The Olympics

Olympics 1924 --- Paris

Twenty Four years on, the Olympic Games returned to Paris. For Pierre de Coubertin, who had announced his retirement, it was a final opportunity to redeem France after the disastrous events of 1900.

In a quarter of a century, the event had changed completely. Participating nations had grown from 28 to 44, with more than 3,000 athletes – accommodated for the first time in an Olympic village – competing. The Games were also free standing, no longer part of a larger exhibition.

Spectators flocked to the purpose – built Colombes Stadium, designed to hold 60,000 but there were still peculiar sideshows such as the ‘Pentathlon of Muses’, an art competition included at de Coubertin’s request.

But all was not international harmony in 1924, and the true ‘spirit’ of the Games became diluted. Unwelcome side effects of the Games’ success were the first examples of extreme nationalism, if not xenophobia. After the US annihilation of the French in the final of the rugby tournament, insults and blows were exchanged and the American flag was torn down. Four years earlier the Germans had been denied an invitation to the Games and despite Coubertin’s efforts, Germany was absent once again in 1924.

Paavo Nurmi’s four incredible days -: Not content with winning the 1500m and 5,000m in the space of an hour, the Flying Fin went on to claim three more gold medals. Nurmi had won three titles at the Antwerp Games. In Paris, he did even better. Nurmi’s Glorious victories were as under -:

1500m                                3:53.6

5,000m                               14:31.2

3,000m team race               8:32.0

10,000m cross country       32:54.8

Cross - country team race  32:54.8

Nurmi, had over the course of the heats and finals run at Colombes, the pleasure of being first to cross the finish line a total of seven times. Always first – and with such style, such speed!

Johnny Weismuller, the smiling water borne Adonis, a consummate American swimmer aged just 20 years won the thrilling 400m Freestyle final, beating Sweden’s Arne Borg and Australian Andrew Charlton. He began his life in destitution. He left school at 12, never to discover the torments of trigonometry. Working as a bellboy at the Chicago Plaza Hotel, his sole luxury was swimming, an activity he had practiced on the advice of his family’s doctor, to strengthen his weak chest. By the time Johnny reached 16, swimming had already given him an enviably large physique and a friend introduced him to Bill Bachrasch, who would become his mentor. Bill before taking him under his tutelage said ‘First of all, you have to forget all you’ve learned and swear you’ll work with me without asking questions and searching for excuses. You will be a slave and you will hate me, but in the end, you will break all the records you want’. On 9 July 1922, Weismuller became the first human to swim the 100m Freestyle in under a minute.

The Games in Brief

    

Opening Date                               4 May 1924

Closing Date                                 27 July 1924

Host Nation                                   France

Nations Represented                    44

Athletes                                          3,092 (136 women, 2,956 men)

Sports                                             19

Games Officially Opened By        The President of France, Gaston Doumergue

Olympic Flame Not Lit

Olympic Oath Read By                 Georges Andre (Athletics)

IOC President                                Baron Pierre de Coubertin

Many symbols associated with the Olympics took on an official form in 1924. The Olympic motto ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) was used for the first time. At the Closing Ceremony, the ritual of raising three flags was introduced – the flag of the IOC, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation. Another first was the Olympic Village, which housed the athletes.

PS -: Matter researched from the Olympics Museum in Laussane.

Brigadier (retd)  S D Dangwal

+919410900051