The Language of the Olympics

With the 2010 Winter Games underway in Vancouver, viewers tuning into the Olympics are probably hearing more than one language spoken by the athletes, coaches, spectators and news correspondents. But what is the official language of the Olympics?

As it turns out, the Olympics has two official languages: French and English. These two languages are also the official languages of Canada, the host country. But some officials are making allegations that the 2010 Winter Olympics don’t feature enough emphasis on the French language — or any other language besides English.

The Modern Olympics

Many know that the first Olympics were held in Ancient Greece. But fewer people know that the Olympics as we know them now were revived in the late 19th century in France by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a historian and teacher.

De Coubertin was responsible for establishing the International Olympic Committee and planning the first sets of games, the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 1900 Olympics in de Coubertin’s hometown of Paris, France. This is why French was the first official language of the Olympics.

To this day, the International Olympic Committee presides over the Olympics, and their official charter states that French and English are its official languages and that all sessions of the IOC provide simultaneous interpreting services to accommodate speakers of French, English, German, Spanish and Russian.

Not Enough French?

Many French Canadians are protesting the dominant use of the English language in this year’s Olympics, particularly in the opening ceremony.

Leaders like Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff have spoken out regarding the lack of the French language in the Olympics. Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore told Canada’s CBC News, “I thought the opening ceremonies were brilliant, beautiful, spectacular on television, but there should have been more French. Period. Full stop.”

There have been so many complaints that Canada’s “language czar,” Official Languages Commissioner Graham Fraser, will look into the amount of French language used in the Olympics to see if there was a breach of Canada’s Official Languages Act, a law giving both French and English equal status in the country.

More Olympic Languages

All announcements made during the Olympics are made in either two or three languages: French, English and then the official language of the host country.

Despite only having two official languages, the Olympics are broadcast all over the world, with local commentators providing recaps and insights in many different languages.

Though he was French, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was more interested in the gathering of countries for an honorable competition than he was with language barriers. The motto he chose for the Olympics was “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” a Latin phrase meaning “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.”

De Coubertin also believed in the Olympics as a method of promoting peace among the competing countries and that the goal of the games was not to win, but to do your best among your peers, which he summed up best in a statement that is often repeated in both the French and English languages during the Olympics:

L’important dans la vie ce n’est point le triomphe, mais le combat, l’essentiel ce n’est pas d’avoir vaincu mais de s’être bien battu.

The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.