Antwerp, Belgium, 1920

Olympic posters from the Archives, Olympic Museum Lausanne, from the book The Olympic Spirit, published by Tehabi Books

The city, plagued by bad weather and economic woes, had a very short time to clean up the rubble left by the war and construct new facilities for the Games. The athletics stadium was unfinished when the Games began, and athletes were housed in crowded rooms furnished with folding cots. The events were lightly attended, as few could afford tickets. In the final days, the stands were filled with schoolchildren who were given free admittance.

Paavo Nurmi (right) of Finland and Augusto Maccario of Italy after the 10,000-metre race at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp

UPI/Corbis-Bettmann

The Olympic flag was introduced at the Antwerp Games. More than 2,500 athletes (including over 60 women) participated in the Games, representing 29 nations. The track-and-field competition was highlighted by the running of Paavo Nurmi of Finland and Joseph Guillemot of France. Nurmi won three of his nine career gold medals--in the 10,000-metre run, the 10,000-metre cross-country individual race, and the cross-country team race. He finished second in the 5,000-metre run to Guillemot, a veteran of the war who took up running as therapy for his lungs, which were damaged by mustard gas. The Finnish team had a historic performance, gaining nine gold medals in the athletics competition, one less than the U.S. team, which had traditionally dominated.