Sporting competitions run steadily through Monaco’s veins. From Formula 1 races to tennis to the Paris Olympics and the Tour de France, sports history has been made and remade throughout Monaco’s streets and sports venues for decades. Nail-biting tournaments, exhilarating wins, heart-wrenching losses, bond-forging teamwork and record-breaking results have all woven themselves into the tapestry of the Principality.
Tears and Cheers: Monaco’s Olympic Result
The six athletes who represented Monaco during the Paris 2024 Games experienced frustration, joy and hope. Some had their first taste of the Olympics, others had cut their teeth in Tokyo. Prince Albert II was always there, in the stands, cheering on Monaco’s athletes at the Games.
Winner of the single scull D final, rower Quentin Antognelli (29 years old) finished 19th. In Tokyo, he finished 15th. In Paris, however, the level of the competition was much higher.
The biggest surprise of these Games was Xiaoxin Yang’s defeat during her first match. 10th in the Olympic ranking and ranking 15th in the world, the table tennis player (36 years old) lost against Hana Matelová (2-4). Silver medalist at the European Games in Krakow in 2023, she will have to quickly turn the page to bounce back as best as possible.
Lisa Pou faces Heavy Current in the Seine while Prince Albert II Watches
In the presence of Prince Albert II, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and her boyfriend Ben-Sylvester Strautmann, the women’s 10 km swimming marathon was not a smooth ride.
The Seine hosted many swimming races during the Games, but on 7 August 2024, it wasn’t the quality of the water that worried competitors, but the current which was three times stronger than normal.
In the end, Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands won gold ahead of Australia’s Moesha Johnson and Italy’s Ginevra Taddeucci. Monegasque Lisa Pou finished 18th. The Monegasque swimmer came in 9th at the last world championships.
“I wasn’t 100 % physically, it’s true. But I still felt pretty good. The race did not go well. It was survival, from start to finish. I am very disappointed with my result,” said Lisa Pou, “…Finding myself with such a gap compared to first place is not normal.”
Théo Druenne (19 years old) did his best, after a few difficult weeks, with a time of 8:25.01 in the 800 metre freestyle. Happiness was in the air at the Stade de France for sprinter Marie-Charlotte Gastaud, who beat her personal best in the 100 metres (12.41) coming in 6th in her series. Finally, judoka Marvin Gadeau (23 years old) lost his first match to Cuba’s Granda (5th in the world, 2022 world champion).
“Our athletes have brought honour to the Principality,”— Prince Albert II
“Of course, we would have liked to see other results, not to mention medals. We thought we were going to be ranked a little better, but that’s sport,” said Prince Albert II, five-time Olympian from 1988 to 2002.
“The Olympic Games are a unique competition that goes well beyond sport. It’s quite unique. You must be able and know how to adapt to different racing conditions. We were able to see this for example with Lisa Pou, on the very difficult 10 km swimming marathon… But I am very proud of our participation overall. Our athletes have brought honour to the Principality. This experience will also allow them to better prepare if they want to take part in other major competitions and other Games,” said Prince Albert II.
Prince’s Grandfather, John B. Kelly Sr, Honoured at the Paris Olympics
To celebrate the centenary of his third gold medal in rowing one hundred years ago, at the 1924 Paris Games, ‘World Rowing’ honoured the grandfather of Prince Albert II with a reception at the Paris Olympics in the presence of the Sovereign, the Kelly family, Thomas Bach, IOC President, and Jean Christophe Rolland, president of World Rowing.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said that beyond this anniversary, the event also celebrated an Olympic family, with John B. Kelly Jr (bronze medalist in rowing at the 1956 Games), Prince Albert II, five-time bobsleigh participant at the Winter Games from 1988 to 2002 and Princess Charlène who represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (her team finished fifth in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay).
Prince Albert II presents the Gold Medal for Rowing
The Prince presented the Olympic medals to the winners of the double sculls at the Vaires-sur-Marne water sports stadium on 1 August. Representing Romania, Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache climbed onto the highest step of the podium, ahead of silver medalists Melvin Twellaar and Stef Broenink(Netherlands) and the bronze medalists Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch (Ireland).
Princely Couple attends the Olympic Gala at the Louvre
On the eve of the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène attended a dinner gala, organized by the International Olympic Committee and the French Presidency, at the Louvre Pyramid.
The next day, the Princely couple attended a reception for heads of state and government at the Elysee Palace, right before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Upon their arrival, the Prince and Princess were welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.
Then, Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella attended the extraordinary opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, which took place along the Seine, on Friday 26 July. For the first time in Summer Olympic history, the opening ceremony took place outside of a stadium.
Prince Albert II had the opportunity to sign the Olympic peace wall, as did the members of the Monegasque delegation. By the way, it was in Monaco that the 127th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was held on 8 December 2014. The Olympic Charter was modified by adding: “any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement”.
Final stage of the Tour de France began in Monaco for the first time ever
The Olympics in Paris created unexpected and exciting repercussions for Monaco. Every year since 1904, the final stage of the Tour de France has ended in Paris. But, because of the Olympics, the route had to be altered.
On 21 July 2024, in the presence of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène, cyclists departed from Port Hercule for the final stage of the competition. The race ended in Nice at Place Masséna: a 35 kilometre trek. Big crowds gave a festive atmosphere to the renowned competition. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) confirmed his third overall victory by coming in first place in the race from Monaco to Nice.
Snapshot of Monaco’s illustrious sporting history during Prince Albert I’s Reign
Over a century ago, during the reign of Albert I, Monaco’s place on the global sports scene truly began to solidify. At the beginning of the 20th century, the success of fencing, tennis and golf led to the development of infrastructure across the Principality. Athletic visitors would stay at the Hôtel de Paris to take advantage of the Mediterranean sunshine and play a few matches in one of Monaco’s new sports facilities.
On the esplanade below the casino, the first venue dedicated to fencing opened in Monaco in 1887. Little by little, the practice spread to several other locations throughout the Principality until the organization of the first Franco-Italian sword tournament in 1911. On the same esplanade, a field was built in 1881 to host a new sport that came from Great Britain: tennis.
The Hôtel de Paris built two clay courts in the middle of its garden in 1883. The Lawn Tennis of Monte-Carlo was created in 1897 and organized its first tournaments. On the roof of a large garage in Beausoleil, three courts, surrounded by small stands and a clubhouse, were inaugurated in 1921 under the name “Festa Country Club”. Then, in 1925, a wealthy American by the name of George Pierce Butler, pushed the SBM to acquire a few hectares in the Saint Roman district, in Roquebrune. This led to the birth of the “Monte-Carlo Country Club” in 1928, the current venue for the renowned Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
At the same time, a third worldly sport began to take off in Monaco: golf. Camille Blanc, the son of François Blanc, founder of the Monte-Carlo Casino and president of the SBM, succeeded his father, who died in 1877. He saw potential on Mont Agel, in the town of Peille and undertook an enormous project. A hundred workers cleared land and removed rocks by painstakingly carrying them on their backs and making way for a beautiful 18-hole course. Designed by golfer Willie Park Jr., the new sports site was inaugurated in 1911.
Only six months before the Great War, Prince Albert I, who played golf himself, took Baron von Schoen, German Ambassador, to the course in March 1914. What philosophical discussions did the two share in such a peaceful setting so close to the outbreak of a horrific war?
Monaco hosts the first Women’s Olympics in 1921
The 2024 Paris Olympics marked a significant milestone in sports history because it was the first time that all 32 Olympic sports achieved full gender parity. It’s been a long road for female athletes and Monaco played an unprecedented role in supporting Women’s Olympics. Over 100 years ago, in 1921, Monaco hosted the first international women’s sports meeting. Thanks to the determination of Prince Albert I with the support of SBM, the event quickly paved the way to the Monte-Carlo Women’s Olympics, which brought together hundreds of women and girls from all over Europe in 1921, 1922 and 1923. The program included athletics, swimming and team sports competitions for the first time, as well as gymnastics and rhythmic dance. Today, Monaco is recognized as a pivotal facilitator in women’s access to the Olympic Games.
Eye to the future: encouraging little ones to play sports
Prestigious competitions aren’t the only way Monaco fosters its sporting culture. “Sport for all” as both a leisure activity and in schools is a daily ritual across Monaco. Schools are equipped with swimming pools and gyms while students participate in tournaments and UNSS (National Sporting Union for Schools) competitions. These include rowing, athletics, gymnastics, team sports, fencing and climbing. There are about a hundred sports associations in Monaco, most of which receive support from the Prince’s government.
Sports culture in Monaco runs deep. From Princely games of golf, to swimming lessons for toddlers, to the Tour de France, to the Olympics, the Principality knows how powerful sports can be. The sporting world is a special place where the barriers of prejudice can melt away, where lifelong bonds are created, where history is made.
