Paris 1924, Games of the VIII Olympiad. Athletics, 3000m steeplechase. Finns Vilho RITOLA 1st and Elias KATZ 2nd followed by Frenchman Paul BONTEMPS 3rd. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Amsterdam 1928, Games of the IX Olympiad. Athletics. Finns Vilho RITOLA and Paavo NURMI. The two great rivals traded medals in the distance events. RITOLA took the gold in the 5000m and silver in the 10000m. NURMI captured the silver in the 5000m event and the gold in the 10000m race. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Amsterdam, August 1928: David BURGHLEY from Great Britain (on the left), 1st, in action in the 400m hurdles.

Los Angeles, August 1932: medal ceremony for the 4x400m relay event: (L-R) the British team (David BURGHLEY, Thomas HAMPSON, Godfrey HAMPSON and Crew STONELEY), 2nd, the US team (Edgar ABLOWICH, William CARR, Ivan FUQUA and Karl FUQUA), 1st, and the Canadian team (James BALL, Philip EDWARDS, Raymond LEWIS and Alexander WILSON), 3rd. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Paris 13 July 1924, Games of the VIII Olympiad. Men's marathon: eventual gold medallist, Finn Albin STENROOS and the spectators at Pierrelaye point. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Paris 8 July 1924, Olympic Stadium of Colombes, Games of the VIII Olympiad. Men's athletics, 800m: gold medallist Douglas LOWE of England and silver medallist Paul MARTIN of Switzerland congratulate each other. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Paris 8 July 1924, Olympic Stadium of Colombes, Games of the VIII Olympiad. Men's athletics: (L. to R.) at the 200m finish: Americans PADDOCK, 2nd and SCHOLZ, 1st, British LIDDEL, 3rd, HILL of the United States, 4th, British ABRAHAMS, 6th and NORTON of the United States, 5th. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Paris 8 July 1924, Games of the VIII Olympiad. Men's athletics, long jump final: Edward Orval GOURDIN of the United States, 2nd. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections

Athens 1896, Games of the I Olympiad. Athletics: a competitor takes part in the high jump watched by the judges and the audience. Credit: IOC/Olympic Museum collections

Athens 1896, Games of the I Olympiad. Athletics: the Princeton University team's members: Francis LANE, Herbert JAMISON, Robert GARRETT and Albert TYLER. Credit: IOC/Olympic Museum collections/Albert Meyer

Credit: IOC

For further info., please visit http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=AT.