Editing 1912 Summer Olympics (section)

==Organization==
[[image:Baron Pierre de Coubertin.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Coubertin wanted the 1912 Games to be "more dignified" than those of 1908]]

The news that [[Stockholm]] was to host the 1912 Olympics was received with enthusiasm by the Swedish public.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} The organizing committee took de Coubertin's words to heart, and aimed to achieve an Olympic Games which removed those elements which detracted from earlier Games.<ref name="off10">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 10.</ref> The committee was elected in the autumn of 1909, with Balck voted as the President of the committee, and [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden|Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf]] selected as Honorary President. The committee's first meeting took place on 7 October, and on 11 October they delegated the arrangements for the individual branches of sports to the relevant governing bodies in Sweden.<ref name="off11">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 11.</ref> There were four exceptions to this, with the game shooting, [[modern pentathlon]] and mountain ascents retained by the Olympic committee, and the horse riding competitions being organized by [[Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland]], who was the inspector of the [[Swedish cavalry]].<ref name="off12">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 12.</ref> Altogether there were 187 members of these committees.<ref name="off13">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 13.</ref>

The official invitation to compete in the Games was issued on 18 November 1910 to 27 countries, either directly or through their representative on the IOC. A further 15 countries were to have been invited, but as they had no IOC representatives, the Swedish authorities were unsure how to proceed.<ref name="off23">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 23.</ref> Once the organizing committee for the Games received confirmation of the athletic associations in each of the 15 countries, they too were sent invitations.<ref name="off25">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 25.</ref> Some 61,800 entry forms were printed for the use of the various nations.<ref name="off26">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 26.</ref>

Free transport was arranged for the invited nations' equipment, and a discount of 50 percent was arranged for competitors and delegates on the state run railway.<ref name="off26"/> A daily newspaper which only covered the Olympics was arranged to be published during the Games, in both English and Swedish.<ref name="off27">[[#official|Official Report (1913)]]: p. 27.</ref> Further arrangements were made for the general arrival of visitors in order to entertain them whilst they were not at the Games; a [[pleasure garden]] was opened north of the Olympic Stadium, and a series of indoor tennis courts were converted into a restaurant.<ref name="off27"/>
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