Olympic Museum

Yesterday (Tuesday the 11th), we had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The first stop on the tour was an exhibit about the history of the Olympic torches. The first torch was used in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. There has been a different torch to in every game since then to carry the Olympic flame from Olympia, Greece to the host city.

After that we were able to see the evolution of the games from the ancient Greek times to the modern games that we are accustomed to see. After that we were taken through a timeline of the modern, with many fun facts and interesting stories from each respective game. The museum itself contained too many things to be listed in this blog, so instead we shall detail a few of my favorite exhibits.

The second floor of the museum contained a full glass case containing the gold, silver and bronze medal from the modern times. It was quite a sight to see the evolution of the medals as they progressed in size and ornateness. The museum also offered a fun interactive section that let us compare our time off the starting block to Usain Bolt and take part in a reflex test that Olympic athletes do.

One final highlight was a video clip of some of the more memorable opening ceremonies. We personally enjoyed the ceremony from 1996 in Atlanta when Muhammad Ali lit the torch. This was a clip that many people on the trip found particularly moving.

These bloggers also feel the need to mention a local favorite panini stand (Chez Pippo) outside the train station where we befriended the workers George and Jacque. Thats all from us for now, more updates from classmates to come.

Kyle McKee & Paul Ryan