In the summer of 1924, Paris once again became an Olympic city. Aside from the medal count, which put France in third place behind the USA and Finland, this edition serves as a model for the Paris 2024 Games. It was in this year that the Olympic Games were given their current motto, while the City of Light was given a superb international showcase.
This VIII Olympiad, which ran for 84 days with its summer session from May 4 to July 27, 1924, already looked much better than the last event held in the City of Light, six Olympiads earlier.
During this edition of Paris 2024, the United States reigned supreme with a harvest of 99 Olympic medals, 45 of which were gold, widening the gap with Finland (38 medals), itself hot on the heels of France (37 medals).
The founding nations of the Games, still traumatized by the bloodshed of the First World War, refused to invite defeated Germany.
A victorious tug-of-war
After the organizational fiasco of the Paris Games in 1900 – drowned out by the programming of the Universal Exhibition – France was finally awarded the precious status of host country for the second time in its history.
This was anything but an obvious choice, given that Amsterdam and Barcelona were the Olympic Committee’s preferred choice over Paris.
All the more so as France had just organized the first Winter Olympic Games in the same year. Officially dubbed the “Winter Sports Week of the VIII Olympiad”, the Games were held in the host town of Chamonix from January 25 to February 5.
To make matters worse, Paris has no infrastructure worthy of hosting such an international sporting event. Lagging behind its European counterparts, the City of Light obtained the construction of the Stade Olympique de Colombes from the Racing Club, with a contribution of 4 million francs (less than initially planned). Entrusted to architect Louis-Faure Dujarric, the building was to replace the existing wooden bleachers.
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Featured Photo: Paris 1924’s Olympic Games official poster, détails © Mairie de Paris
