Henri de Baillet-Latour

His Excellency Count Henri de Baillet-Latour
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3rd President of the International Olympic Committee
In office 1925–1942
Preceded by	Pierre de Coubertin Godefroy de Blonay (Acting)
Succeeded by	Sigfrid Edström
Personal details
Born	(1876-03-01)1 March 1876 Brussels, Belgium
Died	Brussels, Belgium
Nationality	Belgian

Count Henri de Baillet-Latour (in French: Henri, comte de Baillet-Latour; March 1, 1876 – January 6, 1942) was a Belgian aristocrat and the third president of the International Olympic Committee.

De Baillet-Latour became a member of the IOC in 1903 and later co-founded the Belgian Olympic Committee. He was one of the organisers of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, awarded the previous year. Despite the short notice and Belgium's condition following the recently ended First World War, the Games were considered a success.

De Baillet-Latour was elected IOC President after the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin, became Honorary President in 1925. He led the IOC until his death in 1942, when he was succeeded by Vice-President Sigfrid Edström.

In June 1939 the IOC voted unanimously in favour of Germany organising the 1940 Winter Games, replacing Japan that had returned the right to organise the 1940 Games. He argued that the decision in favour of Nazi Germany that had occupied the Czech rump state three months before showed the IOC's independence of political influences.

References

• IOC profile
• Ski lodges for Hitler

Literature

• Stefan Huebner, Pan-Asian Sports and the Emergence of Modern Asia, 1913-1974. Singapore: NUS Press, 2016, chapter 1-2 (on Baillet-Latour, Olympism, and Asia).

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

Civic offices
Preceded by Pierre de Coubertin Godefroy de Blonay (Unofficial)	President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 1925–1942	Succeeded by Sigfrid Edström
Preceded by Sigfrid Edström	President of Organizing Committee for Summer Olympic Games 1920	Succeeded by Pierre de Coubertin