The Australian Sports Museum and the Rio Olympic Museum have been elected as the newest members of the Olympic Museums Network (OMN), bringing the network’s global membership to 37 institutions.
Both museums were elected during the OMN’s 19th General Assembly, held at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in February 2025. The Australian Olympic Museum becomes the first OMN member in Oceania, while the Rio Olympic Museum, a legacy project of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, becomes the third member from South America.
Angelita Teo, director of the IOC’s Olympic Museum and Chair of the OMN, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Australian Sports Museum as the first member from Oceania, further expanding our global reach and enhancing the diversity of the Olympic Museums Network. The inclusion of the Rio Olympic Museum, a key legacy project of the Rio 2016 Games, reinforces our commitment to celebrating the enduring impact of the Olympic Movement in Latin America and around the world.”
The Australian Sports Museum (ASM), formerly known as the National Sports Museum, opened in 2008 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Welcoming more than 175,000 visitors and students in 2024, the ASM is “committed to harnessing the unique power of sport to share Australia’s story”. With a collection of more than 60,000 objects, the ASM’s exhibitions celebrate all sports, by all Australians, across all times – with the Olympic Games playing a large part of that story. The museum’s popular “Olympic Gallery” highlights some of the most iconic objects in Australia’s Olympic history, including the Melbourne 1956 Olympic cauldron and the spectacular costumes worn at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Sydney 2000.
The Rio Olympic Museum (ROM), set to open in late 2025, is an exciting legacy project of the Olympic Games Rio 2016. Located on the upper level of the Rio Olympic Velodrome, in the heart of Barra Olympic Park, the 1,640m² museum stands as a symbol of the city’s ongoing commitment to sporting excellence. Designed to welcome up to 200,000 visitors annually, including 25,000 students, the museum uses interactive installations to tell the story of Rio 2016, from the bidding process to its lasting legacy.
ROM aims to be a dynamic educational platform, showcasing how Rio 2016 acted as a catalyst for social and environmental transformation in the city. It will feature a rich collection from Rio 2016, including the Olympic torch that travelled across Brazil. As a vibrant venue, the Velodrome will continue to host competitions and diverse cultural events alongside the museum.
Led by the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, OMN is an international member-based organisation dedicated to advancing the culture, heritage and legacy of the Olympic Games. United by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, respect and solidarity – OMN members bring together best practices in storytelling, collection stewardship and educational programming to inspire diverse communities worldwide.
See more at olympics.com and australiansportsmuseum.org.au
Image: © Rio Olympic Museum via IOC Media/Twitter