1948 London Olympics Participation Medal

1948 London Olympics Participation Medal

This participation medal from the 1948 London Olympics was presented to Roy Garforth, a member of the Great Britain water polo team, who was 30 years old at the time. Great Britain were knocked out in the group stages of competition, with Italy going on to win the gold medal.

The medal is an object that is associated with the dawn of the Space Age - as the late 1940s saw the world's Superpowers begin to experiment with rocket technology and space travel. The 1948 London Olympics coincided with the beginning of the Cold War, as countries came to terms with the aftermath of the Second World War. America and the Soviet Union positioned themselves in ideologically opposed positions and the race to conquer space began. Both countries sought to take advantage of German rocket technology, as they began dreaming of space travel. The London Olympics were carried out in the face of these changing twentieth century political dynamics. The USSR was invited to participate, but chose not to send any athletes.

Olympic participation medals have been given out ever since the first modern Olympics in 1896, with a different design for each host city. The 1948 London Olympics saw a circular bronze medal with “XIV Olympiad, London, 1948" written above a London skyline, depicting the Houses of Parliament. This was based on the same design from the 1908 London Olympics done by Sir Bertram Mackennal. The other side of the medal depicts a chariot being driven by a victorious Olympian.