World Student Games 1923

Paris, France. The student festival that grew into the Universiade

Overview

Jean Petitjean organized the first World Student Games in Paris in May 1923, the ancestor of the modern World University Games. Student championships continued under several federations, with a rival Eastern bloc series during the Cold War, before FISU unified the movement and launched the Universiade name in 1959. The festivals have long served as a stepping stone, with countless Olympians winning student gold first.