100 years of sports with L'Equipe

The modernity of photographs and of sport is the thread running through these 100 photos covering the century. 100 years, 100 sporting moments, 100 snapshots chosen by “L’Equipe” It is not the archiving of events with its encyclopaedic, backward-looking, stock-taking constraints, but the visual impact that certain events, moments, individuals and places leave on the mind: 1936, Jessie Owens, four times olympic champion, black, American, against the backdrop of Nazi madness. 1964 Anquetil and Poulidor ascending the Puy de Dome neck and neck in Gaullist France. 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, raising their fists at the Olympic games in Mexico. Cassius Clay immortalised by Neil Leifer more in a gesture of anger than victory. Barthez and Ronaldo during the 1998 World Cup final. This iconic codification which was established at the beginning of the century still exists. Certain photos have become icons, their universal impact recalls an emotion linked to an event, to a powerful moment. Powerful in its expression and testimony.

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This journey is in the company of recognised photographers: Lartigue, Kertesz, Riefensthal, Rodtchenko, Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau and contemporary photographers who specialise more in sport: Leifer, Burnett, Vandystadt, Martin and talented anonymous photographers. These 100 photos cover a century of sport, inevitably leading to a partial and hence biased selection. Subjectivity is called for, and therein lies the power of the image as one’s visual memory is fashioned by certain images. Objectivity, duty of memory, for the most significant photos will ultimately be the ones that are remembered.

The ‘10 photos of the century’ were chosen by an international jury made up of photographers: Rene Burri (Magnum) - President, Franco Fontana, Yann Arthus-Bertrand; of sports people: Anton Geesink (1964 Olympic judo champion), Guy Drut (1976 Olympic champion), Nawel el-Moutawakel (1984 Olympic champion) and journalists: Jerome Bureau (L’Equipe), Werner Koester (Sport Bild), Juan Manuel Bueno (Marca) .

Exhibition organised in conjunction with the magazine "L’Equipe" and the Olympic museum of Lausanne

Bernard Fournier