As the London 1908 Olympics began, Bishop Ethelbert Talbot of Pennsylvania gave a sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral. He suggested that the struggle was more important than the prize. In the congregation that day was International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Very impressed by what he heard, Coubertin adapted the words to form the Olympic creed.

The serious injury sustained by the former British gymnastic queen Beth Tweddle - she has fractured two vertebrae in her neck - while taking part in the Channel 4 TV reality game show The Jump is a stark reminder of the dangers of launching oneself through space, fingers crossed rather than skis, and praying for a happy landing.