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This article offers a comparative history of the Alternative Olympic Games staged during the inter-war period, focusing on the issues surrounding the organization of the Maccabiah Games, the Women’s Games, the Workers’ Olympiads, and the Spartakiades. These sporting events emerged as a result of the conservatism of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which struggled to envision a world of sport that was truly inclusive and open to all. The study reveals the rationale behind the location of the Olympiads, as well as the difficulties encountered by the movements in organizing competitions. While, in terms of their format, these competitions took much inspiration from the Olympic Games and drew on Olympic protocol, they stood out for their eminently political nature.