The Games of the XVIII Olympiad, or simply Tokyo 1964, entered history as the first Olympic Games with intercontinental television broadcast. Incredible moments were witnessed by millions of people across the world, such as the ignition of the Olympic flame by Yoshinori Sakadi, who was born on the day the atomic bomb destroying Hiroshima. The superiority of Larissa Latynina from Ukraine and Vera Caslavska from Czechoslovakia in artistic gymnastics, and the many medals won by the US swimming team would be forever remembered for decades to come.
But what also turns out to arouse a lot of fascination are the scenes beyond the cameras: the sports stories, preparations for the Games, the atmosphere outside the sports venues, and the Olympic Village. This is what an initiative of the Czech Olympic Academy wants to devote itself to. The online exhibition called “Golden Memories – Tokyo 1964” brings unique photographs out of dusty archives and shows images that have never been seen before. Fifty-seven years after Tokyo, this project is a fitting idea connected to this year’s envisioned Games. Originally planned as a travelling gallery, the project management has now decided towards an online version. The launch is scheduled for spring 2021.
Czech NOA President Alexandr Kliment expresses, “the digital format allows the exhibition to reach many more people.”
EOA President Manfred Laemmer welcomes this initiative. “There are many unseen photos in the archives of the European NOAs and NOCs, treasures that will rise to the surface through this project and re-tell the stories of Tokyo 1964. It’s a beautiful way to remember the Games.”
The Czech NOA has a unique set of photographs from 1964 depicting ordinary life during Tokyo 1964, which provides a useful starting point. The EOA is encouraging all NOAs in Europe to contribute photos to the Czech initiative. Please contact Alexandr Kliment at kliment@olympic.cz, who is in charge of the project.
