Paris Olympics: Yves du Manoir — dwelling over a century

All new: Decked up with a blue artificial turf, the historic Yves du Manoir, as soon as virtually deserted, has now been renovated with a much-reduced capability from 60,000 to fifteen,000.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Yves du Manoir, the centre-stage of Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s farewell Games, is steeped in Olympic historical past for a century.

It was the stadium that noticed the making of the legend of Flying Finn Pavo Nurmi, who ran seven races in six days regardless of the polluted air and heatwave to assert 5 gold medals.

It was the platform the place the Uruguayan soccer staff, which beat Switzerland 3-0 within the closing in entrance of greater than 40,000 followers, rose to worldwide stardom.

It was the venue for the 1924 Opening Ceremony and athletics, gymnastics, tennis, a number of the biking, horse using, soccer and rugby and two of the fashionable pentathlon occasions (operating, fencing).

Also often called Stade Olympique, Yves du Manoir, located within the north-western Paris suburb of Colombes, predated hockey’s Olympic debut. After 100 years, it’s the solely competitors venue for Paris 2024 and can by the way host hockey.

In its new avatar, decked up with a blue artificial turf, the historic venue — as soon as virtually deserted, however now renovated with a much-reduced capability from 60,000 to fifteen,000 — is able to welcome worldwide hockey stars from across the globe.

“It has been 100 years since the last Olympics were held here. So I am very excited (to play here),” stated Manpreet Singh.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh noticed this as motivation and needed to make it all of the extra memorable by profitable the gold.

All will not be misplaced for the lovers of historical past, although. An previous home nonetheless exists in its premises to remind one in regards to the days of yore.

Opened in 1907 and named after 23-year-old French rugby participant Yves du Manor, who died in a aircraft crash in 1928, the stadium staged the well-known dash races between Britons Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddle, proven within the 1981 film Chariots of Fire.

It additionally hosted the ultimate of the 1938 FIFA World Cup between Italy and Hungary and noticed the previous file a 4-2 win to safe its second world title.

Apart from Yves-du-Manoir, the Georges-Vallerey swimming pool (earlier often called Tourelles Swimming Stadium the place Johnny Weissmuller emerged as star athlete and went on to play Tarzan on the silver display screen), which will likely be used as a coaching venue throughout Paris 2024 and the Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil La Cipale (which has already hosted two Olympics in 1900 and 1924) additionally exist because the Olympic heritage of the nice metropolis