Olga’s Gold Medal is Coming Home!
by Zdeněk Škoda
The discus gold medal won by Olga Fikotová-Connolly at the Melbourne Olympics 70 years ago has been brought back to Prague and is set to go on public display at the National Museum.
It was brought ‘home’ by her daughters Merja and Nina.
This exceptional item has never been exhibited before and will be made permanently accessible to the public for the first time starting in June this year in the New Building of the National Museum as part of the exhibition “History of the 20th Century.”
The medal is a small part of her personal collection of thousands of photographs, and press clippings documenting the entire sporting career of Olga Fikotová-Connolly. Included are photo albums and small personal items.
The arrangements were made by Jaroslav Olša Jr., former Czech honorary consul in Los Angeles, and Jan Lomíček, head of the Department of the History of Physical Education and Sport at the National Museum.
In 1956, the story of Olga Fikotová-Connolly caught the imagination of many around the world. It crossed the boundaries of the Iron Curtain when she won the discus at the Melbourne Olympics where she met American hammer champion, Harold Connolly. Their romance became a symbol of hope during the Cold War—despite political obstacles of the time, they were granted permission to marry. She was also given permission to leave Czechoslovakia and settled in the United States.
Former ISOH President David Wallechinsky interviewed her in later years and his appreciation of her life can be found in JOH 2-2024.
More details on the opening of the exhibition will follow in the summer edition of the Journal of Olympic History.
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