Jack Lovelock winning at Berlin Olympics

This photograph from Jack Lovelock's albums shows his victory in the 1500-metres at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Behind him are his great rivals, the American Glenn Cunningham, who then held the world mile record, and the Italian Luigi Beccali, who was the 1932 Olympic champion.

Lovelock surprised the field by bursting for home just before the back straight, and no one could match his long sprint to the finish.

In his training diary he wrote 'It was undoubtedly the most beautifully executed race of my career, a true climax to 8 years steady work, an artistic creation'.