PERSHING STADIUM

On Sunday, August 20, 1922, the first Women's World Games were held at the Pershing Stadium, in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes.

The organization of these Games by Alice Milliat and her new federation, the FSFI, demonstrates her determination to create opportunities for female athletes. More than 20,000 spectators attended this historic event, which marked a turning point in the perception of women's sport. It was also a key step in the recognition of women's athletic abilities, which were largely underestimated at the time.

Only one sport is on the program: athletics. No fewer than 77 athletes, representing five nations (England, the United States, France, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia), gather to compete in 10 events.

The event was a resounding success, with 11 world records broken, testifying to the excellence of the competitors and their potential, which was still largely underestimated at the time.

The triumph of these Women's World Games allowed them to be held every 4 years, alternating with the Olympic Games, which at that time remained mainly reserved for men.

This stadium is the symbol of the first truly international sporting event exclusively for women, a direct response to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) refusal to include women in Olympic competitions.

A commemorative plaque was inaugurated in 2022 by the Alice Milliat Foundation, the Town Hall of the 12th arrondissement and the Paris City Hall, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Women's World Games organized by Alice Milliat in 1922.