Many felt that economic conditions in Greece would derail the Athens Olympiad. But the dignified Opening Ceremony, full of grace and historical references, put paid to such fears. The shot put events took place at Olympia, and all gold medallists received an olive crown. Local heroes like Pyrvos Dimas, the medal-winning weight-lifter, are featured in Greenspan's documentary. Some often overlooked sports are given prominence: fencing, softball, and cycling, for example. Hicham El Guerrouji is shown finally winning the gold medal he so richly deserved in the 1,500 metres after being knocked over in Atlanta 1996, and beaten on the line in Sydney 2000.

The Opening Ceremony in Salt Lake City was tinged with tragic overtones as less than six months earlier, the World Trade Center had been destroyed. Some of the portraits in this documentary are engrossing, for Bud Greenspan is attracted to those who have overcome adversity. Women's Alpine Combined star Janica Kostelic of Croatia, having recovered from a terrible fall in training, is seen using logs as part of a weight-training programme. Alisa Camplin who takes the gold medal for Australia in the Freestyle Skiing Aerials. Also profiled is Jimmy Shea, who not only recited the Athlete's Oath in Salt Lake City, but won the men's skeleton competition for the United States.

Entitled, “Nagano '98: Stories of Honor and Glory”, Bud Greenspan's film pays tribute to the athletes of the world competing on the slopes and in the stadia of this charming Japanese city. Heavy snow and thick fog may have threatened some of the key events, but all were held successfully. Particular consideration is given to the Norwegian Bjørn Dæhlie, the finest cross-country skier of his era; Japanese ski jumper Masahiko Harada; and Chinese figure skater Lu Chen, who wins a bronze medal despite injury and depression. Bud Greenspan's abiding virtue is that he sympathises with losers as well as winners.

The final athlete to lift the Olympic flame and light the huge cauldron in Atlanta was heavyweight boxing legend, Muhammad Ali. Director Bud Greenspan again relies on detailed studies of individual athletes, and this film features conversations with sprinter Michael Johnson, British rowing ace Steven Redgrave, veteran French cyclist Jeannie Longo, and Ireland's controversial gold medallist in swimming, Michelle Smith. Archery, weight-lifting and gymnastics are also featured, as well as the men's marathon, won by South African Josia Thugwane. These centennial Summer Games marked the fourth occasion on which a U.S. City hosted the Olympiad.

The Torch Relay, introduced originally at the Berlin Summer Olympics of 1936, is a favoured feature of Bud Greenspan's documentary, and here he shows the Olympic flame being carried through the Norwegian mountains until at last a ski jumper carries it down the 90-metre hill in Lillehammer to land outside the stadium in spectacular style. Using archive footage as well as live interviews, the film includes in-depth profiles of champions such as the skiing maestro Alberto Tomba, American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, and the speed skater Johann Olav Koss. Prince Albert of Monaco is interviewed as he takes part in the bobsleigh competition.

The illustrious Spanish director, Carlos Saura, created a structure for this documentary as unconventional as the buildings of Gaudí that adorn the host city of Barcelona. Coverage of the men's Marathon appears at intervals throughout the narrative, thus enshrining the Games' most emblematic event. All the charismatic winners are on view, from 400m champion Michael Johnson to weightlifter Ivan Ivanov, but Saura observes the rigorous training routines with as much passion as the finals themselves. Composers like Ryuichi Sakamato, Mikis Theodorakis, and Angelo Badalamenti contribute to the changing moods of this excellent film.

During the Opening Ceremony, in the presence of French President François Mitterrand, shots of real contemporary events are intercut with dreamlike moments of a rare beauty and grace. Hosted in the small resort of Albertville, in the Savoie region of France, the Winter Games are recorded here on 16mm film. This does not hamper the energy and invention of the directors, however. Their vision embraces both thoughtful interviews with Jean-Claude Killy and Michel Barnier, the co-presidents of the Albertville Organising Committee, as well as the physical force required by Alberto Tomba to win a giant slalom title, or the aesthetic appeal of the figure skating finals.

This spectacular, comprehensive record of the first Summer Games to be held in South Korea offers a feast for the eyes, notably in the Opening Ceremony (the last to take place during the day), which is recorded by aerial cameras and close-ups in the stadium. Lee underlines the significance of hosting the Games for his compatriots, showing spectators at the many venues and in the streets and temples of the metropolis. The film includes coverage of minor sports that are revered in South Korea: archery, table tennis, weight-lifting and shooting. Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter, is seen at Incheon airport, leaving Seoul in disgrace after failing his drugs test for the 100 metres.

In the Canadian Rocky Mountains close to Calgary, the young Finn Matti Nykänen added three gold medals to his already prodigious list of honours. Bud Greenspan, having carefully researched the lives and careers of participating athletes, gives a vivid portrayal of Nykänen, and other key personalities in Calgary such as the figure skater Katarina Witt, the 50km cross country skier Gunde Svan, and the speed skater Gaétan Boucher. There is a fascinating analysis of the two-man bobsleigh and its specialist technique. The film also pays homage to the indigenous traditions of the First Nations and Inuit peoples of western Canada.

Only eighty National Olympic Committees took part in the Moscow Summer Games, due to a boycott initiated by the United States in view of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. But the Russian hosts rose to the challenge, devoting enormous care to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The American athletes were conspicuous by their absence (notably in the sprints), although nobody could have stopped the Cuban Teófilo Stevenson from winning the heavyweight boxing for a third successive gold medal. The sports most revered in the Soviet Union receive detailed coverage here: wrestling, weight-lifting, and gymnastics.

By any yardstick, the 1984 Summer Games were a triumph of organisational skill, under the leadership of Peter Ueberroth. Some of the greatest achievements in the history of the Olympics unfolded in Los Angeles: Carl Lewis's four gold medals, Joan Benoit winning the first-ever women's marathon, Michael Gross's two golds and two silvers in the swimming pool, and Sebastian Coe's second successive gold in the 1,500 metres. The American TV producer Bud Greenspan would go on to make nine further Olympic documentaries, and introduced the in-depth study of individual competitors which would become the hallmark of his work.

Cultural events are held within the context of each Olympiad, and Kim Takal gives them due prominence in this intimate documentary, held in the Bosnian and Herzegovnian city of Sarajevo, some years after the death of President Tito but before Yugoslavia fractured into republican strife. Each of the disciplines on view is analysed in depth from the victories of Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen in the cross country skiing to the figure skating of Katarina Witt and the ice dancing routine of the British pair, Torvill and Dean. Snow and fog hampered the skiing events, but Takal manages to find drama and skill on the slopes, and interviews several prominent athletes about their fears and aspirations.

Producer David Wolper brought together eight filmmakers from various countries, each of whom focused on a different event or theme. They include Arthur Penn on the pile vault, Kon Ichikawa on the 100 metres, Milos Forman on the decathlon, Mai Zetterling on the weightlifters, Michael Pfleghar on female athletes, and Claude Lelouch on “The Losers”. The result is a thoughtful and kaleidoscopic view of the Games in Munich, an occasion marked by a terrorist attack that left eleven Israeli athletes and coaches dead. John Schlesinger's segment (on “The Marathon”) touches on this outrage.

The high altitude of Mexico City, allied to the political and social upheavals of the time in Mexico itself, meant that the Summer Olympics of 1968 were the most controversial of modern times. But Alberto Isaac recorded so many events with a rare command of sound and image that his film received an Academy Award nomination for best documentary. Among the highlights are Bob Beamon's prodigious leap in the long jump, Debbie Meyer's triumphs in the swimming pool, and Dick Fosbury's revolutionary “flop” technique in the high jump. There is superb coverage of the water polo, as well as of the diving competitions.

From the opening scenes, of Hollywood star James Coburn preparing to hurtle down the course in a four-man bobsled, British director Tony Maylam's film sets an altogether non-conformist tone. Coburn involves himself fearlessly in several disciplines, including the luge, ice hockey and the biathlon. He also discusses the art of waxing skis prior to competition, and the finer points of figure skating. English keyboardist Rick Wakeman provides the film with a rousing score that helped it to run for several months in cinemas. It's a documentary that communicates the glamour and intensity of winter sports.

This is an unusual documentary in that it resists the temptation to exalt the winners. In the gymnastic competition, for example, neither Olga Korbut nor Nelli Kim look their best, and the brilliant young talent, Nadia Comăneci, is hardly glorified. Finland's Lase Virén won gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, as he had done in Munich, but the film dwells more on his performance in the Marathon, where he finishes fifth. Labrecque and his team excel in showing behind-the-scenes footage – preparations for the cycling team pursuit, for example, or the emotional triumph of Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) in the decathlon.

Shinoda treats his material with a dignified grace that renders his documentary one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Olympic films. Sapporo is in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and the snow and winter chill ensure that the Winter Games live up to their name. While Dutch and Swiss athletes triumphed in certain disciplines, the Japanese won all three medals in the normal hill ski jumping. The figure skating is transformed into an interlude of beauty, with swans in flight superimposed over the skaters during their routines. During the finale, Toru Takemitsu's music enhances the suspense surrounding the large hill ski jumping competition.

Using subjective camerawork, Ertaud and Languepin seize the pulse of the Games, with blink-of-an-eye cutting and slow-motion when needed. The dominant figure at the Winter Games in Grenoble was Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy, whose three gold medals equalled the feat of Toni Sailer in 1956. The filmmakers gambled on his winning streak, and include comments by him as he prepares for each race. Another athlete accorded perceptive treatment on screen is Marielle Goitschel, who wins the women's slalom. Fans of ice dancing will enjoy the extended coverage of the victorious Oleg Protopopov and partner Ludmila Belousova. President Charles De Gaulle was present for the spectacular Opening Ceremony.

Tokyo had been selected to host the Summer Games in 1940, but with war on the horizon, the host city had to withdraw. Ichikawa treated the 1964 event with an intensely humanist vision, dwelling not just on the effort and commitment of individual athletes but also on the experience of spectators and competitors alike. Using the 'scope format, his team of cameramen brought their telephoto lenses to bear on some of the greatest medallists of the modern era, from Bob Hayes and Dawn Fraser to Abebe Bikila and Joe Frazier. With its superb editing and sound recording, this documentary remains an unrivalled treat for both eye and ear.

More than one thousand athletes descended on the Austrian resort of Innsbruck in the Tirol, including a remarkable team from the Soviet Union, which topped the medal table as it had in the two previous Winter Games. Snow cannons helped to compensate for an unusually modest amount of snow on the ski slopes. Through the excellent commentary, Theo Hörmann furnishes his audience with useful details about each discipline, even the ideal line to follow for bobsleigh competitors. This appealing documentary revels in the folkloric traditions of the Tyrol, with brass bands and yodellers much in evidence.

The Winter Games came at last to the United States, and numerous stars attended, among them Bing Crosby, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and future President, Richard Nixon. Walt Disney produced both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. A total of 665 athletes from thirty nations took part, and the Biathlon (a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting) entered the Olympic programme for the first time. The 50km Nordic ski race was held on the slopes of Mount McKinley. Although helmets were now in widespread use for most events, the heavy snows of the Sierra Nevada produced several spectacular falls and crashes.

For the first time in the history of the Olympic movement, the Summer Games were held in Australia, in the country's “Queen City,” Melbourne. Peter Whitchurch's official record focuses on a selection of events, notably the men's 1,500 metres final on the track. It also focuses on the athletes themselves, coming from 67 countries and mingling in the Olympic Village, with some two hundred chefs catering for many different kinds of diet. The Hungarian team arrived, despite the tragic uprising that had occurred in Budapest only a few months before. The Opening Ceremony featured massed choirs and a speech by the Archbishop of Melbourne.

The first Olympic Games held in Italy marked the superb skiing achievements of Toni Sailer of Austria, who won three gold medals at just twenty years of age. Ferroni, an accomplished director of peplum movies, attacks his subject with relish, filming the downhill races, and the bobsledding with bravura camerawork. The rustic environment of Cortina d'Ampezzo, nestling in the Dolomites, is captured with considerable charm and the jazz score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino brings an added dimension to the ice hockey and other disciplines. Impeccably restored, it is one of the jewels in the crown of the Olympic film collection.

Few nations embrace winter sports with such fervour as Norway, which has produced great skiers in every discipline, especially cross-country. More than half a million spectators attended the Games, and 100,000 of those crowded the area around the legendary ski jumping facility in Holmenkollen outside Oslo. Perhaps the most cinematic moment is when the Olympic “fire” is kindled in a mountain refuge, and then the torch is borne by relay runners all the way to Bislett Stadium in Oslo for the Opening Ceremony. During the competition, cameras attached to individual skiers, and to the front of bobsleds, give many sequences a dramatic and subjective impact.

For the first time at any Olympiad, more than 4,000 athletes participated in the Summer Games, the first to be held in London since 1908. After a prologue showing highlights from the Winter Games in St. Moritz, track and field predominates, with Fanny Blankers-Koen, the “Flying Dutchwoman”, winning four gold medals, and new heroes like distance runner Emil Zatopek and sprinter and hurdler Harrison Dillard coming to the fore. Germany and Japan had not been invited to take part, and the Soviet Union refused to send a team, but 59 nations came to London notwithstanding. The Marathon, as so often in the Summer Games, provides some of the most absorbing moments.

Women could compete in track and field at the Summer Olympics for the first time in Amsterdam. Forty-six nations (including newcomers Haiti and the Philippines) participated in the 1928 event, which is recorded with often surprising intimacy by Wilhelm Prager and his crew (as when the great Paavo Nurmi, having just lost the 5,000 meters by stride, refuses to pose for the usual close-up). Photo-finish cameras were employed for the first time in this Olympiad, and multiple cameras were used to cover the Marathon through varied terrain, as well as the open-air gymnastics competition. Italian technicians contributed significantly to the making of this film.

Arnold Fanck was already famous for his “mountain” films, notably starring Leni Riefenstahl. He and Othmar Gurtner devote the opening sequence to a vivid description of the lake, and the woodland surrounding St. Moritz. We see children engaged in a snowball fight, and skiers training naked on the sunlit mountain slopes. Whether it be the 14-year-old Sonja Henie in figure-skating, or horses and jockeys galloping across the frozen lake in the “skijoring” races, the mood of this brilliant documentary is exhilarating at every level. Technically, the film is superb, using multiple cameras and imaginative viewpoints to convey the Olympic spirit.

Photographed by Bernard Natan's team of cameramen at Rapid-Film, this is a fascinating documentary, in part because it evokes the spirit and society of the time so vividly. The ice hockey matches are played in the open-air, with Canada facing the United States in the final. The occasion is marked by an engaging informality, with individual winners borne aloft by enthusiastic supporters, and exhibitions of “military patrol” skiing across country. Other sports featured include curling, figure skating, and speed skating (check in film!). Competitors cope cheerfully with the dangers of winter sports: a number of ski-jumpers take a tumble on landing, and one member of the Swiss four-man bobsleigh team breaking both legs in a crash. Jean de Rovera

No extant feature film made in 1912 can stand comparison with the brilliant black-and-white cinematography of this documentary. We are plunged into a sweltering Swedish summer, with athletes parading before the Swedish royal family, the King himself distributing medals and laurel wreaths to the winners, and individual sports covered with grace and humour. Legendary names appear – George S. Patton, the future general of World War II, competing in the Modern Pentathlon, or Jim Thorpe, the “All-American”, who won gold in both the Pentathlon and the Decathlon. There is excellent coverage of the Diving competition and of the Marathon, as it unfolds in the countryside outside Stockholm.