SUMMER UNIVERSIADES

The Summer Universiades have been held since 1959, and their precursor were the first World Student Games (Paris 1923) established by Jean Petitjean. These Games were to be called the University Olympics, but the IOC president Pierre de Coubertin vetoed the name maintaining that the adjective “Olympic” was applicable exclusively to the Olympic Games.
Following their premiere in Paris in 1923, the World Student Games were then staged in Warsaw (1924), Rome (1927), Paris (1928), Darmstadt (1930), Turin (1933), Budapest (1935), Paris (1937) and Monaco (1939).
After the Second World War, the Games were renewed in 1947 as Paris hosted the first Summer World Student Games organised by the Prague-based International Students Union (ISU).
Influenced by the cold war, the following year witnessed the formation of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) whose first members were 19 West European nations, and soon some countries of South America and Asia.
Starting with 1949, the two student federations organised their respective Games – the ISU in Budapest (1949), in Berlin (1951) and again in Budapest (1954); and FISU in Merano (1949), Luxembourg (1951), Dortmund (1953) and San Sebastian (1955).
In 1957 both federations gave up the organisation of separate Games and invited their respective members to partake in the Parisian World University Sports Championship (30 August – 8 September 1957) marking the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the National Students Union of Paris. Those Games became known as the “Re-unification Games”. Two years later Turin hosted the first FISU-organised Universiade, and the name symbolises both universities whose students are athletes and the universality of the Games (in the meantime all ISU nations joined FISU).
Yugoslav student-athletes took part in the 3^rd Summer International University Sport Week in Dortmund in 1953 and competing in athletics, football and water polo medalled 4 golds, 4 silvers and 2 bronzes.
Yugoslav student-athletes appeared on the international scene again in 1957 and participated in the Re-unification Games in Paris where they competed in athletics and water polo and won a total of 10 medals – 3 golds, 3 silvers and 4 bronzes.
Yugoslav student-athletes took part in every Summer Universiades held so far and won 91 medals (26 gold, 37 silver, 28 bronze).