To mark the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, an exhibition has opened to honour some of the Isle of Man’s greatest sporting stars.
“Manx Olympians”, an exhibition featuring nearly 50 of the island’s athletes who took part in the Games, opened at the Manx Museum ahead of the opening of the Paris Games on 26 July.
Matthew Richardson, curator of Manx National Heritage, said the wonderful selection of images and objects on display showed that the island was “living way beyond its means”.
He added that the “highlight” was the gold medal won by Peter Kennaugh as part of the British cycling team pursuit at the 2012 London Olympics.
Since polo player Frederick Agnew Gill won a bronze medal in 1900, sports stars from the Isle of Man have been part of the British team at the Olympic Games.
The latest addition to the list is rider Yasmin Ingham, who was named to the eventing squad for the Paris Games on Thursday.
The exhibition also features rower Sidney Swann, who, despite becoming the island’s first gold medalist in 1912, has been “forgotten” by history, Richardson said.
Swann’s feat remained unmatched until Kennaugh’s victory a century later, while the island’s most famous sporting star, cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish, took silver in Rio in 2016.
Mr Richardson said that while these achievements were known to many people, there was a “long history” of lesser-known Manx Olympians like Swann.
“We tried to look back over the years and find out the stories that may not be so familiar to visitors,” he said.
He said the exhibition shows that the island is “living far beyond its means”.
He said that the island’s residents should be proud that in such a “small population” there are “so many people who have been successful at the Olympic Games”.
He added that Kennaugh’s medal was his personal highlight.
“An Olympic gold medal is not something you see every day, so we are very grateful to Peter Kennaugh for kindly lending it to us,” he said.
The free exhibition is open until February 2025.
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