24 Incredible Pictures From Early Years Of The Olympics

"The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; the important thing in Life is not triumph, but the struggle." —Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee

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Opening ceremony of the 1896 Olympic Games in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

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Women competitors in the archery event of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

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An elephant performs at a garden party hosted for Olympic athletes by Britain's Lord Michelham in 1914.

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American track and field athlete Howard P. Drew on his way to the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

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The Danish women's gymnastics team practicing at the 1908 London Olympics.

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American gymnasts practice their stunts in July 1924.

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England defeats the United States during the tug of war event in 1920.

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The Irish and German national teams compete in the bicycle polo final during the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The Irish team won 3–1.

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Isao Fujiki and Takeshi Kuyama, members of the Japanese team, train for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

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The commencement of the marathon during the 1908 Summer Olympics at Windsor Castle in London.

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Actor Fay Wray and aviator Amelia Earhart attend the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Aug. 1, 1932.

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Left: Olympic champion weightlifter Roger Francois in an undated photograph. Right: An unidentified Olympic woman fencer poses for a portrait, circa 1900.

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Wrestlers train for the Olympic games, circa 1930.

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A fleet of vans with their drivers pose for a portrait before transporting competitors between the various sporting events at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.

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A group of women compete in the 800-meter sprint in 1922.

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Left: American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller prepares to compete in the the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Right: Canadian athlete Ethel Catherwood poses for a photo after winning the women's high jump in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

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Track and field star Percy Williams of Canada is treated by coach Bob Granger at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

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Czechoslovak long-distance runner Emil Zátopek kisses his wife after winning during the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

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Mexican athletes pose for a photo before boarding their ship to participate in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

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Olympic gold medalist swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, fourth from left, stands with other swimmers in 1921.

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German bobsledders Andreas Ostler and Lorenz Nieberl share a kiss after they scored in the two-man bobsled event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Oslo.

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Young fans run along beside the American Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens as he takes his early morning run in London, 1936.

CORRECTION

Feb. 12, 2018, at 19:32 PM

Andreas Ostler's and Jesse Owens' names were misspelled in an earlier version of this post.