Henri II, Count de Baillet-Latour (1 March 1876 – 6 January 1942) was a Belgian aristocrat who served as the third president of the International Olympic Committee. His presidency, from 1925 until his death in 1942, covered a turbulent period in which the modern Olympic Movement expanded but also confronted growing political tensions in Europe.

Background

Baillet-Latour was born into Belgian nobility and retained a prominent social role in his homeland. Contemporary accounts describe him as a conservative Catholic and a figure who valued continuity and tradition in sporting life. He was associated with public and sporting institutions in Belgium and remained based in Brussels throughout his life.

Role in the Olympic Movement

He succeeded Pierre de Coubertin as president and helped steer the IOC during the interwar years. Under his leadership the Olympic Games took place in Amsterdam (1928), Los Angeles (1932) and Berlin (1936). Baillet-Latour argued for keeping politics separate from sport and sought to preserve the autonomy and rituals of the Olympic Movement even as international tensions rose.

His tenure saw both organizational consolidation and the limits of the IOC's influence when governments intervened. The outbreak of the Second World War led to the cancellation of the scheduled Games in 1940 and 1944 and disrupted the institution he led.

Controversy and legacy

Baillet-Latour's handling of the 1936 Berlin Olympics and of relationships with authoritarian regimes has been a subject of historical debate. Critics argue that his insistence on political neutrality allowed the Games to be used for propaganda; defenders emphasize his aim to protect the Olympic charter and the continuity of international sport. After his death, the IOC leadership passed to others who faced the challenge of postwar reconstruction.

  • Full name: Henri II de Baillet-Latour.
  • Dates: Born 1 March 1876; died 6 January 1942 (reported heart attack in Brussels).
  • Position: Third President of the IOC (succeeded Pierre de Coubertin); often referenced as the third President.
  • Nationality: Belgian.

Although opinions differ on his decisions, Baillet-Latour remains a central figure for understanding how the IOC navigated the complex political landscape of the 1920s and 1930s and for the institutional continuity that carried the Olympic Movement into the mid-20th century.