IOC Congress #7

The 7th Olympic Congress was also considered an IOC Session, the 18th such session. It again was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, this time at the Casino de Montbenon from 2-7 June 1921. A major difference was that by now the IOC had its headquarters in Lausanne, and Pierre de Coubertin lived there and would do so until his death.

The Congress was preceded by a conference of International Federations and by three advisory conferences on winter sports, alpinism, and equitation, all under the auspices of the IOC.

The theme of the 7th Congress was very similar to the 6th Congress in 1914, and was listed as the “Modification of the Olympic Program and Eligibility Rules.” This was also the first Congress at which Coubertin did not have a major role in the organization. The Organizing Committee was headed by the Swiss architect Eugène-Édouard Monod. The President of the Congress was the Swedish IAAF President, J. Sigfrid Edström, who later would become IOC President. This was truly a Congress of the Olympic Movement, as 78 participants represented the IOC (24 members present), 22 NOCs, and 15 IFs.

There were three working groups: 1) Amateurism, chaired by the American Gustavus Town Kirby; 2) Questions on the Organizations of the Olympic Games, chaired by Frantz Reichel of France; and 3) Olympic Gymnastics Programs, chaired by A.-J. Cupérus.

Decisions concerning the Olympic Program were reached by the 7th Olympic Congress:

The categories of obligatory and optional sports were eliminated. Archery, golf, and hockey (field) were deleted from prospective Olympic Programs. A gymnastics “octathlon,” or all-around event, was approved. The method of conducting gymnastics via both compulsory and optional exercises was instituted. A supplement was passed to the 1914 Congress amateur rule. Each National Governing Body had to vouch for the amateur status of their athletes, in addition to the NOCs. There were 23 rules passed relating to the technical aspects of conducting the Olympic Games.

Coubertin informed the Congress that he was leaving shortly on a long trip and would not be available to take care of IOC Matters. He proposed creating an Executive Committee to take care of such work in his absence. The proposal was accepted unanimously and the first IOC Executive Committee (later Executive Board) was formed. The members were President Godefroy de Blonay (SUI), J. Sigfrid Edström (SWE), Jiří Guth-Jarkowsky (TCH), Melchior, Marquis de Polignac (FRA), and Henri de Baillet-Latour (BEL).

The International Federations wished to propose a fixed program for all Olympic Games. This proposal was tabled and it was decided it would be discussed at the 1925 Olympic Congress.

Also discussed was a French proposal to hold a Winter Sports Week in 1924 under IOC patronage. It was agreed that this violated the Olympic Charter as international competitions could not be organized in the host country during the Olympiad. However, Edström stated that the Scandanavian countries had no objections and it was decided to allow a week of winter sports at Chamonix in 1924. This would eventually become the 1st Olympic Winter Games.

Finally, the Congress took up the matter of the host cities for the 1924 and 1928 Olympics. Coubertin had already made known his intention to retire after the 1924 Olympics and wished them to be in Paris. He also expressed his desire to have the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, and that the Congress should also vote on this award. The Italian IOC Member Carlo Montù protested this and voted against it. However, the final vote was 14-4 with 4 abstentions, in favor of Coubertin’s proposal. This is considered the first ever vote for an award of the Olympic Games.

Coubertin felt that the Congress did not achieve its goals and stated so in his memoirs. He also did not feel another Olympic Congress was needed, but Edström differed. The final conclusion of the Congress stated that “The IOC has no objections whatsoever against future congresses as has already been declared by its President, Baron de Coubertin. Similarly, it has no objections against calling a Congress in 1925 if the various IFs think it necessary after the Olympic Games of 1924.”