"After four years spent under German rule, Antwerp having regained all its serenity of yesteryear has been able to receive delegates from all the nations of the world, from those who defended with their blood or their propaganda the great cause of freedom". 100 years ago, in its August 15 edition, the newspaper Le Matin described with exaltation the opening ceremony of the VII Olympic Games of the modern era which has just taken place in the Belgian city of Antwerp. "A salute of seven cannon shots is heard and a flight of carrier pigeons rises to the sky, while above the triumphal arch of the stadium is hoisted the white Olympic flag with five entwined rings", we can also read in the daily Le Temps.
Antwerp, martyr city
Barely two years after the armistice that ended the First World War, men no longer clash on the battlefield, but in the sports arena. The last competition dates back to Stockholm in 1912. The Games of the VI Olympiad were to be held in Berlin, but were canceled due to the conflict. Four years later, Antwerp was not chosen by chance. The Flemish city, martyr city, was unanimously designated in April 1919, during the Lausanne congress, as a symbol of Belgian resistance to the German attack of 1914. While the guns of the Great War were are silent, this Olympiad is one of peace. However, as the newspaper L'Œuvre reminds us, the "enemies of yesterday" are not taking part in the celebration. Big losers in the conflict, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria were excluded. In total, 29 countries from five continents are represented.
In the stadium of Antwerp, the opening ceremony is eminently political. During the parade of athletes, the French, crowned with the recent military victory, are particularly applauded, according to Le Matin. "Our representatives, elegantly dressed in white with a blue collar and a white beret with a brazenly worn tricolor cockade, never received such an ovation", recounts the special envoy with a very patriotic tone. The blue-white-red selection is the largest with 409 participants, "a real army", as the magazine La Vie au grand air emphasizes.
All the athletes gathered in Antwerp are represented by Belgian swimmer Victor Boin who, for the first time in the history of the Olympics, takes the Olympic oath. "The narrator declares to have never violated the laws of honor and to work only for the purest glory of the sport", relates the Excelsior. The Olympic flag also flies for the first time in the stadium. It was imagined in 1913 by the French Pierre de Coubertin, at the origin of the renovation of the Games and represents the five parts of the world.
Sporting achievements
But with only a few months of preparation, the Belgian organizers could not work miracles. As the country barely recovers from four years of occupation, conditions are rudimentary. "Many of the 2,626 athletes competing, from 29 countries, had to sleep on cots for the duration of the Games", recalls the official website of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
This does not prevent them from achieving feats. One hundred years later, the names of great champions still resonate. American swimmer Ethelda Bleibtrey left her mark on the competition by winning gold medals in all events included in the women's swimming program, breaking three world records. She "inspires generations of female athletes", underlines the IOC.
On the athletics track, it was Paavo Nurmi, nicknamed the "Flying Finn", who distinguished himself by winning three gold medals and a silver medal, the prelude to an exceptional Olympic career. 72-year-old Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn will also go down in history as the oldest athlete to ever win an Olympic medal, taking home a silver medal. On the French side, the delegation is ranked 8th with 9 gold, 19 silver and 13 bronze medals. Tenniswoman Suzanne Lenglen particularly stands out with three medals, including the women's singles and mixed doubles titles. His compatriot Joseph Guillemot also succeeds in beating Paavo Nurmi in the 5,000 meters.
A century later, their heirs are deprived of OJ due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tokyo Games, initially scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020, will theoretically take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021. Despite this postponement, Thomas Bach, IOC President, was keen to mark this anniversary: "One hundred years after the host of the Olympic Games by the city of Antwerp, the spirit of the organizers continues to teach us that by working together we can take up enormous challenges. We should always uphold this heritage of unity, peace and force as we face new and unforeseen global challenges. " In 2024, it will be the turn of Paris to host the biggest sporting event in the world. The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will take place exactly 100 years after those already organized in the French capital.
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