Des toges sur la pelouse - Olympian and French national hero, Jean Bouin

Alexandre François Étienne Jean Bouin (21 December 1888, Marseille – 29 September 1914, Xivray-et-Marvoisin), French middle-distance runner. He competed in the 1500m at the 1908 London Olympics and the 5000m at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. 

With George Hébert at left.

With Melchior, marquis de Polignac, member of the International Olympic Committee and the financial backer of the Collège d’athlètes.  

With George Hébert. (Two images.)

These first images were taken in October 1913 when George Hébert's Collège d’athlètes in Reims, France, was inaugurated by the French president, Raymond Poincaré. Its director Hébert was a pioneer and innovator in the field of physical education, and the Collège was a facility which focused on his new form of training, called la méthode naturelle. Olympian Jean Bouin was the celebrity guest and demonstrator.

Bouin won a silver medal in the 5000m in 1912, behind Finnish runner Hannes Kolehmainen; his race against Kolehmainen has long been regarded as one of the most memorable moments in running. Kolehmainen and Bouin quickly pulled away from the others, with Bouin leading and Kolehmainen repeatedly trying to pass him. Kolehmainen succeeded only 20 meters from the finish, winning by 0.1 seconds. Both contenders broke the previous world record. Bouin set three more world records: two in 1911, in the 3,000m and 10,000m, and one in 1913, in the one-hour run (19,021m).

With Hannes Kolehmainen. (Three images.)

At the beginning of WWI, he enlisted, and only two months into the war, serving as a corporal in the 163rd Infantry Regiment, he was killed in action - struck in the chest by a grenade splinter - during the First Battle of the Marne. According to the French authorities, his last words were, “Vive la France," and his death was used as propaganda to bolster morale. But it's actually unknown whether he was killed by the enemy or by friendly fire. He was only twenty-five.

Since his death, many games have been held in his honor, as well as having sports stadiums named after him, including the the Stade Jean-Bouin in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, home of the Stade Français rugby union club. And a French commemorative stamp honoring him was issued in 1960 in conjunction with the Rome Summer Olympic Games.