Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two demonstration matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee currently credits Great Britain, France and Belgium with gold, silver and bronze medals respectively as part of its attempt to reconcile early Olympic Games with the modern award scheme. The football matches were held at the Vélodrome de Vincennes in Paris. The matches were held at the Vélodrome de Vincennes in Paris. In the first game, the British
Olympic Games ceremony then became the first Winter Games to hold competitions before the opening ceremony. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the Opening Ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. Most of these rituals were canonized at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The artistic program is what creates the idiosyncratic element of each ceremony. Coubertin's initial vision of the Modern Olympics featured both athletic competitions and artistic achievements. As the modern Olympics have evolved into a celebration of sport, it is in the opening ceremonies that one can see the most of Coubertin's ideal. The opening