The Olympic Games, celebrated for bringing together the world's best athletes in a wide range of disciplines, continue to exclude motor sports. It's a questionable absence, especially in the light of the 1900 Paris Games, where motorized events were an integral part of the Olympic program.
Motorized sports at the Olympics, a retrospective :
124 years ago, Paris hosted its second Olympic Games, and motorized sports were an integral part of the program. Sixteen events were organized for automobiles and motorcycles, divided into two distinct categories: the Paris-Toulouse-Paris race and the reliability events. The former, a multi-stage time trial on open roads, foreshadowed modern rallying. Georges Test, riding his De Dion motorcycle, won this race with average speeds of 58.56 km/h, 57.12 km/h and 51.60 km/h over the various stages.
Reliability tests required motorcycles to complete 70 laps per day over five days on the Lac Daumesnil circuit (12ᵉ arrondissement of Paris). For our information, brothers Eugene and Michel Werner stood out by winning this category, alongside Rochet and Petit.
It's worth remembering that motor sport, in the form of rallying, was twice presented as an unofficial discipline (without medal awards) at the Olympic Games in Germany, in 1936 and 1972.
The reasons behind the absence of motor sports from the Olympic Games
Despite this legacy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has long banned motor sports from Olympic competition, arguing that performance depended essentially on mechanical propulsion, meaning not enough on the physical capabilities of the athletes, and that the equipment was not fair. Although this reference was removed from the Olympic Charter in 2007, motorized sports, including motorcycling, have not returned to the Olympics since. It has to be said that the question never really arose. And yet, each country organizing the Olympic Games has the possibility of choosing four sports it wishes to introduce for its edition. Thus, motorcycling could very well have been part of the Paris 2024 Games, although this would have been comical in view of the measures recently taken against two-wheelers.
For the Paris edition of the 2024 Olympic Games, four additional disciplines are present: surfing, climbing and skateboarding, which already made an appearance at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as breakdancing. The latter replaces karate, a decision that is still being debated today, especially as France's athletes include the reigning Olympic champion in the -67 kg class, Steven Da Costa. According to Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, the decision to strip the martial art of its Olympic status is justified by "the identity of these sports, which are young, accessible and connected with their time, in line with the vision of Paris 2024".
Is it utopian to envisage the future of motorsports at the Olympics?
The possibility of motor sports returning to the Olympic Games raises a number of questions. The availability of drivers at the height of the season and the establishment of standardized equipment to guarantee fairness are major issues. The ecological dimension also comes into play, making disciplines such as MotoE and electric trials particularly attractive. The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), already recognized by the IOC, could play a decisive role in this eventual reintegration. With the right steps, the return of motor sports to the Olympic fold could become a reality.
In short, while the inclusion of motorcycling in the Olympics remains a matter of debate, motorsport enthusiasts can look forward to seeing the discipline shine once again under the five Olympic rings.
Who said there would be no motorcycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Now we'll have to make do with the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games to see a motorcycle on parade. Tom Cruise has been spotted many times in the stands since the start of the fortnight. Much earlier in the year, the actor was spotted on the streets of Paris, at strategic points such as the Saint-Georges metro station, the Pont Bir-Hakeim and Avenue Carnot. Riding a motorcycle with a white flag on the back and no helmet, the "Mission Impossible" actor caught the attention of the media and social networks, prompting numerous comments.
At the end of the artistic part of the ceremony, we can expect the "American show" to begin. According to rumors, millions of viewers (24 million in France for the opening ceremony) will discover an eight-minute sequence starring Tom Cruise, filmed between Paris and Los Angeles. The 61-year-old actor, known for performing his own stunts, will abseil down from the Stade de France to make the transition between Paris 2024 and "LA 28".
