Founders

Pierre de Coubertin; Mythical hero or controversial founder France has always prided itself on its pioneers and visionaries, but the French aristocrat who founded the modern Olympic Games in 1894 presents a controversial figure for the organizers of the Paris 2024 Games. Born on January 1, 1863 in the French capital, Pierre de Coubertin went down in history as the creator of the modern Olympic Games. Born into a noble family - his grandfather was the first Baron de Coubertin - he studied at the Jesuit school on Rue de Madrid in Paris before embarking on a military career at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy founded by Napoleon Bonaparte. His interest in sport was linked to the improvement of the French education system, with the aim of "regenerating the French race through the physical and moral re-education of the future elite of the country".