47 Historical Images From Past Olympics That Are Genuinely Wild To See Now

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5. Female archers competing in the National Round at the 1908 London Olympics:

Women in period costumes practicing archery on a grassy field with targets in the background, circa early 20th century

6. Dorando Pietri — a marathon runner from Italy — on the verge of collapse and being helped across the finish line:

Dorando Pietri, wearing a running bib, is assisted by officials across the finish line during the 1908 Olympic Marathon in a crowded stadium

7. Howard P. Drew, an American track and field athlete dubbed “the first great Black sprinter” traveling to Sweden for the 1912 summer Olympics:

A man in a suit holds an American flag, with two other men in suits in the background. All three wear boater hats. Names of individuals are not known

8. A crowd gathered at the pier, watching American athletes sail into Stockholm:

A historic photo shows a large crowd of people in hats gathering at a dock to welcome the arrival of a ship

9. Italian rowers Ercole Olgeni and Giovanni Scatturin celebrating their gold medal win with a kiss at the 1920 Games in Belgium:

Two rowers in a boat on a lake lean towards each other as they row. They wear sleeveless athletic tops with a cross emblem

10. The Canadian ice hockey team scoring a goal against the United States at the first winter Olympics in 1924:

Historic ice hockey game played outdoors on a snowy landscape with spectators in the background. Players are seen in action near the goal. No names provided

11. The first ever Olympic Village at the 1924 games in France:

The image shows the entrance to the Olympic Village with a sign reading "Village Olympique" and a street lined with buildings. People are visible in the background

12. American runner Betty Robinson winning the women’s 100-meter dash in 1928, making her the first woman to win a gold medal in a track and field race:

Historic photo of 1928 Amsterdam Olympics: female athletes running a sprint. The image shows competitors giving their all as they approach the finish line

13. The torch being lit during the opening ceremony of the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin:

Jesse Owens lighting the Olympic flame at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in front of a large crowd and Nazi swastika flags

14. American track and field athlete Jesse Owens — who Hitler refused to congratulate — winning gold for long jump:

Athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos give the Black Power salute on the Olympic medal podium while Peter Norman stands on the left at the 1968 Olympics

15. A make-shift radio station set up in the St. Moritz Hotel to cover the Games:

Two men work with old radio equipment in a room with floral wallpaper. One man sits at a desk, speaking into a microphone, while the other adjusts a machine

16. The lighting of the torch at Wembley Stadium in London for the Summer Olympics in June of 1948:

A female athlete lights the Olympic cauldron at an outdoor stadium filled with spectators. A large sign reads: "The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part."

17. Australian swimmer Murray Rose signing autographs at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics:

A shirtless young man signs autographs for enthusiastic fans who are holding out books and papers

18. The aftermath of a brawl that broke out during the final moments of a water polo game between the USSR and Hungary, dubbed the “Blood in the Water” match:

A man in swim trunks and a swim cap, bleeding from a head wound, is being assisted by another man in a suit

19. Crowds inside Blythe Arena at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California:

A large crowd at an outdoor event under a tent with the Olympic rings hanging and snow-covered mountains in the background

20. A protest during the opening ceremony of the 1960 Summer Games in Rome due to the Olympic committee forcing Taiwan to complete as “Formosa” rather than “The Republic of China”:

The 1964 Olympic Games Korean team, all in suits, marches with one member holding a sign that reads "UNDER PROTEST" in a stadium filled with spectators

21. American track and field star Wilma Rudolph crossing the finish line during the 100-meter dash semi-finals in Rome:

Wilma Rudolph crossing the finish line in a track race, wearing a USA uniform. Crowd cheering in the background

22. Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila running the marathon barefoot:

Runner Abebe Bikila holds a torch while leading a marathon. Crowd watches from the roadside at night. Another runner follows close behind wearing bib 185

23. Austrian soldiers carrying snow to the slopes in Innsbruck, Austria — which hosted the 1964 Games — due to a shortage of snow and ice:

Four unidentified individuals carrying large baskets on their backs walk up a snowy incline beside a netted slope. Pine trees are visible in the distance

24. The lighting of the cauldron at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo — the first games to be held in Asia:

A person lights the Olympic cauldron at an opening ceremony, attended by a large crowd in a stadium with tiered seating

25. Two American athletes — Tommie Smith and John Carlos — raising their fists in a Black Power Salute during the U.S. national anthem after being awarded their respective gold and bronze medals for the 200-meter race during the 1968 Games:

Tommy Smith and John Carlos raising fists in protest on podium, 1968 Olympics, with Peter Norman standing at second place

26. Sally Welford modeling a uniform worn by guides during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, which combined aesthetics of Indigenous Mexican art with ’60s psychedelia:

Woman in a futuristic outfit with bold geometric patterns poses with arms extended in front of a background displaying Olympic rings

27. The U.S. basketball team (above) vs. the USSR team (below) reacting to the controversial outcome of the men’s basketball final at the 1972 Olympics, in which the USSR won by one point, taking home the gold:

Top image: USA basketball players sit on the bench covering their faces after a game. Bottom image: Soviet basketball team celebrates in a pile on the court

28. Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci on the balance beam at the 1976 Olympics in Canada. She was the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0:

Multiple exposures of a gymnast performing a routine on a balance beam in a crowded arena, showcasing dynamic and graceful movements

29. Queen Elizabeth II and her son, Prince Edward, watching Princess Anne compete in a cross-country equestrian event at the 1976 Olympics in Canada:

Queen Elizabeth II stands outdoors holding a camera, wearing a headscarf and a light trench coat. A young boy in a cap and jacket stands behind her

30. And here’s Princess Anne competing:

Two images: The first depicts a rider guiding a horse through a water obstacle in an equestrian event. The second shows a rider on horseback, with an assistant adjusting the horse's bridle

31. Polish pole vaulter Władysław Kozakiewicz reacting to his gold medal-winning and world record setting-performance at the 1980 Moscow Olympics by flashing the crowd this “up yours” gesture that later became known as “Gest Kozakiewicza”:

Athlete celebrates after a successful pole vault at a crowded stadium

32. The “Miracle on Ice,” in which the underdog U.S. men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union’s team and went on to win the gold at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York:

Members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team celebrate on a podium with American flags after winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

33. U.S. swimmer Greg Louganis hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminary dive for the three-meter competition at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Louganis got a concussion from the incident but still went on to compete in the finals, where he successfully executed a “Dive of Death” and won the gold:

An athlete performs a diving maneuver mid-air over a pool, wearing a swim cap, diving board wrist guards, and swim briefs

34. American runner Florence Griffith-Joyner celebrating her gold medal win in the 100-meter final at the 1988 games. She set a world record for both the 100-meter and 200-meter events, which still stand all these years later:

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is mid-air in a long jump at a track and field event, wearing athletic gear with her arms raised. Crowd in the background

35. British runner Derek Redmond being assisted by his father after tearing his right hamstring 150m into his semifinal race at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona:

Derek Redmond, in tears and wearing athletic gear, is helped by his father, who is in a casual outfit after an injury during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics

36. Members of the U.S. men’s basketball “Dream Team” at the 1992 Olympics celebrating their win. They took home the gold and are considered by many to be “the best basketball team of all time”:

Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and David Robinson celebrated on a podium, wearing Team USA warm-ups with medals. Jordan holds a USA flag and gestures a peace sign

37. American figure skater Tonya Harding crying as she leaves the ice in the midst of her 1994 free program performance:

Tonya Harding, dressed in a detailed figure skating costume, looks distressed and holds her chest while standing on an ice rink

38. U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan (left) — who Harding and her husband had tried to sabotage from reaching the Olympics that year — winning the silver medal:

Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, and Chen Lu on the podium holding bouquets and wearing medals after a figure skating competition

39. U.S. gymnast Kerri Strug being carried by her coach, Bela Karolyi, during the team competition. Strug injured her ankle after landing poorly in her first vault attempt, but continued on despite her injury and scored a 9.712:

Kerri Strug is being carried by her coach Béla Károlyi after her vault performance at the 1996 Olympics. Strug is wearing a gymnastics leotard

You can watch Strug perform despite her injured ankle below:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7VzDDLumYYU?autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&controls=1&disablekb=0&enablejsapi=1&fs=1&hl=en&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&playsinline=0&mute=0&start=0&modestbranding=0&showinfo=0&embed_config=%7B%22adsConfig%22%3A%7B%22nonPersonalizedAd%22%3Atrue%7D%7D&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com&widgetid=1Team USA / Via youtube.com

40. Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the 1996 Summer Games held in Atlanta, Georgia:

Muhammad Ali, wearing a white outfit, lights the Olympic torch at the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, with a large structure and crowd in the background

41. North and South Korea marching as one at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia:

A man and woman, both in formal attire with orange ties, are walking and waving while the man holds a flag. A crowd is visible in the background

42. 22-year old swimmer Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea competing alone in the men’s 100m freestyle event after his two competitors — Karin Bare of Nigeria and Farkhod Oripov of Tajikistan — were disqualified for false starts:

A swimmer is diving into a pool from the edge to begin a race. The pool has several lanes separated by red and yellow lane markers

43. Brazilian long-distance runner Vanderlei de Lima being shoved into the crowd during his marathon run by an audience member, “defrocked Irish priest” Cornelius Horan:

Athlete Vanderlei de Lima is grabbed by a man in traditional Irish clothing during the 2004 Athens Olympic marathon

44. Jamaican runner Usain Bolt after winning the men’s 100m final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing:

Usain Bolt kissing his gold running cleats at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, wearing a sleeveless yellow outfit with "Jamaica" printed on it

45. U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps reacting to his win in the men’s 100m butterfly race, which awarded him his seventh gold of the Games:

Michael Phelps celebrates in a pool, water splashing around him, wearing a swim cap and goggles

46. Usain Bolt running in the 100m semifinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics:

Usain Bolt running ahead of competitors in a sprint race at a track event

47. And finally, Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D’Agostino helping each other after a collision during the women’s 5000m race at the 2016 Rio Games:

Nikki Hamblin helps Abbey D'Agostino up after a fall during a race, then they hug post-race. Both are wearing athletic attire with race numbers visible

You can watch the collision — and how they expertly handled it — below:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/r_CfENkPzX4?autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&controls=1&disablekb=0&enablejsapi=1&fs=1&hl=en&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&playsinline=0&mute=0&start=0&modestbranding=0&showinfo=0&embed_config=%7B%22adsConfig%22%3A%7B%22nonPersonalizedAd%22%3Atrue%7D%7D&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com&widgetid=3Olympics / Via youtube.com

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