PARIS: Qatar Museums and 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum announced the opening of 'Olympism: More Than a Dream Exhibition, recording 40 years of Qatar's participation in the Olympics since 1984,' which will run until August 25, in Paris.
The exhibition is divided into 3 parts: the 1st part is a tribute to the Founder of the Modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin, and celebrates Qatar's gift of the first translation of Coubertin's Selected Writings into Arabic for the first time. The exhibition features iconic Olympic objects from the Museum's collection, from Muhammad Ali's left boxing glove from Rome 1960, hand-inscribed by the most charismatic of athletes, detailing his victories, to a rare Innsbruck 1964 Olympic torch used on the first occasion that the Olympic flame for a Winter Games was lit in Olympia, Greece birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games.
The 2nd part highlights key milestones in Qatar's progress as an Olympic nation, from its first participation at Los Angeles 1984 to Tokyo 2020. Foregrounding Qatar's continuous involvement in each subsequent Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics featuring milestone moments, memorabilia and medals from Qatar's first medal in 1992 to one of the two Tokyo 2020 Golds the exhibition shines a light on how the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship have been articulated in Qatar and across the MENA region.
On display is the bronze won by Qatar athlete Mohammed Suleiman in the 1500m at Barcelona, the first medal in the history of the Olympic Games to be won by a Gulf Country. The gold medal won by the Qatari Falcon' Mutaz Barshim at Tokyo 2020 is one of the highlights of the exhibition. In the high jump final, Qatar's Barshim and Italy's Tamberi both cleared a height of 2.37m but did not progress. In one of the most heart-warming moments in Olympic history, Barshim then made history by suggesting that the pair share the gold. This rare instance of athletes of different nations agreeing to share the same medal is a shining example of Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship.
The 3rd and final part explores Qatar's emergence as a global sporting leader and host, and its aspirations to host the Olympic Games in the future. Building on its long and successful track record as international sport host, Qatar now wishes to progress its Olympic dream.
Qatar Museums will for the first time present Pierre De Coubertin: Textes Choisis, Volume 1.