The fittest, quickest, and most limber in the world will descend upon Paris—whether the locals like it or not—in three weeks, as the 2024 Summer Olympics officially kick off.
This isn’t the first time, however that the French capital city has played host to the Olympics. In 1900, the Games of the II Olympiad found a home in the City of Love as part of the World’s Fair.
But like many new ventures, the early iteration of the modern Games left some room for improvement. Events took place over the course of five months—as opposed to the 16 days it will take this year—and were conducted as part of the 1900 Exposition Universelle. It was so laughably promoted that many athletes who competed were entirely unaware that they were even Olympians, thinking instead that they were competing in typical athletic tournaments, perhaps tied to the World’s Fair.
