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 to the organizers of the Paris 2024 Games. Born on January 1, 1863 in the French capital, Pierre de Coubertin is remembered as the creator of the modern Olympic Games. Born into a noble family, his grandfather was the first Baron de Coubertin, and 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 sports 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". He was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia in the western Peloponnese in honor of Zeus.