BBC Studios Documentary Unit has been commissioned by Olympic Channel to produce The Vault: Treasures of the Olympics.
The 10-part series explores the stories behind many of the artefacts held in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Presenters, Olympian Jeanette Kwakye (BBC Sport, The Martin Lewis Money Show) and engineering expert/presenter Rob Bell (Britannia: Secrets of the Royal Yacht, Rob Bell’s Engineering Reborn and Building the Impossible), are given unprecedented access to The Olympic Museum, where they hear from the Museum’s curators and many of the Olympic legends behind the stories.
The first five episodes will be released 31 July on Olympics.com, to help mark the one-year anniversary of the Paris Summer Games. The second half of the series will be released later in the autumn and will feature stories inspired by the Winter Olympics, ahead of Milano-Cortina 2026.
Each episode features an interview with a true Olympic legend. The summer episodes include the story behind how German weight-lifter Matthias Steiner won gold just months after losing his wife in a tragic accident; how diving gold medallist Greg Louganis overcame his HIV diagnosis to win gold; the incredible come-back of British rower Helen Glover; how current Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred became the first medallist ever from St Lucia and how Rebeca Andrade overcame two major injuries before surpassing the undefeated Simone Biles in Paris last Summer.
In the second part of the Season, the show hears from guests Gabriella Papadakis, Martin Fourcade, Fanny Smith, Aksel Lund Svindal and “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards.
The series will also show some of the rarest artefacts held in the Museum collection including the letter from the Mayor of Tokyo welcoming the 1940 Games, later to be cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second World War; the winning kit of the reigning 100m Olympic Champion, Julien Alfred and the preserved gold medal rowing boat from the 1924 Games
Kostas Karvelas, General Manager Olympic Channel Services said: “We are thrilled to bring these incredible stories to life and seamlessly blend the rich treasures of the Olympic Museum with the remarkable achievements of Olympians.”
Rowland Stone, Executive Producer said: “It’s a privilege to be part of such a thrilling and evocative retelling of Olympic history, realised in such a compelling and contemporary way. We’re delighted to make such a fitting tribute to the world’s greatest sports event.”
“Opening the doors to our most treasured Olympic artefacts and entrusting them to world-class storytellers was a perfect match,” said The Olympic Museum Associate Director Yasmin Meichtry.
Jeanette Kwayke said: “The Olympics has a rich and varied history, so it was fascinating to be able to go behind the scenes in the museum and see some of their rarest treasures. I was also honoured to meet some of my fellow Olympians and hear the truly unique stories behind their journey to the games.”
Rob Bell said: “Most of my hugely enjoyable documentary work centres on engineering and history. And that’s not by chance; I love to explore the whats whys and hows of the world. But possibly my biggest obsession of all is sport. And so to be let loose inside the Olympic Museum to film The Vault was one of the most exciting and fascinating experiences I’ve had in this career.
“The stories we cover are full of curiosity, wonder and emotion (with a dash of engineering and a healthy dollop of history thrown in for good measure) and the curators we had the privilege of speaking to are so incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their work – not to mention a lot of fun. It was a real honour to spend time with them and revel in this unique access to a world most people don’t get to see.
“When and wherever on the planet the Olympic Games are held, they always provide a little bit of magic and having filmed this series, I now feel a little closer to that magic and I’d be amazed if viewers of The Vault didn’t feel the same after watching it.”
The Vault has been produced exclusively for Olympic Channel by BBC Studios Documentary Unit.
The Vault: Treasures of the Olympics will be freely available worldwide on Olympics.com from 31 July.
Jon Creamer
Share this story
