Why do they speak French at every Olympic opening ceremony?
The French language plays an important role in every Olympic Games, not just those held in France
French is the first official language of the Olympic Games
Svet foto/Shutterstock
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games starts this week, with hundreds of millions of people worldwide set to tune into the opening ceremony on July 26.
Paris will put its own special stamp on the ceremony, as for the first time in the modern history of the Games, it will not take place inside a stadium, but in the open air, along the banks of the river Seine.
Read more: What is now known about Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on Friday
With the Games being hosted in Paris, it does not come as a surprise that the ceremony will unfold in French as well as English.
However, French has been spoken at all Olympic opening ceremonies – not only those held in Paris – since the Games were revitalised in 1896.
A 'language of diplomacy’ and French Olympiad fanatic
This is because French and English are the official languages of the Olympic Games, and French is in fact the foremost language of the spectacle.
One of the main individuals who contributed to the remodelling and revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1896 was Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, who is often referred to as the father of the modern Olympics.
After the first modern version of the Games was held in Athens, Paris hosted the event twice, in 1900 and 1924..
De Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee and planned the first few Games, delivering a famous speech in 1908 where he said “the important thing [with the Games] is to take part.”
At the time, French was still a major global language and often seen as the ‘language of diplomacy’.
This paired with de Coubertin’s French roots is likely why it was made the first official language of the Olympic Games.
English is the second official language according to Article 23 of the Olympic charter.
This means at each opening ceremony, announcements are made in French, English and then usually the language of the host country.
It means that this year announcements will only be made in French and English.
The same goes for the closing ceremony, which will take place on August 11, and for the ceremonies of the Paralympic Games, held in Paris between August 28 and September 8.
