The Olympic Oath
"In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part
in these
Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern
them, in the
true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the
honour of our teams."
Written by Baron de Coubertin, the oath is taken by an athlete from
the host
nation while holding a corner of the Olympic flag. The athletes'
oath was first
taken by Belgian fencer Victor Boin at the 1920 Antwerp Games.
1920 Antwerp
Victor Boin
The seventh Olympic Games
- Baron Pierre de Coubertin: -
This time, there were two innovations: first, the pledges taken by the
athletes, spoken aloud by one of them ( a Belgian holding the flag of his
country in the name of all, as follows:
"We swear that we are taking part in the Olympic Games as loyal competitors,
observing the rules governing the Games, and anxious to show a spirit of
chivalry, for the honor of our countries and for the glory of their illustrious
ancestors by the successive restoration of both the ceremonies and the
symbolic acts which gave to the former so great and deep a meaning.
The second innovation was the appearance of
the Olympic flag.......
Source document: Report of the American Olympic Committee,
1920 |
1924 Paris
Geo Andr`Prète
| "Nous jurons, dit-il, que nous nous présentons aux Jeux Olympiques
en concurrents loyaux, respectueux des règlements qui les régissent
et désireux d´y participer dans un esprit chevaleresque pour
l`honneur de nos pays et la gloire du sport."
Text from french Official
report 1924, page 85 |
1928 Amsterdam
Harry Dénis
| The Olympic Oath 1928
Mr. H. DENIS, of the Dutch Olympic team came forward and pronounced
the words of the Olympic oath, as given below, surrounded by the flags
of the other nations; the contestants demonstrating their approval and
assent by raising the right hand:
"Nous jurons que nous nous présentons aux Jeux Olympiques en
concurrents loyaux, respectueux des règlements qui les régissent
et désireux d'y participer dans un esprit chevaleresque pour I'honneur
de nos pays et la gloire du sport."
Source document: Official
Report 1928, page 307 |
1932 Los Angeles
George C. Calnan, a member of the team of the United States,
pronounces the Olympic oath
| The Olympic Oath 1932
The voice of the announcer sounds again. It is introducing Lieutenant
George C. Calnan, of the United States Olympic Team, who will take the
Olympic Oath.
A tall figure, erect and military, ascends the rostrum on the field
as a hushspreads over the audience. He grasps the American flag with his
left hand andraises his right to the sky.
All over the field the athletes raise their right hands.Then, in a
loud clear voice, come Lieutenant Calnanís words :
"We swear that we will take part in the Olympic Games in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations which govern them and desirous of participating
in them in the true spirit of sportsmanship for the honor of our country
and for the glory of sport."
Source document:
Official Report 1932, page 362 |
1936 Berlin
Rudolf Ismayr
| The Olympic Oath 1936
Still a second greeting was brought from the classical homeland of the
Olympic Games to Berlin. The first Marathon victor, Louis, mounted the
steps to the loge of honour accompanied by the President of the Organizing
Committee and the President of the Greek Olympic Committee, Bolanachi,
and presented the German Chancellor with an olive twig from Olympia which
he received with words of deep gratitude.
Then at a signal from the commander of the procession, the flag-bearers
of the different nations approached the speaker's platform with their banners
and formed a semi-circle around it. Accompanying the German flag-bearer
was a German Olympic victor from 1932, Rudolf Ismayr, who, as representative
of the youth of the world, mounted the platform. The flags were dipped,
and while all of the participants raised their right hand, Ismayr took
the Olympic oath on their behalf:
"Wir schwören, bei den Olympischen Spielen ehrenhafte Kämpfer
zu sein und die Regeln der Spiele zu achten. Wir nehmen teil in ritterlichem
Geist, zu Ehre unseres Landes und zum Ruhme des Sports".
Source document: Official
Report 1936, vol I, page 564 |
1948 London
Flags of the competing nations are dipped in salute as Donald Finlay,
in the
Tribune of Honour, takes the oath on behalf of all the competitors.
| The Olympic Oath 1948
At the end of the Archbishop's speech, the International Olympic Committee
and the Organising Committee returned to their seats and the Choir sang
the Hallelujah Chorus accompanied by the Massed Bands. While this was in
progress, the standard bearers of all the nations formed a semi-circle
round the Tribune of Honour and the Flag Bearer of Great Britain, Mr. J.
Emrys Lloyd, and Wing Commander Donald Finlay, took up their positions
on the left of the Tribune of Honour. At the conclusion of the Hallelujah
Chorus, Wing Commander Finlay, Captain of the British Team and competitor
in three Olympiads, mounted the Tribune of Honour facing the Royal Box,
and holding the flag in his left hand, in a clear voice took the Olympic
Oath on behalf of the assembled athletes :
" We swear that we will take part in the Olympic Games in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations which govern them, and desirous of participating
in them in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the honour of our country
and for the glory of sport"
To end the formal ceremony, one verse of the National Anthem was played
by the Massed Bands and sung by the choir, joined by all those assembled
in the Stadium.
Source document: Official
Report 1948, page 224 |
1952 Helsinki
Heikki Savolainen reads out the Olympic Oath
| The Olympic Oath 1952
was taken by the gymnast Dr. Heikki Savolainen, for whom these were
his fifth Games. The reciting of the oath was followed by the Finnish National
Anthem, in which the public joined with unusual fervour. The flag bearers
returned to their positions in front of the teams and the march out of
the Stadium proceeded briskly through two gates at once.
The Oath:
»We swear that we will take part in the Olympic Games in fair
competition, respecting the regulations which govern them and with the
desire to participate in the true spirit of sportmanship for the honour
of our country and for the glory of sport.»
Source document: Official
Report 1952, page 240 |
1956 Melbourne
John Landy
| The oath was taken by the captain of the Athletic Section of the Australian
team, John Landy, the world mile record holder.
Source document: Official
Report 1956, page 236 |
1956 Stockholm Equestrian Games
Henri St. Cyr
| H. St. Cyr, Olympic Gold Medal winner at Helsinki in 1952, has been
entrusted with the task of honour to take the Olympic Oath:
"We swear that we will take part in these Olympic Games in the true
spirit of sportsmanship and that we will respect and abide by the rules
which govern them, for the glory of sport and the honour of our country."
The Olympic Oath having been taken, the Swedish national anthem, "Du
gamla, du fria", is sung in unison.
Source document: Official
Report 1956 Stockholm, page 71 |
1960 Rome
Adolfo Consolini
| The Oath-taking by the Athletes 1960
Immediately after, the Italian athlete, Consolini, came out of the ranks,
mounted the podium and, grasping the Italian flag with his left hand, pronounced
the formula of the Olympic oath:
" In the name of all the competitors, I swear that we will take part
in these Olympic Games in loyal competition, respecting and abiding by
the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the
glory of sport and honour of our Country ".
The Choir of Santa Cecilia, accompanied by the Band of the Carabinieri,
then sang the National Anthem.
Source document: Official
Report 1960, Volume II, page 16 |
1964 Tokyo
Takashi Ono
| The Olympic Oath 1964
The flag bearers of the participating countries formed a semi-circle
around the rostrum. Japanese gymnastic star Takashi Ono representing the
participating athletes, delivered the Olympic oath holding a corner of
the Japanese flag in his left hand and with his right hand raised high.
8,000 pigeons were released, and as they disappeared from the Stadium,
the whole assembly joined in the singing of the Japanese National Anthem.
Five jet planes of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force described five gigantic
rings of colour-the Olympic emblem-in the sky. While the electronic music
was played, Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress left the Stadium.
The delegations marched out through the north and south exits, and the
Ceremony was brought to a close.
Source document: Official
Report 1964, Volume I, page 222 |
1968 Mexico City
Pablo Garrido
| The Olympic Oath 1968
Immediately afterward, the Olympic pledge of sportsmanship was given
by another Mexican athlete, Pablo Garrido, in the name of all the assembled
competitors. As he concluded; ten thousand pigeons were released from cages
around the stadium. A symbol of universal peace, they fluttered up and
away in great widening circles. The huge electronic scoreboard lit up with
the words "We offer and desire friendship with all the peoples of the world,"
and the band closed the day with a stirring rendition of the Mexican National
Anthem. The athletes marched out. The hundred thousand spectators-who had
been cheering and applauding for the past two hours-slowly followed.
Source document: Official
Report 1968, Volume III, page 20 |
1972 Munich
Heidi Schüller
| The Olympic Oath 1972
Immediately before the Olympic Games the OC chose the individuals who
were to perform the essential functions: To carry the Olympic flag - the
eight rowers from the Federal Republic of Germany who won the gold medal
in Mexico
City.
The last torch bearer - a young, unknown runner as a representative
of future generations - Günther Zahn, winner of the 1,500 meter race
of the German Youth Athletics championship of 1972. His stand-in was Rudolf
Brumund, second winner of the 400-meter race. To speak the oath, for the
first time at Olympic Games an active lady participant- Heidi Schüller.
Source document: Official
Report 1972, Volume I, page 82 |
1976 Montreal
Pierre Saint-Jean
| The Olympic Oath 1976
To the sounds of this joyous, heady music, the magic of the ballet weaves
its hypnotic effect around the athletes. On the final chords which express
the homage of Canadian youth, the students and gymnasts take up positions
in the semicircles at the ends of the central lawn, while the crowd applauds.
The flag-bearers of the ninety-four delegations form a semicircle behind
the rostrum. Then the Canadian team's flag-bearer, and one of its athletes,
and a judge mount the rostrum. Weightlifter Pierre Saint-Jean, bare-headed,
facing the Queen, and holding a corner of the Canadian flag in his left
hand, raises his right hand and takes the following oath in French and
English:
"In the name of all competitors I promise that we will take part in
these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them,
in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour
of our teams."
The athlete steps back, and the judge, Maurice Forget, in turn takes
the oath of the judges and officials:
"In the name of all judges and officials, I promise that we will officiate
in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding
by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship. "
The Olympic chorus and orchestra perform the national anthem, O Canada.
Source document: Official
Report 1976, Volume I, page 303 |
1980 Moscow
Nikolai Andrianov
| The Olympic Oath 1980
Olympic gold medallist Nikolai Andrianov took the Olympic oath on behalf
of all the participants in the Games. He was followed at the microphone
by international referee Alexander Medved, a three-time Olympic gold medallist,
who pledged, on behalf of the referees, to carry out his duties impartially,
in conformity with the rules and in the spirit of true sportsmanship. The
official part of the Opening Ceremony ended with the Anthem of the Soviet
Union. The delegations left the field, and the artistic and sports programme
began.
Source document: Official
Report 1980, Volume I, page 294 |
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