Following the presentation of the award-winning entries from the 2026 International Olympic History Youth Competition, the European Olympic Academies are pleased to showcase four more outstanding posters created by Young Olympic Ambassadors from Albania, Armenia, Latvia, and Ukraine.
Although each poster tells a unique national story, they share a common theme: the evolution of Olympic sport through profound historical and political changes. Together, these works illustrate how athletes represented their nations under different empires, later within the Soviet Union or other political systems, and ultimately under the flags of their independent states.
The Albanian poster by Riselda Leba traces the country’s Olympic journey from its debut at the Munich 1972 Games, through two decades of isolation, to its return to the Olympic Movement after democratic reforms.
On the other hand, Diana Khachatryan´s Armenian poster presents a broader historical perspective, beginning with Armenian athletes competing within the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union before following the country’s path to Olympic participation as an independent nation after 1991.
Latvia’s contribution celebrates the remarkable career of race walker Jānis Daliņš, one of the country’s first Olympic heroes. Rēzija Ābeļkalne and Roberts Krūzbergs explore how his achievements became a symbol of Latvian sporting identity long before the restoration of national independence.
Finally, the Ukrainian poster by Victoriia Bielik connects different generations of Olympians—from the country’s earliest Olympic pioneers to modern champions—illustrating the continuity of Ukrainian Olympic heritage across changing historical periods and the enduring strength of national identity.
“One of the greatest achievements of the International Olympic History Youth Competition is that it encourages young people to look beyond political history and discover the enduring power of the Olympic Movement to connect generations and nations.”
Prof. Maria Bulatova, EOA Vice-President and ISOH Executive Board Member
Together, these posters demonstrate how Olympic history is closely intertwined with the history of nations themselves. Through careful research and creative visual storytelling, Europe’s Young Olympic Ambassadors continue to preserve and promote the rich Olympic heritage of their countries.
Stay tuned for the the third and final part of our series on the 2026 International Olympic History Youth Competition and check out Part 1 if you haven´t yet!
