When Bite Marks, a Duel, and Jeering Crowds Marred the Paris Olympics
In 1924, Brits Called for an End to the Games After a Disappointing Performance Amid International Tensions
“Olympic Games Doomed” and “No More Olympic Games,” read headlines published in London’s Times in 1924.
A century ago, British commentators called not only for their nation to withdraw from the Games, but some, more radically, for the end of the Olympics entirely. Rather than bringing together nations in friendly competition, many felt that the Olympic Games were only deepening global strife. Looking back on Great Britain’s continuously shifting history with the Games—and with the 1924 edition in particular—today reminds us why global politics always has the potential to spill over …
