The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024. An edition marked above all by the return of the games to the lands of Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, a hundred years after the last editions of 1924 in Paris. The games of the XXXIII Olympiad in the French capital are considered the first games of parity with the same number of athletes among men and women. Africa, which still remains very far in the medal rankings, intends to stand out in Paris.
Back to basics
Sport has always been a means of diversion, entertainment and social cohesion. During ancient times, the Olympic Games were established in honor of the god Zeus and took place every four years. In its beginnings, the games were only reserved for free Greek men, citizens and amateurs. The games lasted only five days. The Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, inspired by the Olympic Games of Antiquity, decided to create the modern Olympic Games. To do this, he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Paris in 1894. The new committee sets itself the goal of organizing the first Olympic Games of the modern era. The first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.
Universality and equity
The Olympic Games are unique. A multi-sport competition that brings together more countries than the United Nations. Since 1896, the Summer Olympics have crossed several cities on four continents with the exception of Africa. Athletes from all over the world, from small island states to large sporting and economically powerful countries, participating in the Games. At the beginning, Pierre de Coubertin announced that “the important thing in these Olympics is less to win than to take part. Let us remember, Gentlemen, this strong word, the important thing in life is not the triumph but the fight; the main thing is not to have won but to have fought well. »
128 years later, the reality is quite different. The quest for records and performance are the key words during the Olympic Games. Each country tries to stand out on and off the field to mark the history and superiority of its nation. The exploits of the thousands of athletes involved are followed by billions of spectators around the world. The five rings represented on the Olympic flag symbolize this international meeting. The Olympic Games are a one-off event, but they are part of a broader framework which is that of the Olympic Movement. This movement’s mission is to promote the practice of sport around the world and to make its values known. It is precisely in this spirit that the Olympic Games are organized and celebrated.
African participation
Africa, compared to other continents, participated late in the Olympic Games. The first African participation in the Olympics dates back to 1904, when two South African athletes took part in the marathon, one of them barefoot. It was after the wave of independence in the 1960s that African countries participated massively in the Olympic Games. Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria are the African nations that have landed there. Among the great names of African Olympians, we can cite Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, gold medalist in the marathon at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Kenyan marathoner Kipchoge Keino, the Ivorian, Cheick Cissé in taekwondo, the South African swimmer, Chad le Clos. Madagascar participated in these first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, four years after the country’s return to independence. In 60 years of participation, Madagascar has never won an Olympic medal. This year, like many African athletes, Malagasy athletes will try to stand out and why not win an Olympic medal. For these Olympic Games in Paris, many athletes, especially from French-speaking African countries, are playing on familiar ground and the dream is possible despite sloppy preparation.
Harijaona goal