Étienne Pénard

Étienne Pénard is a Lecturer at the University of Angers (UCO) within the Faculty of Sciences, affiliated with the IFEPSA research team. His primary research focuses on the history of sport and the Jewish communities of France, particularly their socio-cultural engagement through sport between the late 19th century and 1948. He holds a Doctorate in Sports History (STAPS) from the University of Rennes 2 (2020) and teaches courses such as 'History of Sport and the Contemporary Movement' and 'Methodology of Research.'

Research interests include Jewish athletes' experiences during WWII, the role of sport in Jewish identity formation, and the intersection of antisemitism and sport. He has organized major conferences like the 2024 Sports History Crossroads and authored/co-authored over 35 publications, including a 2020 thesis on 'The "People of the Book" at the Crossroads of "Muscular Judaism": French Jewish Communities and Sport (Late 19th-1948).'

He is a member of the editorial board for Sciences sociales et sport and the French Society for Sports History (SFHS). Awards include the 2016 Prix Pierre Arnaud for doctoral research excellence. Current projects include a history of the Stade Français football club funded by the club itself and the VIPS² laboratory.

His work bridges sport history with Jewish studies, examining how sport served as both a site of resistance during persecution and a means of cultural preservation. Recent studies explore women's sport participation in interwar France and the legacy of Maccabi clubs in Zionist movements.