Historical Evolution of sports Historical Evolucion of sports researchpdf | Page 29

In 1890, he met English educator William Penny Brookes, who had
organized British Olympic Games in 1866. Brookes was passionate about
resurrecting the Olympic Games on an international level. Deeply influenced by
Brookes, Coubertin decided to take up the cause.
Eventually he became the father of the modern Olympic Games by
establishing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894 which revived
and promoted Olympic Games throughout the world. The IOC is the supreme
authority of the worldwide modern Olympic movement.
His campaign to promote athletic activities began as a lonely crusade but it
slowly gained support among advocates of athletics in Europe and America.
Finally in 1888, he proclaimed the Olympic Games reestablishment in the
Sorbonne University. Thus, Coubertin was able to organize the first modern
Olympics in Athens in 1896 as a symbol of Greek origins. The success of the first
Olympic Games marked, for Coubertin, the internationalization of his
educational visions, where his main priority at first was as said before, the idea
of peace among nations.
After having created the IOC, he became its second president and managed
to impose some measures such as: he regulated the games and lead the
organization of some Olympic Games (Paris (1900), San Luis (1904), London
(1908) and Stockholm(1912).
In addition he was the creator of many different symbols such as the flag,
the flame, the anthem, symbols and traditions described afterwards.
After a glorious life, he finally died due to a heart attack on 2 September
1937.
INFLUENCES:
Every detail in his life influenced Pierre:
 His father's patriotism
 Assistance to Jesuit School: strong moral
values
 Battle of Sedan 1870: great humiliation
 English novels
 Travels to England (1883): English
educational system promoted sports
 Thomas Arnold
 Middle Ages: knight tournaments: moral, esthetic and religious
context in medieval athletes
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SPORTS
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