L'Elan, Bronze sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland
L'Elan is a bronze sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland, showing five stylized athletes lifting a tilted plate with a circular opening. The dark figures lean and reach upward, their bodies linked as they support the plate above a low plinth.
Nag Arnoldi created L'Elan in 1994, the year the sculpture was cast by Fonderia Perseo in Mendrisio. It was later placed on the Quai d'Ouchy as part of the Olympic Museum's outdoor collection.
The work shows the moment the Olympic flag enters the stadium during the opening ceremony, with athletes carrying it aloft. Visitors often stop to photograph it as a symbol of the Games, and its placement near the museum connects it to the city's Olympic role.
The sculpture stands outdoors near the Olympic Museum, so you can walk up to it at any time. Approach from the lake side for a clear view of the figures and the plate they carry.
The sculpture exists in two versions: the large public piece and a reduced edition of 20, each signed and dated on the base. The smaller version is held in the museum's collection, giving visitors a chance to compare scale.
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