8 weeks to go
CITIUS, altius, fortius – faster, higher, stronger. The motto of the last Paris Olympics is as apt today as when it was conceived 100 years ago, borrowed from Dominican priest and athletics fan Henri Didon. The world looks different now, yet many of the foundations laid in Paris back then are woven through the Games as we know them now.
This summer will be the third Olympics held in the city. Paris also hosted the second-ever modern Games, in 1900, spread over five months and the first where women were allowed to compete. Sporting buffs will also know it was the first to feature equestrian disciplines – five of them. Only showjumping has survived, with high-jump, long-jump, four-in-hand coach driving, and a “hacks and hunter
