The Frenchman Gets Star Treatment in a Dynamic Display of the Network of American Allies Who Rallied to His Vision and Helped Launch the Modern Olympic Games
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum (USOPM) and the U.S. Pierre de Coubertin Committee (USPCC) today announced the opening of “Genius of Sport,” celebrating the life and enduring legacy of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Movement.
“Genius of Sport” presents fresh details about Coubertin’s extensive travels in the United States in 1889 and 1893 and the remarkable network of American allies who rallied to his cause. These supporters included two U.S. presidents and the presidents of several of America’s most prestigious colleges and universities, including Princeton, Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Yale, the University of Chicago and Berkeley, among others.
The exhibition features original content created by Olympic historian, writer/filmmaker and U.S. Pierre de Coubertin Committee founder George Hirthler, whose work includes the Genius of Sport nonfiction biography, a 2025 Georgia Author of the Year honoree. Originally opened in Paris as part of the 2024 Cultural Olympiad, “Genius of Sport,” presents the full story of Coubertin’s life and legacy with a significant expansion of content focused on his U.S. travels under the banner of “Coubertin in America.” Images are available here.
“‘Genius of Sport’ is a meaningful addition to our galleries, offering visitors a deeper look at the early development of the modern Olympic Movement,” said Marisa Wigglesworth, USOPM chief executive officer. “We’re pleased to bring this work to Colorado Springs—Olympic City USA—and to share another perspective on the people and ideas that shaped Olympic history.”
Specific exhibition elements on view in the USOPM include:
- Multiple timelines including Coubertin’s life and career, Games-revival milestones and details about the first four decades of the Olympic Games (1896 to 1936)
- A new floor-to-ceiling map illustrating Coubertin’s 12,000-mile journey in two legs—in 1889 and 1893—including illuminating notes on university visits from coast-to-coast
- A case of artifacts from USOPM’s collection, including first editions of Coubertin books, one with a personal inscription, plus1896 memorabilia including the first Olympic medal of the modern era
In addition to the USOPM exhibition, “Genius of Sport” offers a nonfiction biography of the same name, and a series of four-short films covering Coubertin’s early life on YouTube. Hirthler’s content was created with input gleaned through 30-years of research and close collaboration with the Coubertin Family Association, the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (IPCC) and the USPCC.
Following the USOPM debut, which will be on display through December 2026, the USPCC is planning to take the exhibit on a road trip following Coubertin’s footsteps to the colleges and universities that welcomed him on his two trips to the U.S. as well as sites and cities in which Coubertin’s Olympic influence took shape during the last 130 years, eventually reaching Los Angeles in the spring of 2028 to help celebrate the next edition of the Olympic Games. Tour details will be announced in late 2026—museums and universities interested in hosting “Genius of Sport” should contact the USPCC through the website Coubertin.us.
“It’s impossible to overstate Pierre de Coubertin’s global impact and it’s quite inspiring to see how America’s academic community rose up in support of his vision on those two long trips across our country,” said Hirthler. “Thanks to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, the origin story of Team USA and the Olympic Games takes on new meaning here.”
“We are delighted to join the USOPM in presenting the extraordinary story of Coubertin’s American allies and their efforts to help launch the modern Olympic Games,” said Gary Rhodes, president of the USPCC, “Following this bold, inaugural initiative, we’re looking forward to sharing this story with colleges and universities across the country in the lead up to LA28.”
For more information from the Paris 2024 exhibit visit the original Genius of Sport website: GeniusofSport.com
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