Old Olympic pics show men jumping through barrels, a gymnast with a wooden leg and a runner BOOZING

FROM men jumping through giant wooden barrels to a runner necking brandy during the marathon, there have been a number of remarkable moments during the Olympic’s history.

In the 120 years since the first modern Games took place, countless weird and wonderful events have excited spectators.

During the Paris 1900 Games, competitors battled it out in a range of sports including ballooning, croquet, life-saving and motor racing.

Unlike the 16 days the Olympics is condensed down to now, back then the Games lasted a whopping five-and-a-half months.

The winners were awarded trophies and cups rather than medals, and there were no opening or closing ceremonies.

Four years later, the St Louis Games played host to barrel jumping, which saw sports stars leap through enormous wooden caskets.

American gymnast George Eyser dazzled audiences by winning six medals – despite having a wooden leg.

The men’s marathon race was won by Ed Lorz, who was later found to have hitched a lift after running just nine miles.

His car broke down five miles from the finish line, so he jogged in as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, runner-up, Briton Thomas Hicks, necked egg whites and brandy mixed with a stimulant derived from rat poison during the race.

He collapsed on crossing the finish line.

Len Taunyane, who came ninth, was chased a mile off-course by a pack of wild dogs.

The rain at the London 1908 Games turned the arena into a mud bath.

The seven-month extravaganza included a tag-of-war competition, real tennis – an indoor court game originally played with no racquets – and duelling.

Italian athlete Dorando Pietri won the marathon but collapsed several times throughout and was seen running in the wrong direction.

Money was tight for the London 1948 Games following the war and organisers ended up spending just £730,000.

To keep costs down, British athletes ate whale meat for protein, international competitors were asked to bring their own towels and food, and the opening ceremony consisted of a flock of pigeons being released above London.

Food, drinking water and gym equipment were all borrowed from abroad, and the Canadians donated two pine planks for the diving competitions.

At the Montreal 1976 Games, more than 20 African countries boycotted the games in response to the New Zealand rugby team playing in apartheid South Africa.