The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games is a free exhibition running at the Royal Opera House until 12 August.
This unmissable Olympic experience takes you through the history of the Games, with personal stories from 16 gold medal winning athletes, including Sir Steve Redgrave,Cathy Freeman, Olga Korbut, Jesse Owens, Balbir Singh and Aleksandr Karelin. Also on display are sports artefacts, historic photos, audio and film, medals from all the Summer Games since 1896 and all the Olympic Torches since 1936.
In the foyer of the Royal Opera House, you can also experience the heat and dust of Athens and discover the origins of the Ancient Olympic Games – which featured athletics, combat and chariot races. Over the centuries, many people tried and failed to revive the Games until Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympics in 1894 in Paris. He established the International Olympic Committee with the aim of drawing together sport, culture and education. At the heart of his vision were the key values still held by the Olympic Movement today: excellence, respect and friendship.
To complete the experience, you will also have the opportunity to have your photo taken with the London 2012 Olympic Torch! The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games runs throughout the London 2012 Games from 10am – 7pm each day (last entry is at 6.15pm).
