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8 moments from Olympic Games history

Vintage photography from the summer Olympic Games

por
Adrian Murphy (se abre en una nueva ventana) (Europeana Foundation)

The 2016 Olympic Games came to a close last night in Rio de Janeiro with an energetic closing ceremony.

2016's Games saw history being made. Teams such as Puerto Rico, Singapore and Bahrain won their first gold medals. New World and Olympic records were set, and many athletes achieved personal bests.

Cultural heritage collections across Europe feature many Olympic Games stories, so we have selected phtoography showing 8 moments from Olympic history.

Black and white photograph, a group of people sitting in a field watching a race pass by

1896 - Athens

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1986 in Athens, Greece. In this photograph, we see spectators in a rural landscape watching the marathon race.

Black and white photograph, a gymnast doing a handstand on a bar in a stadium

This photograph also comes from the 1896 Athens Olympic Games.

It shows German Jewish gymnast Alfred Flatow during a routine in the Panathinaiko Stadium. Flatlow was a champion in 1896, winning gold in the parallel bars competition and silver in the horizontal bar competition. He was also a member of the German team that won the parallel bars and horizontal bar events.

black and white photograph of four female swimmers standing beside a pool

1912 - Stockholm

The 1912 Olympic Games were held in Stockholm, Sweden and were the first to include swimming and diving competitions for women.

This photograph shows the Great Britain team who won the 4 x 100m relay swimming race. The team was made up of Jennie Fletcher, Belle Moore, Annie Speirs and Irene Steer.

The first ever individual gold medal for an Olympic swimming competition for women was won by Australian Fanny Durack.

In Stockholm, the 5000m men's final was held on July 10.

This photograph shows the dramatic end of the race, when Finnish athlete Hannes Kolehmainen overtook French athlete Jean Bouin at the last moment.

Kolehmainen set a world record with his victory. He went on to win 3 more Olympic gold medals: in the 10000 metre and cross country races in 1912 and in the marathon in Antwerp in 1920.

Black and white photograph, a group of male athletes beginning a race in a stadium with a crowd watching

1920 - Antwerp

The 1920 summer Olympic Games were held in Antwerp, Belgium.

This photograph shows the beginning of the men's marathon. The race was won by Hannes Kolehmainen (in the photograph above) whose victory gave Finland its first ever Olympic marathon medal.

Black and white photograph, athletes jumping over hurdles in a race

This photograph shows the 110 metres hurdles race during the Antwerp Olympic Games.

The gold medal was won by Canadian athlete Earl John Thomson who set a world record. Americans Harold Barron and Frederick Murray came second and third.

Black and white photograph, a diver diving downwards with his arms outstretched

Diving events at the 1920 Olympic Games were held at the Stade Nautique d'Antwerp.

This photograph shows British diver Harold Clarke, who finished ninth in the plain high diving event. He also competed at the 1908 and 1924 Olympic Games.

Black and white photograph, an athlete running with a baton

1968 - Mexico City

The 1968 Olympic Games were held in Mexico City.

This photograph shows Heinz Erbstößer, an athlete from East Germany who was part of the 4x100 metre relay team. Despite leading the race, the team struggled with the final baton exchange and eventually finished in fifth.

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