INTERVIEW - Virginie Girod receives the historian Sylvain Dufraisse, lecturer at the University of Nantes and author of "The heroes of sport. A history of Soviet champions" (Champ Vallon editions). The question of the allocation of major sports competitions, from the World Cup to the Olympic Games, to Russia, Qatar and up to Paris 2024 for example, is currently being debated. But when does this very political link between sport and power go back in history? What are the links between the Olympic Games of Antiquity, which are at the origin of religious celebrations, and the modern Olympic Games, which appeared at the end of the 19th century? How is Pierre de Coubertin the promoter of a "new chivalry"? Why are there no national teams at the start? "In 1936,

2022-12-02T04:11:05.210Z

INTERVIEW - Virginie Girod receives the historian Sylvain Dufraisse, lecturer at the University of Nantes and author of "The heroes of sport. A History of Soviet Champions" (Editions Champ Vallon). The question of the allocation of major sports competitions, from the World Cup to the Olympic Games, to Russia, Qatar and up to Paris 2024 for example, is currently being debated. But when does this very political link between sport and power go back in history? What are the links between the Olympic Games of Antiquity, which are at the origin of religious celebrations, and the modern Olympic Games, which appeared at the end of the 19th century? How is Pierre de Coubertin the promoter of a "new chivalry" ? Why are there no national teams at the start? "In 1936, the Nazi regime seeks to use the Olympic Games to make them a showcase, to bring a less belligerent image”, specifies Sylvain Dufraisse. And how are the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris shaping up? Topics covered: Olympic Games - Antiquity - Ancient Greece - Panhellenic Games - Pierre de Coubertin - Athens - Olympia - Archeology - Paris 2024