The Paris Opening Ceremony 100 Years Ago
by Philip Barker
Although shrouded in secrecy it is safe to say that next Friday’s Opening Ceremony on the River Seine will look very different to the last time the Games were held in Paris a century ago.
In 1924, the Opening Ceremony took place at the Stade de Colombes. It was held in mid-afternoon and was very much shorter.
It had been preceded by a religious service that morning when Cardinal Dubois the Archbishop of Paris preached a sermon at Notre Dame. A “Protestant” service with a sermon by pastor Wilfrid Monod was held the following day and a Jewish worship was later held at the Paris Synagogue in the presence of the Chief Rabbi of France.
Some 40,000 had gathered in the stadium when at precisely three o’clock the French President Gaston Domergue made his entrance to “La Marseillaise,” played by the bands of the Garde Republicain , the 31st and 46th Infantry regiments and the 21st Colonial Regiments.
The teams paraded in the strict alphabetical order according to French.
Thus, the first team to enter was South Africa as Afrique du Sud and not Greece, who took their place between Great Britain and Haiti.
It was only in 1928 that Greece led the parade for the first time.
Nor did France enter at the end of the parade as they will do next week but instead between Finland and Great Britain.
The Belgian flag was carried by Victor Boin, the journalist and all-round sportsman who had taken the Olympic oath in 1920.
Amongst the new nations were Ireland who marched between India and Italy.
Marching with the British team were pipers from the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders.
The Uruguayans were competing in their first Olympics and were the penultimate team to enter.
Their footballers had already won gold a few weeks before.
In the tribune of honour, President Domergue was joined by the Prince of Wales, (later to become King Edward VIII) and his brother Prince Henry. Prince Carol of Romania; Ras Tafari, later to become the Emperor of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) Haile Selassie; and the Shah of Persia (Iran) were also present.
In those days, the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) descended from the stand onto the infield for the official speeches and protocol of the Games.
“Entrusted with the glorious mission of organising the Games, the French Olympic Committee, with the help of the Government and the city of Paris, endeavoured to justify the trust placed in it by the International Olympic Committee. We are ready on the appointed day and time,” Comte de Clary, the Organising Committee President told the crowd in a speech related by loudspeaker.
“The success exceeded all our expectations. Nations responded to France’s invitation. More than three thousand athletes athletes rushing from the four corners of the world will fight with speed, strength and skill on the Olympic Stadium of Colombes built for the greater glory of sport, of regenerative sport of races, benefactor of humanity, the most qualified champion of universal peace.”
Newspaper reports told how a flying boat had flown over the stadium at low altitude.
The declaration of Opening was made by President Domergue.
This was followed by a gun salute and a release of pigeons.
The music which followed was the “Marche Heroique” by Camille Saint Saens.
In 1924, the Olympic oath was recited for the second time. This time the man chosen to was French flag bearer Geo Andre. He was competing in his fourth Olympic Games and had won silver in the high jump 16 years before.
Andre held the French flag as he spoke the oath from a lectern draped with the Olympic Flag as the other competitors raised their arms in an Olympic salute.
“We swear that we will take part in this Olympics in loyal competition, respecting the rules which govern them and in a chivalrous spirit for the honour of our countries and for the glory of sport.”
The choristers of the Société Nationale des Orphéonistes Crick-Sicks de Tourcoing, a city in Northern France, and Les Instituteurs de Prague sang the chorus from “Le Martyre de San Sebastien” by Claude Debussy.
The Official Report of the Games later gave its verdict: “What had taken place was in truth Magnifique!”
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