The first Olympic village

Olympic 1924 in Paris

France drew a veil under the poor impression left by its hosting of the 1900 Games when it staged the 1924 event between May 4 and July 27, a year before Pierre de Coubertin stood down as IOC president in favour of the Belgian count, Henri de Baillet-Latour.

After Chamonix, venue for the first Winter Games, Paris offered 3,070 athletes from a record 44 countries purpose-built sites, including the first olympic village, the 60,000 seater Colombes stadium in the suburbs of Paris, and the first purpose-built Olympic pool in Tourelles in the heart of the capital.

With 99 medals (45 gold), America regains the lead at the top of the medal table. But the exploits of these Games were provided by Finland's Paavo Nurmi, winner of five gold medals in athletics.

Other notable figures include English sprinter Harold Abrahams and the swimmer Johnny Weissmuller from the United States, who was to later star as Tarzan in the cinema and become one of Hollywood's big names.

Host nation France finished second in the medal tally with 38 (13 gold), ahead of Finland with 37 (14 gold).