Olympics through the ages on display in London

Up to 400 artefacts, video and graphics will be on show in a free exhibition called "The Olympic Journey: the Story of the Games" at the Royal Opera House between July 27 and Aug. 12.

It will form part of a Cultural Olympiad which aims to channel enthusiasm for the Games into cultural creativity, especially among young people.

The definitive list of items has yet to formalised with the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, but it will include all the medals since 1896 and Olympic torches since 1936.

Lausanne is home to about 100,000 artefacts including Olympic sprint champion Bolt's Jamaican vest, the running shoes worn by Emil Zatopek on his way to winning the 1952 Helsinki marathon and the Olympic torch used at the 1936 Berlin Games.

"The exhibition is about the story of the Games … it brings it to life through the athletes' stories," said Jonathan Edwards, who won Olympic gold in Sydney in the triple jump and retains the world record.

"There is the personal view but it also emphasises the Olympic values, the spirit as well as the history."

The artefacts have been built up over the years through donations and purchases at auctions, and the London exhibition, backed by oil giant BP, will be the biggest outside Lausanne.

"Our mission is to keep the items alive," said museum director Francis Gabet.