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)

The two Pulis Quastie and Gin-Gin run in the snow in their garden in Lautertal, southern Germany, Thursday, January 5, 2017. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

Summit, an Australian shepherd, makes a leaping catch of a frisbee at the pet trade fair (Heimtiermesse) at Velodrom on November 2, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Exhibitors are showing the latest trends in collars, snacks and other accessories for cats, dogs and other household pets. (Photo by Sean Gallup)

A large Pacific sideband snail slowly crosses a rain wet road in rural Douglas County, Oregon near Elkton on Sunday, December 2, 2012. The moisture loving snail should be very content with the recent heavy rains in southwestern Oregon and northern California. (Photo by Robin Loznak)

A boy sitting with his family looks up at a traditional Chinelo costumed dancer during a celebration 40 days after the birth of Jesus, in Xochimilco on the outskirts of Mexico City, February 2, 2015. The tradition of the Chinelo dates back to colonial times and the outfits and masks, which are supposed to resemble the faces of the Europeans and always sport an uptilted beard, became more elaborate between the 1800s and 1900s to make fun of the upper social classes. (Photo by Edgard Garrido/Reuters)

Emergency services work at the scene of a bus accident on the Kingsway in central London February 2, 2015. A number 91 double-decker bus had its roof ripped off after hitting a tree, causing injury to passengers and passers-by, local media reported. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

A woman react inside a cloud of paint powder during the holi one colour Festival held in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday, March 2, 2013. Thousands of people are taking part in the festival by throwing coloured paint powder at each other to express freedom and the colour of everyday life. (Photo by Schalk van Zuydam/AP Photo)

A woman carries a stone cross in a cemetery in the village of Copaciu, southern Romania, on May 2, 2013. As part of a Holy Week tradition, Romanians visit, on Maundy Thursday, the graves of their loved ones, light fires and share food with community members in memory of the departed. Orthodox worshipers celebrate Easter on May 5. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/ Mediafax)