Ian Smart on The Olympics
Ian informed us that one of the traditions of past Olympics was the swapping of pins with people from other countries. This did not happen in Tokyo, due to Covid restrictions.
Ian and Evelyn went to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and took 50 Australian pins with them. They exchanged the pins with other people and attached them to an Akubra hat, which he showed us. He attracted much interest, which resulted in a 17-year-old girl and her girlfriend coming to Goolwa to stay for a month. Her parents then asked Ian and Evelyn back to Catalonia for a month.
Ian then showed us a book produced for that Olympics, the Games of the 25th Olympiad. In the book were a lot of photos, but not one of an Australian athlete. The only Australian to appear in the book was of a man wearing an Akubra hat – Ian Smart.
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