The old church of Geamana village is seen partially submerged by polluted water tainted with cyanide and other chemicals near Rosia Montana, central Romania, March 24, 2014. (Photo by Bogdan Cristel/Reuters)

Four pillars of light from the 4 Laser Guide Star Facility on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) are shown reaching into the Chilean night sky in this image from ESO Photo Ambassador Fred Kamphues, on September 2, 2016. The lasers are a key part of the adaptive optics system on the VLT. Adaptive optics allows astronomers to drastically reduce the atmospheric distortion present at even the best sites in the world for astronomy, including Paranal in Chile, the home of the VLT. (Photo by F. Kamphues/ESO)

Malabon Zoo owner Manny Tangco holds a full-grown but very small rooster named “Small But Terrible” from Malaysia to compare it with the giant red rooster from France named “Mr. Universe” as they are shown to the media as part of the “Roosters of the World” exhibition to celebrate the “Red Fire Rooster” in the Chinese lunar calendar Friday, January 27, 2017 in suburban Malabon city north of Manila, Philippines. The Roosters of the World exhibition features roosters from countries as the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, France, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Poland. (Photo by Bullit Marquez/AP Photo)

A dancer performs during the Gymnastics Rio Gala on Day 12 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on August 17, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Shanea Tonkin of Team Australia celebrates with team mates after scoring their sides first goal during Women - Pool B match between Australia and Scotland on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at University of Birmingham Hockey & Squash Centre on August 03, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)

Iryna Kindzerska of Azerdbaidjan reacts after defeating Shiyan Xu of China during the Women +78 kg Contest for Bronze Medal A contest at the Judo events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo, Japan, 30 July 2021. (Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA/EFE)

Floodwaters cover a Buddhastatue of at Wat Taku Buddhist temple in Bang Ban district in the central Thai province of Ayutthaya on November 14, 2025. (Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP Photo)

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)