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The First International Silent Games (french: Premiers Jeux Silencieux Internationaux), or First International Games for the Deaf (french: Premiers Jeux Internationaux pour les Sourds), now referred to retroactively as the 1924 Summer Deaflympics (french: Sourdlympiques d'été de 1924), were the inaugural edition of the
Deaflympics The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athl ...
. The Games were held in Paris, France, from 10 to 17 August 1924, as an equivalent to the
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...
for deaf athletes. They were organised on the initiative of deaf Frenchman Eugène Rubens-Alcais, who, just after the Games, co-founded the
Comité International des Sports des Sourds Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) is the apex body organizing international sports events for the deaf, particularly the Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf). It is also called the International Committee of Sp ...
with other "deaf sporting leaders"."Deaflympics: About"
/ref> (Rubens-Alcais had previously founded France's first sports federation for the deaf and mute, in 1918.) The 1924 Games were "the first games ever" for athletes with a disability, preceding the
World Wheelchair and Amputee Games In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
in 1948, which became the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
in 1960 but which did not include events for deaf athletes."A brief history of disability sports"
''Disability News'', vol.7, issue 2, 15 January 2010
These First Silent Games were held just two weeks after the end of the
1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The o ...
, also in Paris. The Games for the deaf were "modelled on the Olympic Games"."The Silent Games"
Foundation of the Hellenic World
Nine countries, "including six official national federations already in existence", sent 148 athletes to compete, in seven sports: athletics, road cycling, diving, football,
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles ...
, swimming, and tennis. Demonstration events were also held in gymnastics. Not counting gymnastics, a total of 31 events were held. Specifically, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Poland "already had a sports federation" for the deaf, while Italy, Romania and Hungary each sent one athlete despite having no such federation yet. There were 147 male athletes, and only one female athlete: Hendrika Nicoline Van der Heyden, of the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. She "competed" alone in the 100m backstroke event for women in swimming, completing it in 2:03.6, which set a world record. It was the only
walkover John_Carpenter_was_disqualified,_prompting_his_teammates_John_Taylor_(athlete).html" ;"title="ohn_Carpenter_(athlete).html" ;"title="Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres">men's 400 metres running in a walkover. America ...
, as there were at least two competitors in each of the men's thirty events (three competitors in all but one)."Paris 1924 Games results"
Deaflympics
The host country, France, dominated, winning sixteen of the seventeen events in athletics; the sole exception was the javelin throw, where Belgian
Nicolas François Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
came first ahead of Frenchman Raymond Code. Frenchman Émile Van den Torren won the most events overall, coming first in the 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres in athletics. France also swept up all three gold medals in cycling, the only gold medal in shooting, one of the two gold in tennis, and won the football competition. By contrast, the six swimming events were much more open; France won none, and the six gold medals were shared between the Netherlands,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
(competing as "Great Britain"). The British also won one of the tennis events: the men's doubles. The Games were deemed a success, and a second edition was held four years later in Amsterdam, with 212 athletes from ten nations – including, this time, fourteen women. (Amsterdam also held the Olympic Games that year.) With the 1924 Games being the first in a regular series, the International Games for the Deaf were established as "the second oldest international multi-sport event in the world", after the Olympic Games."Deaf Sports & Deaflympics Presented to the International Olympic Committee"
, Japanese Federation of the Deaf, September 2008


Sports


Athletics

Seventeen
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
events were held, exclusively for men in the absence of any female competitors. Sixteen gold medals were won by France, and one by Belgium. World records were set in every event. Athletes from seven countries (France, Belgium, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Latvia, Romania) took part.


Cycling

Three events were held, all in road cycling: the men's 1,000 metre sprint (won by Frenchman
Paul Lambert Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town. Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-ol ...
in 15.2; the men's individual time trial (won by Frenchman
Théodore Saliou Théodore is the French version of the masculine given name Theodore. Given name * Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny (1798–1871), French landscape painter and engraver * Théodore Anne (1892–1917), French playwright, librettist, and novelist * Théo ...
in 34:07.0); and the men's individual road race (won by Frenchman
Paul Boussin Paul may refer to: * Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
in 5:07:44). No records were set. A total of six athletes took part: four from France and two from Belgium.


Diving

A single event was held in diving: the men's 3m springboard. Two British and one Dutch divers competed. British diver G.E. Rimmer is recorded as the winner, with no specifics as to his performance.


Football

The competition was won by the host country, with Great Britain finishing second and Belgium third. (No other details are recorded, other than the names of the players.)


Shooting

The single event was the men's army rifle, 200 metres. There were seven participants: four from France and three from Great Britain. Frenchman
René Bapt René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminine ...
won with 23 points, a comfortable lead.


Swimming

There were five events for men, and one for women. Italian Roberto de Marchi won the men's 100m freestyle with a world record time of 1:31.4, and the 1,500m freestyle in 33:36.4, also a world record. Dutchwoman Hendrika Nicoline Van der Heyden, the lone competitor in the women's 100m backstroke, set a world record time of 2:03.6. The men's equivalent event was won by her compatriot W.J. Brinkman, whose time is not recorded. Brinkman also won the 200m breaststroke, in 4:29.6, which was not a world record. The British team won the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay with a world record time of 7:45.8. Swimmers competed from four countries: Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and France.


Tennis

Pierre Rincheval Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
of France won the men's singles, while the doubles went to
Owen Bevan Maxwell Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
and H. Hyslop of Great Britain. Great Britain, France and Belgium were the three nations competing.


Participating countries

The number in parentheses indicates the number of athletes. Hungary is listed as having sent a single athlete, Alexander de Szalay, but he does not appear listed in any of the events. Only European countries took part. This remained the case until the fourth Games, in 1935 in London, when the United States became the first non-European country to compete."Games"
Deaflympics
*
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
(26) *
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(66) *
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
(34) *
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
( 1) *
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
( 1) *
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
( 1) *
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(13) *
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
(5) *
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
( 1)


Medal tally

France dominated the Games on home ground. Italy's lone representative, swimmer Roberto de Marchi, won gold in both the events he took part in, placing his country fourth on the medal table. Belgium's gold medallist was
Nicolas François Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
in the javelin, who just prevented the host country from making a clean sweep of all seventeen gold medals in track and field. Poland's sole medal, a silver, was won in the 4 × 400 m relay in athletics. There are more bronze medals than silver overall because, although no bronze medal was awarded in the pole vault, two bronze were awarded in each of the two tennis events.


References


See also

{{Deaflympics Deaflympics
Deaflympics The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athl ...
Multi-sport events in France International sports competitions hosted by France
Deaflympics The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athl ...
International sports competitions hosted by Paris 1924 in Paris August 1924 sports events Parasports in France