The Olympic Creed

The creed, or guiding principle, of the modern Olympic Games is a famous quotation most often attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Where the words came from

Coubertin did not invent the idea out of nothing. The thought is usually traced to a sermon preached by the Right Reverend Ethelbert Talbot, Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, at a service held for the competing athletes during the 1908 London Olympic Games. Talbot told the gathered sportspersons that the real glory of the Games was not in winning the prize but in taking part well. Coubertin, who heard of the sermon, was struck by the idea and reshaped it into the words that have carried the Olympic creed ever since.

What it means

The creed tells every athlete - and every student of Physical Education - that effort and honest participation matter more than the final result. A competitor who trains sincerely, competes fairly and gives their best has already succeeded in the Olympic sense, win or lose, because the value of sport lies in the striving, not merely in the scoreboard. This is the same idea that runs through the value of Excellence and the theme of Joy of Effort studied earlier in this unit - the creed is really their shared foundation, stated as a single memorable line.

How it is used

The creed is quoted in Olympic literature and in the Olympic Charter's preamble, and has traditionally been displayed on the stadium scoreboard during the Opening Ceremony at several editions of the Games, so that it is one of the first ideas the athletes and the watching world see as the Games begin. …