History

  • Sunday August 24

    0030 Athletics - Men's marathon
    0630 Boxing - Six finals
    0730 Basketball - Men's final
    1330 Closing ceremony
    All times BST
Medals Table
G S B Tot
1 CHN 51 21 28 100
2 USA 36 38 36 110
3 RUS 23 21 28 72
4 GBR 19 13 15 47
5 GER 16 10 15 41
6 AUS 14 15 17 46
Olympic History

History Timeline

It all started in Athens in 1896...

Team GB

Competitor List

Take a look at the British athletes heading for Beijing

1924 - Paris

  • Paavo Nurmi: Two golds within hours.

    Paavo Nurmi: Two golds within hours.

The Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) was introduced, as was the closing ceremony ritual of raising the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation.

The number of participating countries jumped from 29 to 44 and, as women's fencing made its debut, Denmark's Ellen Osiier earned gold without losing a single bout.

American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who was to become the star of the Tarzan movies, won two gold medals on one day and added a bronze in water polo later that same day.

Fellow USA swimmer Gertrude Ederle took bronze in the 100m freestyle but was to become famous two years later for being the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi won five gold medals to add to the three he had won in 1920, picking up the 1,500m and 5,000m titles within the space of two hours.

Nurmi's countryman Ville Ritola also won four gold medals and two silver.

British gold medals: 9

More History Stories

Around the site today

Shanaze Reade: Chance of multiple gold medals

12 stars for 2012

We look at a dozen young athletes who could trigger a fresh gold rush in London in four years' time.

Egan: light-heavyweight silver

Day 16 - As It Happened

Irish boxer Kenny Egan took silver on the final day of action in Beijing.

Early stages of the marathon.

2008 Olympics - Day 16

Pictures from the final day of the Beijing Olympics including an appearance from David Beckham.

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