Who is the father of modern Olympic Games?
The first modern Olympic Games were played in 1896 in Athens after the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) session held in 1894 awarded the games to Athens, Greece. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who has since been known as the founder of the modern Olympic Games, was the man behind it all.
Born in 1863 in Paris, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was also the co-founder of the IOC and served as a catalyst in making the very first Olympic Games happen.
Not much is known of Coubertin’s life apart from his major contribution to the world of sports. He is known to have developed a fascination for Olympia and Greece as a child during the excavation of the ancient city.
Coubertin first brought forward his proposal to revive the Ancient Olympic Games in 1892 as he believed the games could serve a unifying role in bringing peace and unity to the world. So much was his influence that a phrase said by Coubertin is officially recognized by the IOC as the ‘Olympic Creed’
“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well,” Coubertin first spoke this phrase in a slightly different form in 1908 (via International Olympic Committee).
The Pierre de Coubertin medal and Coubertin’s role in creating the Olympic Rings symbol for modern Olympic Games
One of the most recognisable images in all of sports is the symbol of five rings which can be found on the Olympic flag. The rings, a symbol of inclusivity, are known to represent the union of the five continents and the coming together of athletes from around the world on one stage - The Olympics.
The said rings were based on a design that was created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin for the modern Olympic Games. The Olympic flag was then created in 1914 and was used at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the first time.
There was also a medal created in the name of Coubertin by the IOC in 1997. The Pierre de Coubertin medal is awarded to those individuals who through their work have contributed to the promotion of Olympism.