Olympians
Inspire new generations – Contribute to the Olympic Heritage Collections
Donate your sports equipment
“Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement. By donating their sports equipment to the IOC and The Olympic Museum, they are sharing a key moment of Olympic history with the public. These objects bear witness to incredible achievements, extraordinary stories, and intense emotions. They perpetuate the Olympic dream and embody the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship upheld by the athletes on the field of play and beyond.”
IOC President Thomas BACH
Questions and answers
How can I gift my sport equipment to the IOC heritage collections?
A team responsible for collecting Olympic heritage will be on site in Paris, from 26 July to 11 August 2024. To donate a piece of your sport equipment you can contact the team at heritage@olympic.org.
It is essential that you hand over your equipment to the IOC yourself. Alternatively, you can ask a trusted member of your entourage (e.g. your coach, agent, Chef de Mission, etc.) to do so on your behalf. During the Games you can leave your donated item at the IOC office located at the NOC Relations Center of the Olympic Village. We can also collect equipment from other sites at your convenience.
What can be donated to the IOC heritage collections?
The items we value the most are those that help tell your story and the story of the Olympic Games. We invite you to donate:
- competition apparel (shoes, bibs, bodysuits, gloves, helmets, etc.)
- equipment used in events (rackets, skates, protective clothing, wax, bicycles bobsleighs, etc.)
- outfits worn at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
How does the IOC ensure the preservation and display of donated equipment?
The IOC will guarantee the preservation of your donated equipment. It will be looked after with the utmost care in the best possible storage conditions, all with the aim of ensuring that the Olympic heritage is passed on to future generations.
There are many ways in which the emblematic items donated by athletes can be displayed:
- as part of permanent and temporary exhibitions at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne;
- in loans to partner museums, including the 32 members of the Olympic Museums Network;
- as part of travelling exhibitions around the world;
- in co-productions with world-renowned cultural institutions;
- through educational programmes promoting the Olympic values in Switzerland and abroad;
- in digital publications (via the internet, social media, and the Olympic Channel).
The item you donate bears witness to a moment in time. It is the symbol of an Olympic adventure that has the power to inspire new generations through the cultural and educational programmes that the IOC runs at The Olympic Museum and around the world.
Follow the lead taken by many Olympic legends and play your part in adding to a truly rich heritage, assembled over 125 years of Olympism.
Gallery
An overview of the donations received
Discover the IOC collection
With a stunning collection of athletes’ equipment, historical and audio-visual archives and other memorabilia, the IOC is the global custodian of the sporting, historical and artistic heritage of the Olympic Movement.
Words of Olympians
Organised by The Olympic Museum, “Words of Olympians” is a project comprising a unique collection of video interviews with Olympic athletes past and present, irrespective of their competition results.
By taking part in this extensive project, you will have the chance to speak about the various challenges you have faced in your life as an athlete: your early days in sport, your career, your life outside sport, and the contribution you wish to make to the heritage of the Olympic Games as an elite athlete.
Your interview will become part of the IOC’s heritage collections and, with your agreement, will also be shared via a range of media at exhibitions and events, and as part of educational projects.
More than 500 athletes of all ages and backgrounds have already shared their unique experiences as part of the “Words of Olympians” project.
Share your Olympic journey. Interviews take place during the Games.
Tel. in Paris +41 79 446 88 58
Learn more about this project, click the button below.
