1924 Paris Olympics

Also called: Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924

The last Games Coubertin presided over as IOC president. Forty-four nations took part and an Olympic Village was provided for the first time. Finland’s Paavo Nurmi won five gold medals.

The opening ceremony was held at the Colombes stadium on 5 July 1924 (some events began in May). Some 3,000 athletes from 44 nations took part, a big step up in scale. For the first time an Olympic Village housed the athletes together, and the closing ceremony began the ritual of raising the flags of the IOC, the host nation and the next host. Paavo Nurmi of Finland won five gold medals, including the 1,500 m and 5,000 m within an hour of each other, and the American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won three. Germany was still not invited. Coubertin stepped down as IOC president the following year.