Olympic House opens in Montreal today and the occasion is one of celebration that will culminate with the illumination of the iconic Olympic rings tonight.
Montreal has the honour of being the first location, beyond Athens and Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee‘s head offices, to be able to display the iconic symbol. It is to signify the legacy of being the first Canadian city to host the Olympics in 1976.
The celebration today, with over 250 former and current Olympic athletes in attendance, will formally open ‘Olympic House’. It is the cultural hub of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and people are welcome to visit, said Marcel Aubut, president of the COC. In the fall, the “Olympic Experience” centre will open and feature sports science and technology exhibits, allowing people to interactively learn about our Olympic history and present.
One of the big stars of the ’76 Olympiad, Nadia Comaneci, has returned to the scene of her great achievement in gymnastics. The world was amazed with her perfect scores and 3 gold medals. She said today that Montreal holds a special place in her heart.
The same might be said of the current head of the IOC; Thomas Bach is the only president of the IOC to have won gold at the games, and he did it in fencing, representing Germany in 1976.
Tomorrow the celebrating moves on to Toronto, when the Pan Am Games begin, with what people are saying will be, a spectacular opening ceremony
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