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The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well.

Pierre de Coubertin
Life Victory

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The Olympic Spirit is neither the property of one race nor of one age.
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Age Property Race Spirit
If he is knocked out of the competition, he encourages his brothers with his words and presence.
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Brothers Competition Words
The Olympic Games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them.
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Games Nations World
Sport is the habitual and voluntary cultivation of intensive physical effort.
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Effort
Olympism… exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, mind and will.
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Body Mind Will
Swifter, higher, stronger.
Pierre de Coubertin
The day when a sportsman stops thinking above all else of the happiness in his own effort and the intoxication of the power and physical balance he derives from it, the day when he lets considerations of vanity or interest take over, on this day his ideal will die.
Pierre de Coubertin
Balance Day Effort Happiness Interest Power Thinking Vanity Will
May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic Torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.
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Humanity Joy May Nations Understanding
The Olympic Games were created for the exhaltation of the individual athlete.
Pierre de Coubertin
Games
Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of a good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.
Pierre de Coubertin
Effort Example Joy Life Principles Respect Value
A country can truly call itself sporting when the majority of its people feel a personal need for sport.
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Country Majority People
All sports for all people.
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People Sports
The Olympic Movement gives the world an ideal which reckons with the reality of life, and includes a possibility to guide this reality toward the great Olympic Idea.
Pierre de Coubertin
Idea Life Possibility Reality World
Success comprises in itself the seeds of its own decline and sport is not spared by this law.
Pierre de Coubertin
Law Success
In the Olympic Oath, I ask for only one thing: sporting loyalty.
Pierre de Coubertin
Loyalty
For each individual, sport is a possible source for inner improvement.
Pierre de Coubertin
Improvement
All sports must be treated on the basis of equality.
Pierre de Coubertin
Equality Sports
The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
Pierre de Coubertin
Fighting Games Life Winning
Sport must be the heritage of all men and of all social classes.
Pierre de Coubertin
Men
The important thing in life is not to triumph but to compete.
Pierre de Coubertin
Life
Sport is part of every man and woman’s heritage and its absence can never be compensated for.
Pierre de Coubertin
Absence Man Woman
Sport must be accessible to working class youth.
Pierre de Coubertin
Class Youth
Racial distinctions should not play a role in sport.
Pierre de Coubertin
Play
In no way can sport be considered a luxury object.
Pierre de Coubertin
Luxury
The Games were created for the glorification of the individual champion.
Pierre de Coubertin
Games
The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.
Pierre de Coubertin
Games Humanity
Holding an Olympic Games means evoking history.
Pierre de Coubertin
Games History
For me sport was a religion… with religious sentiment.
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Religion Religious Sentiment