'Let the Paris 1924 Olympic Games begin.'
Those are the words someone might have said 100 years ago today, if you were around to witness it.
The VIII Olympiad began on the 4 May 1924 in Paris and ran until the 27 July.
The first of those dates might not be the official day of the Opening Ceremony, with the pomp and circumstance taking place on the 5th of the month, but Team GB were already hard at work in the French capital.
From Oscar-winning film inspiration to the lesser-known history-makers, here are Team GB's heroes of the Paris 1924 Olympics.
May 4th, 1924.
— Team GB (@TeamGB) May 4, 2024
Celebrating Team GB at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games 🇫🇷
📽️ 100 years on...
Harold Abrahams
Athletics, men's 100m - GOLD
Athletics - men's 4x100m relay - SILVER
Press play on Vangelis' famous soundtrack.
Harold Abrahams won men's 100m gold at Paris 1924 to write his name down in the record books as one of the most famous British Olympians of all time.
A talented sprinter and long jumper, Abrahams set three Olympic record-equalling performances in the space of 26 hours in Paris, clocking a hat-trick of 10.6 seconds.
Gold placed the Cambridge athlete as the first European to win an Olympic sprint title and he backed it up with silver in the men's 4x100m relay.
Following a broken leg in 1925 which ended his active career, Abrahams became a practising barrister, athletics correspondent for The Sunday Times and radio broadcaster for the BBC.
But his memory most famously lives on in the 1981 film 'Chariots of Fire' which outlines his journey to the podium alongside close friend and rival Eric Liddell.
Eric Liddell
Athletics, men's 400m - GOLD
Athletics, men's 200m - BRONZE
'Chariots of Fire' would not be complete without the story of Liddell.
The Scottish sprinter was one of Britain's biggest medal hopes ahead of the men's 100m sprint at Paris 1924, with the rivalry between him and teammate Abrahams a well-talked about affair.
But, a devout Christian, Liddell notably withdrew from the race due to the heats being held on a Sunday.
Instead, Liddell switched his training to focus on the 400m, a distance he wasn't well known for, and won gold in Paris by outsprinting the American favourites in the first 200m and holding on to victory.
Liddell was spurred on by a message he had recieved ahead of the race by one of the team masseuses, a folded piece of paper quoting the book of Samuel in the Bible, and clocked a new Olympic and European record which stood for 12 years.
If winning Olympic gold wasn't enough, Liddell was also a decorated rugby player, winning seven caps on the wing for Scotland and moved to China to work as a missionary alongside his father after Paris 1924.
Lucy Morton
Swimming, women's 200m breaststroke - GOLD
Before Anita Lonsbrough and Rebecca Adlington, there was Lucy Morton.
Morton became the first-ever British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual swimming event with 200m breaststroke victory at Paris 1924.
The triumph came as a major upset to favourite and fellow British athlete Irene Gilbert who was the reigning world record holder in the event.
A talented youngster in the pool, Morton set the inaugural world records for both the 150 yards backstroke and the 200 yards breaststroke but missed out on the chance to represent Britain at the 1920 Antwerp Games as there were no backstroke or breaststroke events for women.
In the lead up to Paris, Blackpool Council opened their Cocker Street Baths, which were normally closed at that time of the year, for Morton to train there daily after finishing work at nearby St. Anne’s Post Office.
Jack Beresford
Rowing, single sculls - GOLD
Not until Sir Steve Redgrave himself did a British rower beat Jack Beresford's Olympic medal tally.
The son of an Olympic silver medallist, Beresford took up sculling after a First World War leg injury ended his rugby career and immediately catapulted to success.
After missing out on gold at the 1920 Games in one of the closest sculling races in Olympic history, Beresford was back with a vengeance and this time clinched the top spot over William Gilmore of the USA.
The flag bearer at the 1936 Games, Beresford became the first-ever rower to compete at five consecutive Games and the first rower to win five consecutive Olympic medals: three gold and two silver.
His record was not broken until the magical moment of Sydney 2000 when Redgrave won his sixth medal to become Team GB's most decorated Olympian.
Sir Philip Neame
Shooting, Running Deer Team - GOLD
Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame holds one of the most unique distinctions in history: the only person to have won an Olympic gold medal and recieved the Victoria Cross.
On the 19 December 1914, Neame was awarded the highly-commended VC for 'conspicuous bravery near Neuve Chapelle, when, notwithstanding the very heavy rifle fire and bomb-throwing by the enemy, he succeeded in holding them back and rescuing all the wounded men whom it was possible to move.'
Neame went on to win gold medal Running Deer (Shooting) at Paris 1924 alongside Cyril Mackworth-Praed, Herbert Perry and Allen Whitty, an event where a moving target simulated an animal.
Following his Olympic exploits, Neame was badly mauled by a tiger whilst hunting in India. The story follows that nurses tossed a coin to treat him and the winner duly became Lady Neame in the aftermath.
During the Second World War, Neame continued to rise up the military ranks to General Officer Commander and organised multiple escapes as a prisoner of war in Italy.
Neame continues to be one of the most highly decorated war heroes of British military history.
Harry Mallin
Boxing, middleweight - GOLD
At Paris 1924, London policeman Harry Mallin became the first person to successfully defend an Olympic boxing title.
Mallin had won gold at the 1920 Antwerp Games in the middleweight category and was also a world champion.
But 1924 provided a world of drama in the ring.
Facing Frenchman Roger Brousse in the quarter-final, the decision originally saw the home favourite win 2-1 until Mallin revealled teeth marks on his chest, having been bitten by his opponent mid-bout.
Brousse was disqualified. Pandemonium followed. Fights started around the hall whilst Mallin sat in the ring and watched the commotion.
Mallin beat his teammate John Elliot in the final but reports of the fight are somewhat limited as, at the sight of Mallin climbing into the ring, the French crowd renewed their demonstrations and neither the press nor the spectators enjoyed an uninterrupted view.
The boxer ended his career undefeated in over 300 fights and not until Nicola Adams added Rio 2016 gold to her CV would another British boxer win back-to-back Olympic golds.
Kitty McKane
Tennis, women's doubles - SILVER
Tennis, women's singles - BRONZE
Only four British women have won five or more medals at the Olympics.
The most recognisable of those names are Dame Katherine Grainger, Dame Laura Kenny and Charlotte Dujardin.
But the fourth is one Kathleen (Kitty) McKane Godfree.
The biggest tennis star of the early 1920s, McKane acquired a full set of medals at the 1920 Antwerp Games with bronze in the singles, silver in the mixed doubles and gold in the women's doubles.
Then four years later in Paris, McKane went on to win a further two medals to take her total to five, making her the most decorated British female Olympian until Grainger stepped into the boat.
It was also the most Olympic medals ever won by a tennis player until a certain Serena Williams emerged onto the scene.
The BOA would like to thank Eton Manor Boys' Club Archive, Bishopsgate Institute, Bedford School and the Beresford family for their help in this project.
Sportsbeat 2024