2016 Rio Olympics, Athletics, Women's Heptathlon Javelin Throw, Groups, Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 13, 2016. Evelis Aguilar (COL) of Colombia competes in Javelin group A women's heptathlon. (Photo by Dylan Martinez/Reuters)

Samba dancers arrive to perform ahead of the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, August 14, 2016. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

“The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin. The 1940 Games had been scheduled for Tokyo, and then Helsinki; the 1944 Games had been provisionally planned for London. This was the second occasion that London had hosted the Olympic Games, the city had previously been the venue in 1908”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The Olympic torch passes through Windsor on its way to Wembley, for the start of the Summer Olympics, 29th July 1948. (Photo by Ron Burton/Keystone/Getty Images)

Japan's Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed compete in the figure skating team event ice dance short dance during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung on February 11, 2018. (Photo by John Sibley/Reuters)

Anna Sloan and Vicki Adams of Britain sweep during a match against Olympic Athletes from Russia in Session 1 of the Women' s Round Robin curling competition at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung, South Korea on February 14, 2018. The British team won the match convincingly, 10-3. (Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters)

South Korean singer CL performs during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, February 25, 2018, after 17 days of hard- fought competition. Olympic fire went out. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/AP Photo)

Women pose for a selfie at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 30, 2016. (Photo by Nacho Doce/Reuters)

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics kick off on August 5 for some two weeks of competitive games drawing athletes as well as audiences from around the world. As they prepare to cover the event, Reuters photographers look back on their favourite pictures from past Olympics where they captured the action on the ground as well as the participants' tears and joy that followed. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)