In the Olympic Oath, I ask for only one thing: sporting loyalty.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True success in sports comes from the joy of the effort and the inherent beauty of the activity, not from vanity or personal gain.
This quote by Pierre De Coubertin emphasizes that a genuine athlete's passion lies in the love for the sport and the fulfillment they derive from their efforts. When an athlete's focus shifts to ego, fame, or other self-serving interests, their true spirit of competition fades, and they cease to embody the ideals of sport.
Themes
SportsHappinessEffortVanityIdealCompetition
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech for young athletes.
More from Pierre De Coubertin
All quotes →Success comprises in itself the seeds of its own decline and sport is not spared by this law.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
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 CoubertinRead
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.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
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.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair play', and on the other hand by aesthetics, that is the cultivation of what is beautiful and graceful.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
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