paris was also the setting for the premiere of what was intended to be the new Olympic Hymn. Written by the Polish composer Michal Spisak, it had been selected after a competition organised by Prince Pierre of Monaco.
It was also in Paris that Rome and Squaw Valley were elected as host cities for 1960.
Although Grenoble hosted the Winter Olympics in 1968 and Albertville staged the 1992 Winter Games, the IOC did not return to the French capital until 1994 for the centenary congress.
“Our city prides itself on having faithfully accompanied the history of Olympism,” said Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac as the centenary of the IOC’s foundation was celebrated.
A special ceremony was held at the Sorbonne on Olympic Day June 23rd.
“Respecting Coubertin means above all placing what he said in its historical context but also means asking what he would want to say and do if he were here with us today,” said French NOC President Henri Serandour.
Then in late August, came the full session, and an Olympic “Congress of Unity.”
A Flame arrived at the Eiffel Tower by parachutist. Ed Moses began a relay through the streets of the city. Runners included 1956 marathon champion Alain Mimoun and Collette Besson, 400m gold medallist in 1968 as part of a group of some thirty Olympians.
The final cauldron was lit by Marie-Jose Perec, 400m gold medallist in 1992, destined to win again in 1996 when she also won 200m gold.
There was even a rugby match commemorating the day Coubertin refereed the French Rugby Cup final in 1893.
Special coins included a 20-franc piece with Coubertin’s portrait and a line drawing of the Sorbonne.
Paris had bid unsuccessfully for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Games before the award of 2024.
Back in August Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was to have received the ceremonial Olympic Flag from Tokyo Governor Yoriko Koike. This was the first time female municipal leaders had participated in the ceremony.
The handover flag, donated to the International Olympic Committee by the 1988 Seoul Organising Committee, completed a circle. The Parisians had first to receive the original Olympic handover flag.
This had been commissioned by the city fathers of Antwerp after the 1920 Games.
In those days, it was presented to the host city after they had staged the Games so the Parisians kept it for four years after 1924.
They have been waiting for it to return ever since.
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