If you watch the Olympic Games every four years, have you ever been surprised to hear French spoken during medal ceremonies or athlete announcements? Well, it's only natural, since French has been the official language of the competition since Pierre de Coubertin created the modern Games in 1896! Since then, English has been added to the list, but only in 1972!
So why French? Quite simply because its creator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who did so much for sport in our country, was born and lived in France. It was he who undertook a major renovation of the ancient Olympic Games and founded the International Olympic Committee, of which he was president from 1896 to 1925. He also designed the Olympic rings and campaigned for the creation of the Winter Olympics.
For a number of years, French speakers were concerned about the retention of Article 17 of the Olympic Charter, in memory of its founder, as Shakespeare's language rapidly became the most widely used in the world, while Molière's language declined. Good to know, the language of the host country is also used during the competition, which won't change much in 2024, as the Games will be at home, 100 years after the first ones.
