New Artifacts from the 2024 Olympic Games
During the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Olympic Museum expanded its collection with the addition of 120 new artefacts from various countries and disciplines, ensuring the preservation of these significant items for future generations.
Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland
Photo Courtesy of the Olympic Museum
Although the 2024 Olympic Games have concluded, visitors can still experience highlights from the event at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Located in Ouchy, Lausanne, in southwestern Switzerland along the shores of Lake Geneva, the museum is dedicated to the spirit of Olympism. It showcases the history of the Olympics and features a wide range of artifacts from various Olympic Games, including memorabilia from different disciplines, the torches used in Olympic ceremonies, video clips of iconic Olympic moments, stories of Olympians and, of course, clothing and personal items belonging to athletes.
Artifacts from the 2024 Olympic Games: Sprinter Julien Alfred’s outfit, Mongolian delegation’s outfit at the opening ceremony and a basketball signed by the USA men’s team
Basketball signed by the USA men’s team from the finals
The uniform worn by the Mongolian delegation at the opening ceremony
These artifacts are collected from members of the Olympic community throughout the Games, with a large portion donated generously by Olympians themselves. This year alone, the museum acquired 120 new pieces. Among these acquisitions are: the uniform worn by the Mongolian delegation at the opening ceremony, the leotard worn by Rebeca Andrade (Brazil), the jersey of Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), a basketball signed by the USA men’s team from the finals, the outfit of Julien Alfred (St. Lucia), the first medal from Saint Lucia, the jersey of Veddriq Leonardo (Indonesia) from speed climbing, a racket used by Novak Djokovic (Serbia), the leotard of Darja Varfolomeev (Germany), Andy Macdonald’s helmet (Great Britain), the oldest skateboarder in Olympic history at 51 years old, the shoes of wrestler Mijaín López Núñez (Cuba), Caroline Marks’ surfboard (USA), and the arrows of Damien Letulle (France), the first Olympian archer (Atlanta 1996) and Paralympian (Paris 2024). Additionally, the “Golden Voyager” from the closing ceremony, designed by Kevin Germanier, is now part of the collection.
Artifacts from the 2024 Olympic Games: Skateboarder Andy Macdonald’s helmet, Wrestler Mijaín López Núñez’s shoes, Archer Damien Letulle’s arrows and Novak Djokovic’s tennis racket
British skateboarder Andy Macdonald’s helmet
Just as the Olympic Games capture the universal spirit of unity, the artifacts housed in the museum provide a glimpse into the diverse cultures of every participating country. As Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, stated over a century ago: “Je voulais apposer à la rénovation des Jeux Olympiques une empreinte qui ne soit pas française, latine ou européenne mais universelle.” This translates to: “I wished to put a mark on the revival of the Olympic Games which was not French, Latin or European, but universal,” emphasizing his vision of using Olympism to unite the world.