American swimming stars Johnny Weissmuller (left) and Duke Kahanamoku at the 1924 Olympic Games. Weissmuller later made a career as the film Tarzan, while Kahanamoku became a surfing legend in Hawaii.
Image: Keystone
One of the stars of the Olympic football tournament: Max "Xam" Abegglen won silver with Switzerland and became unofficial European champion.
Image: Keystone
Paavo Nurmi, Finland's running legend.
Image: Keystone
American swimming stars Johnny Weissmuller (left) and Duke Kahanamoku at the 1924 Olympic Games. Weissmuller later made a career as the film Tarzan, while Kahanamoku became a surfing legend in Hawaii.
Image: Keystone
One of the stars of the Olympic football tournament: Max "Xam" Abegglen won silver with Switzerland and became unofficial European champion.
Image: Keystone
Paavo Nurmi, Finland's running legend.
Image: Keystone
The Olympic Games have been held in Paris twice. 1900 was a fiasco in every respect, 1924 a triumph. For the Olympic movement and for the Swiss delegation.
11.07.2024, 04:31
12.07.2024, 07:48
SDA
Almost exactly 100 years ago - on July 5, 1924 - the last Olympic Games were opened in Paris. They were a resounding success, especially from a Swiss perspective. The 25 medals, including seven gold, are still a record today. There were 126 competitions, two and a half times fewer than today.
The artistic gymnasts were the most successful with seven medals, followed by the rowers and wrestlers with five each. Henri Wernli won silver as a freestyle wrestler in the heavyweight category, and two years later the Genevan was crowned wrestling king. On the pommel horse, the Swiss celebrated their only quadruple success at the Summer Games to date.
But it was the footballers who received the biggest response. With victories against Lithuania (9:0), the Czech Republic (1:1 and 1:0), Italy (2:1) and Sweden (2:1), the Swiss stormed into the final with Neuchâtel goal scorer Max "Xam" Abegglen (6 goals). There, Uruguay's miracle team, who also became the first world champions six years later, were one size too big (0:3).
A spirit of optimism after the world war
The 1924 games not only brought milestones for Switzerland, they were also a success in other respects. Six years after the end of the First World War, a spirit of optimism prevailed and the sun heated up to 40 degrees. The Games had been awarded to the French metropolis without any opposing candidates as a kind of farewell gift to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, who handed over the IOC presidency a year later.
For the first time, there was an Olympic village for the 3,000 or so athletes - including 135 women. The Olympic motto, which is still valid today, was also new: Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger).
Tarzan and Hollywood glitz
The international stars were the "flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi, who won the 1500 m and 5000 m within an hour, as well as the "cross-country run" (over a good 10 km) two days later. In the swimming pool, Johnny Weissmuller, who had just turned 20, excelled with three gold medals (and bronze in water polo). The American, born Johann Peter Weissmuller in Hungary, later became famous as the movie Tarzan. John Kelly, father of future Hollywood icon and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly, won gold in the rowing double sculls.
As successful as the 1924 Games heralded the era of modern media presence, the edition 24 years earlier had been a fiasco. The sports competitions took place as part of the World Exhibition and were spread over five months; not all winners won medals and some did not even know they were taking part in the Olympic Games. After all, they were only the second in modern times.
First female Olympic champion from Switzerland
Some disciplines were held in Paris in 1900 for the first and - to date - only time. These included fishing, motor sports (from cars and cabs to delivery vans), ballooning, cricket, croquet, pelota, obstacle swimming and diving.
After all, the first woman was crowned Olympic champion. Born in the USA, Hélène de Pourtalès sailed to gold in the 1-2 ton class off Le Havre together with her husband, Count Hermann de Pourtalès, and his nephew Bernard on the Swiss yacht Lérina. Two months later, British tennis player Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympic champion in a single discipline.
In general, the 1900 event was also a success from a Swiss perspective. With six gold medals (the other five in shooting), two silver medals and one bronze medal, Switzerland finished in 5th place in the national rankings.
