Officially, the Games from 1924 to 1965 were called the International Silent Games in English or Jeux Internationaux Silencieux in French....
The Games took place in Brussels, Belgium, for the first time in 1953, thanks to the support of Antoine Dresse and his network in Belgium.
473 athletes from 16 countries (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Saarland, Australia and the USA) participated in these Games with sports such as athletics, basketball, diving, swimming, football, cycling, shooting and tennis.
This was a record number of participants since the start in 1924
Notable facts were:
The Games took place in Brussels, Belgium, for the first time in 1953, thanks to the support of Antoine Dresse and his network in Belgium.
473 athletes from 16 countries (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Saarland, Australia and the USA) participated in these Games with sports such as athletics, basketball, diving, swimming, football, cycling, shooting and tennis.
This was a record number of participants since the start in 1924
Notable facts were:
- Mr Rubens-Alcais, the founder of the CISS (ICSD) stepped down as president after the 12th Congress after 29 years of service!
- It was the last time the Winter Games continued in the same year as the Summer Games.
- Thanks to Antoine Dresse (co-founder of CISS / ICSD) and his network, these Deaflympics could go ahead for the first time in Belgium
- A new sport was introduced at these Games: Water polo.
- For the first time, Australia joined with barely 1 athlete (Mr Newport in cycling).
- Germany and Saarland were also admitted to these Games (Saarland was a country with protected status in France after the loss of WWII and existed from 1947 to 1956).
- Yugoslavia began its supremacy in football at these Games with 4 consecutive wins (tem 1973 in Malmö).
- In the medal standings, we again saw a Scandinavian affair : Germany finished in 1st place with 40 medals (16 gold, 9 silver and 15 bronze). Norway surprised with 2nd place with 22 medals (6 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze) and Sweden finished in 3rd place with 22 medals (5 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze).
Belgium participated with 60 athletes:
- Athletics:
- Christian Goffé (°1927) : long jump.
- Etienne Goffé (°1931) : 100 m
- Mariette Rapetti (°1928) : 100 m (5th) and long jump (7th)
- Maria Van den Broeck (°1920) : shot put (4th) and discus throw (6th)
- Joseph Mine (°1926) : 800 m and Olympic relay.
- Emile Van de Walle (°1931) : 1,500 m and Olympic relay.
- Frans Van Roy (°1928) : 5,000 m
- Fernand De Neef (°1926): 400 m, 800 m and Olympic relay.
- Jozef De Langhe (°1925) : 5,000 m and 10,000 m.
- Amaat De Ro (°1935) : high jump and long jump.
- Jean Crabbe (°1930) : javelin throw (5th).
- Germain Werbrouck (°1934) : shot put and discus throw.
- Urbain Werbrouck (°1931) : 400 m.
- Basketball:
USA vs Belgium = 35-39
Belgium vs Finland = 60-27
Final : Italy vs Belgium = 31-48 (gold medal for Belgium)- Players : Pierre Buyens (°1935), Jean Crabbé (°1930), Isaac Dorn (°1934), Jean-Pierre George (°1931), Jean Hiroux (°1930), Antoine Lichtfous (°1929), Herman Smaers (°1933), Roland Van den Bogaert (°1936), Charles Van Laer (°1934), Victor Van Laer (°1927), Germain Werbrouck (°1934) and Urbain Werbrouck (°1931).
- Diving:
- Theodore Dewit (°19) : 1 silver medal ( 3-metre plank )
- Frans Callaerts (°1927) : 3 metre plank
- Shooting
- Roger Mayne (°1931) : 100 m (3x10 shots), 100 m (3x10 shots) & team competition.
- André Van de Binderie (°1931) : 100 m (3x10 shots), 100 m (3x10 shots) & team competition.
- Henri Gosselin (°1914) : 100 m (3x10 shots), 100 m (3x10 shots) & team competition.
- Tennis:
- Frederique Van Vyve (°1924) : 1 gold medal (singles) and 1 silver medal (doubles with Maria Fissers)
- Henri Rossignon (°1932) : singles + doubles (with Jean Vermeiren)
- Francois Ceustermont (°1926) : singles
- Jean Vermeiren (°1931) : Singles + doubles (with Henri Rossignon).
- Simonne De Groof (°1928) : Singles.
- Maria Fissers (°1929) : 1 silver medal (doubles with Frederique Van Vyve) + singles.
- Football:
Bronze medal (won in consolation final against France 3-1)
Belgium vs Austria = 1-0
1/2 final : BEL vs Yugoslavia = 2-5.- Players : Gerard Daveloose (°1926), Emile Basselet (°1922), Lucien De Maere (°1930), Pierre Francois (°1933), Christian Goffé (°1927), Etienne Goffé (°1931), Petrus Meert (°1929), Fernand Mostade (°1918), Emile Peers (°1925), Fernand Persyn (°1931), Auguste Rossignon (°1932), Willy Seeuws (°1924), Karel Smets (°1930), Gerard Sonneville (°1921), Fortune Stradiot (°19), André van Hoof (°1928), Henri Vercruyssen (1931°), Germain Verhelst (°1934), Louis Williame (°1916) and Marcel Yansenne (°1933).
- Cycling
- Maurits Milloen (°1925) : road race (6th).
- Lucien Hallard (°1924) : road race (8th).
- Georges Nemeghaire (°1918) : road race.
- Swimming:
- Theodore Dewit (°19) : 4x100m freestyle.
- Frans Callaerts (°1927) : 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
- Lily Hollevoet (°1934) : 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
- Willy Gulikers (°1924) : 100m backstroke and 3x100m medley.
- Alfons Willems (°1925) : 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 400m freestyle and 3x100m medley.
- Paul Van den Bosch (°1930) : 1,500 m freestyle, 200 m breaststroke and 3x100 m medley.
- Hippolyte Rasquinet (°1930) : 200 m breaststroke and 3x100 m medley.
