The 1916 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Berlin but were cancelled because of World War One and the 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honour the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the conflict.

The opening ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag and the presentation of the Athletes' Oath.

Italy's Nedo Nadi earned gold medals in five of the six fencing events, while America's Ethelda Bleibtrey won gold in all three women's swimming contests. She swam in five races, which included heats, and broke the world record in every one.

France's Suzanne Lenglen lost only four games in the 10 sets she played on the way to tennis success while 72-year-old Swede Oscar Swahn earned a silver medal in the team double-shot running deer event to become the oldest medalist ever.

The 12-foot dinghy sailing event was the only event in Olympic history to be held in two countries; the first race was staged in Belgium but the last two took place in the Netherlands because both entrants were Dutch.

British gold medals: 19