museum origins 

The Olympic Museum Barcelona originally opened in 2007, right next door to the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic. In 2010 it was re-named the Olympic and Sports Museum Joan Antoni Samaranch in honour of the man who brought the Olympic Games to the city in 1992.

History Games

The XXV Olympiad in Barcelona is often cited as the Games that marked the beginning of the modern era. There were no boycotts, Germany competed as a unified country, South Africa was welcomed back to the Olympic family and with the break up of the USSR, the Baltic states, amongst others, competed as independent countries.

Dream Team baby!

Highlights from the competition included the American basketball ‘Dream Team‘ featuring NBA greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippin, Clyde Drexler and John Stockton.  Vitaly Scherbo from Belarus won 6 gold medals in the gymnastics, 4 of which came in one day.

In the 10.000m black athlete Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) who won Gold, waited at the finish line for white runner Elana Meyer (South Africa) and they both did a lap of honour holding hands and in a display of pure determination British 400m specialist Derek Redmond, who blew a hamstring 250 metres into his semi-final, hobbled, with the help of his Dad, the last 150 metres to finish the race. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Really cool stuff

Inside the museum itself is a collection of Olympic and sporting items, from shoes to motorbikes. It is a great chance to get up close and personal with all things Olympic. There are also several interactive exhibits and a large space used for promotional events