Sport

Explore the heritage of sport across Europe

Sporting stories

Explore stories of sporting heritage from across Europe

colour team photograph of a rugby team who wear a red and white kit, with managers and non-players wearing suits
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Watch a documentary celebrating a half-century of sport

colour illustration of a cricket player holding a cricket bat
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Exploring the history of a Scottish cricket club

illustration of a rose and thistle with words England -v- Scotland on a purple background
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Reporting on a match from 1928 when Scotland's footballers were the Wembley Wizards

colour image of two men wrestling in white costumes watched by a crowd
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In the Canary Islands, wrestling is a traditional sport - part of the folklore of the islands

colour photograph of three silver trophies
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Appreciating the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race Trophies, contemporary silver masterpieces

cover of a booklet with word 'How to play the old course St Andrews' and a green silhouette of a golfer
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A guidebook for playing Scotland's finest golf course

black and white photograph of a crowd watching a football match, standing in front of a detailed scoreboard
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How antisemitism in post-war football matches in Hungary was portrayed by the Communist authorities

black and white photograph of group of people with a cow and plough
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Agricultural tests of skill and agility

black and white photograph of gymnasts in formation
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Denmark's first sports school was founded in 1920

colour painting with blue tones showing naked men swimming and sunbathing at a swimming pool
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Scandinavian and German art celebrating sport, bodies, nature, health, youth and strength

black and white photograph of a Latvian football team
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Discover the history of the Latvian national football team in the 1920s and 1930s

colour photograph of a silver medal with pink and yellow ribbon on which is word 'Friendship'
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Exploring the history of the tournament which promotes acceptance of sexual diversity

black and white photograph of a number of horses and jockeys jumping fences
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Discover the Irish roots of the first steeplechase race

black and white photograph, group of men playing quoits, one quoit is flying through the air
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Discover a traditional game played in villages across Yorkshire and other parts of the UK

vintage colour postcard with a sailing boat and rowing boat on a lake in front of a number of buildings and trees
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The history of an annual sailing race on Hungary's largest lake

colour photograph, a group of people walking along a road
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The Four Days Marches in Nijmegen are the world's largest multiple day marching sport event

black and white photograph, four male athletes with shamrocks on their sport shirts
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Irish sporting competitions in the 1920s and 1930s

colour illustration of athletes walking by a large number of flags on flagpoles with Edinburgh castle in the background
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Go Scotland! Exploring the history and archives of Commonwealth Games Scotland

colour photograph of three red and white sport shoes and one blue and white show, with a yellow background
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An icon of Hungarian sport, this is the story of shoe factory in Martfű

photograph of an Ancient Greek relief showing a young man playing with a ball
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Exploring links between football and ancient Greece and Rome

image with green background showing icon of comb and scissors, pestle and mortar, axe and parachute
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Hairdressing, pesto, logging and parachuting - 4 championships in sports you may not know

black and white photograph of a number of people on bicycles
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Cycling history of the Dutch city with the country's first bicycle path

black and white photograph, group of men with a rugby ball
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The story of how Salvador Dalí supported a Girona rugby team

black and white photograph, men in a row walking while holding large flags
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International sport competitions in the 1920s and 1930s for members of labour and workers associations

colour illustration of a Philips advert showing cyclists
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Striking illustrated advertising commemorating the 1948 London Olympic Games

black and white photograph, a man making boxing gloves
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Archive photographs bring us behind the scenes of WEHA, a German sports equipment factory

six young women lined up at the beginning of a running race
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Explore archive photographs of sporting activities at a girls school in Dublin

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Lonkero are Finnish long drinks invented for the 1952 Olympics

Sportspeople

Biographies and stories about athletes and teams

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Youngest-ever Olympic boxer, who survived the Holocaust

black and white photograph of a man in a canoe
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From a homemade canoe to Olympic silver

colour painting of gymnast Věra Čáslavská doing a gymnastics move
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Icon of Czech gymnastics who subtly protested Soviet invasion at the 1968 Olympics

black and white photograph, woman ice skating with her arms raised
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Champion figure skater who was the first Dutch gold medal winner at the Winter Olympic Games

sepia photograph of a woman standing side-on to the camera wearing a swim suit
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Irish-Australian who won the first women’s Olympic swimming medal

black and white photograph of Kay Espenhayn
Exhibition

German swimmer in the Paralympic Games who won multiple medals

grainy black and white photograph of Leone Jacovacci who flexes his arm muscles
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Afro-Italian boxer who was Italian champion in the 1920s, angering fascists

Black and white photograph of Knut Lundstrøm in an ice sledge
Exhibition

Norwegian Paralympian who won 21 medals across four different games

colour photograph of Kathleen McKane Godfree playing tennis
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Champion tennis player in the 1920s who won Olympic medals and Wimbledon titles

black and white photograph of Jesse Owens running
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The 1936 Olympic champion who battled poverty and racial bigotry with sporting success

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Władysław Kozakiewicz’s 1980 Olympics gesture

cropped black and white photograph of Dorando Pietri running
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How an Italian marathon runner won and lost the 1908 Olympic marathon gold medal

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Table tennis world champions from Vienna

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German boxer Max Schmeling was world heavyweight boxing champion of the world in the 1930s

Lilly Steinschneider wearing a pilot costume, she is holding her eye protecting goggles and her pilot cap in her right hand
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Hungary's first female pilot who conqueried the skies in 1912

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Hungarian Olympic gold medallist who survived the Holocaust and lived through the 1956 Revolution

black and white photograph portrait of Johnny Weissmuller who wears a swimming singlet
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From Olympic gold medal swimmer to Hollywood leading man

Colour photograph of Esther Vergeer playing tennis
Exhibition

Dutch tennis player who was unbeaten for more than 400 matches

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The history and heritage of Sport Lisboa e Benfica

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'Pancho' Puskás and the Hungarian 'Golden Team' of the 1950s who made their mark on Spanish football

Olympics & Paralympics

Explore histories of the Games

five Olympic rings in metal

Controversy and conflict in Olympic history

black and white photograph of female athletes in a race
Exhibition

Visit our exhibition and explore the stories of athletes from 125 years of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

black and white photograph, wheelchair user athletes parading in a stadium in front of large crowd
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Histories of the games for athletes with disabilities

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120 years of symbolising the games, host cities and sport

colour photograph of a brightly coloured toy dog
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Origins of the mascot that bring the Olympic spirit to life

The Olympic Games

Galleries

A  group of women standing in a circle with raised arms, performing at the gymnastic festival.
Gallery

Gallery of propaganda images for sport events where women had to confront idealised stereotypes of their bodies.

black and white photograph of a group of footballers who wear suits
Gallery

Photos, films and memorabilia showing Black footballers who have played in teams across Europe

circular pin with image of head of a bearded man with text in Greek and the number 1906
Gallery

Memorabilia that show support and remember sporting events through history

black and white photograph of a hurdler jumping over a hurdle
Gallery

Discover vintage photography of athletics, with track and field events, races and athletes from across Europe

black and white photograph of a number of female gymnasts in formation
Gallery

Discover vintage photographs from different times in history showing gymnasts from across Europe.

black and white photograph of 4 men holding a surfboard
Gallery

Explore images and films of surfing and windsurfing from cultural heritage collections across Europe.

painting of a man playing billiards or snooker
Gallery

Explore this gallery showing how artists have been influenced by and portrayed sports and games

photograph of a statue of a wrestler
Gallery

Explore these statues and sculptures inspired by sports, athletes and bodies in motion.

black and white photograph of a protest parade

Exploring the Olympic Games from a political viewpoint: protests, boycotts, controversies and conflicts

colour photograph of a football team wearing red football kits
Gallery

Explore vintage photography of football teams across Europe

black and white photograph, portrait of a man on see-saw like sport equipment
Gallery

In the early 20th century, people's passion for sport led to them having formal portrait photographs taken

Gallery

Posters from across Europe for sports and sporting events

Gallery

Sport, speed and snow

Gallery

Sporting venues from across Europe

Gallery

Celebrating sporting achievement in gold, silver, bronze and other materials

Gallery

Sport photography, memorabilia and artworks relating to rugby played by professional and amateur teams across Europe.