Alice Milliat, mother of the Olympics

Alice Milliat fought for women to participate in the Olympics. In 1912, the visionary father of the Games, Pierre de Coubertin, thought that having women in the Olympics was 'impractical, uninteresting, ungainly and, I do not hesitate to add, improper'.

Milliat led a movement for female sports in France, organised international competitions against all odds and helped four editions of the Women's Olympics to prove that women could participate in many more sports than they were allowed. Paris 2024's gender parity is part of her legacy.

Scripted & Produced by: Laura Garcia and Anna Bressanin

Archivist: Cagney Roberts

Edit: Ellenoor Shameli