Alice Milliat
Encyclopedia
Alice Milliat was a pioneer of women's sport in France and around the world. Her lobbying on behalf of female athletes forced the inclusion of women's events in the Olympic Games
.
Milliat, a translator by profession participated in the sport of rowing
.
A member of Femina Sport, a club founded in 1911, she helped form the Federation Francaise Sportive Feminine in 1917, becoming treasurer and later president.
to include women's track and field athletics events in the 1924 Olympic Games
, the FSFI decided to hold a Women's Olympic Games in 1922.
and featured five teams including the United States
, Great Britain
, Switzerland
, Czechoslovakia
as well as the host country France
.
Eleven athletics events were conducted and the 20,000 strong crowd saw eighteen athletes break world records.
Infuriated by the use of the term 'Olympic Games' the IOC
convinced Milliat and the FSFI to change the name of their event in exchange for adding 10 women's events to the 1928 Olympics
.
As such, the next edition of the event, held in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1926, was termed the Women's World Games. Ten teams took part in this edition of the Games.
Two further Games were held in Prague
in 1930 (featuring other sports in addition to athletics) and in London in 1934 before the FSFI was forced to hand over control of international women's athletics to the IAAF.
that toured the UK and played the Dick, Kerr's Ladies
on behalf of France
in the world first internationally recognised Women's Football tournament.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
.
Milliat, a translator by profession participated in the sport of rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
.
A member of Femina Sport, a club founded in 1911, she helped form the Federation Francaise Sportive Feminine in 1917, becoming treasurer and later president.
Formation of the FSFI
On 31 October 1921, Milliat formed La Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI) to oversight international women's sporting events. In response to the refusal of the IAAFInternational Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
to include women's track and field athletics events in the 1924 Olympic Games
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, the FSFI decided to hold a Women's Olympic Games in 1922.
Women's World Games
The first Women's Olympics were conducted in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and featured five teams including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
as well as the host country France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Eleven athletics events were conducted and the 20,000 strong crowd saw eighteen athletes break world records.
Infuriated by the use of the term 'Olympic Games' the IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
convinced Milliat and the FSFI to change the name of their event in exchange for adding 10 women's events to the 1928 Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
.
As such, the next edition of the event, held in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1926, was termed the Women's World Games. Ten teams took part in this edition of the Games.
Two further Games were held in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1930 (featuring other sports in addition to athletics) and in London in 1934 before the FSFI was forced to hand over control of international women's athletics to the IAAF.
Football (Soccer)
In 1920 Milliat assembled a football (Soccer) team of women from ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
that toured the UK and played the Dick, Kerr's Ladies
Dick, Kerr's Ladies
Dick, Kerr's Ladies F.C. were one of the most famous early women's association football teams. The team was founded in Preston, Lancashire, England as a works' team for a company, Dick, Kerr & Co., owned by two Scots: W.B. Dick and John Kerr...
on behalf of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the world first internationally recognised Women's Football tournament.