It took an Act of God for the Games to come to London for the first time. Rome had been elected as host city in an effort to attract more competitors than had taken part four years earlier in St Louis but, with the Italians already struggling to meet the time structure laid out by the International Olympic Committee under their formidable president Baron de Coubertin, Vesuvius erupted on April 7 1906 and the city of Naples was devastated.

The Italian government decreed that money ear-marked for the Games should be diverted to the relief of suffering in Naples and the IOC had to find an alternative venue. Berlin and Milan also put themselves forward but the challenge was awarded to London in the shape of another aristocrat, Lord Desborough, the chairman of the British Olympic Association and a man who had climbed the Matterhorn, rowed for Oxford in the Boat Race and swum across the base of the Niagara Falls.

His first decision was to attach the Games to the Franco-British Exhibition planned for 1908. George Wimpey was given the contract for the stadium, which included a swimming pool and cycle track, and the 68,000 capacity building – immediately christened "White City" – was completed within 10 months, the government meeting the costs of £60,000.

The Games were to stretch from April to the end of October – the late finish allowing figure skating medals to be decided – but from the beginning there was controversy. At the opening ceremony the Finland team were to march under the Russian flag but instead proceeded without any kind of flag; the Swedes took umbrage at the absence of their national flag from the display above the stadium and refused to march at all; Ireland's athletes were told to march under the Union Jack but many refused and sailed back home.

The United States team captain Martin Sheridan was upset that their flag had – like Sweden's – not been displayed with those of the other competing nations and, in protest, refused to dip the flag to the Royal Box and King Edward VII. Since then no United States team has dipped "Old Glory" to any head of state other than their President.

The Americans were also upset after the 400 yards race. Three United States athletes faced Britain's Wyndham Halswelle in the final but the race was ordered to be re-run after allegations that the Americans had deliberately baulked the Briton. Incensed, the Americans refused to return and Halswelle was awarded the gold medal after strolling round the one-lap "second" final.

There was even more controversy in the marathon, which was started in front of Windsor Castle for the benefit of the Royal Family and was the first race to be run over what is now the accepted marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yards.

Italy's Dorando Pietri was the first runner to enter the White City but was obviously in distress. He started to run the wrong way round the track and collapsed several times before being helped over the finishing line by several officials, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Pietri was subsequently disqualified and the race awarded to Johnny Hayes of the United States but such was the public acclaim for the Italian that Queen Alexandra presented him with a gold cup.

But not all the headlines involved disputes. At the age of 60, Sweden's Oscar Swahn became the oldest competitor to be awarded a gold medal when he won the running deer single-shot class while archers William and Charlotte Dod became the first brother-and-sister medallists.

Ben Jones, a miner from Wigan, won two cycling gold medals while the middleweight Greco-Roman wrestling final was delayed for a day to allow one of the competitors, Frithiof Martensson, to recover from a slight injury. He beat Mauritz Andersson when they finally reached the mat.

With the ending of the figure skating in October, the accountants were able to complete the books with the budget of the organising committee totalling £15,000, a third of which was spent on "entertainment expense". Total receipts reached £21,377, the bulk of which came from donations with gate receipts amounting to only 28 per cent of the income. So the London Olympics of 1908 were able to announce a profit.

Over to you, Seb.

1908 olympics factfile

The Games opened on April 27 and closed on October 31.

22 countries took part involving 2,008 athletes (37 women, 1,971 men).

Argentina, Finland, Turkey and New Zealand took part in their first Games (New Zealand as part of an Australasia team).

28 disciplines were contested including jeu de paume (a precursor of lawn tennis), tug of war, lacrosse and rugby.

From the Yorkshire Post of April 28 1908

"To racquets has fallen the distinction of starting the Olympic games (sic) taking place in England this year but the competition is shorn of much of its interest by the absence of any foreign entries while such well-known players as EM Baerlin (the champion), EH Mills, BS Foster and FH Browning are not taking part. Play commenced in the singles at the Queens Club in West Kensington, London, but owing to three scratchings there was only one match, EB Noel beating CH Browning by three games to one in the first round, the scores being
18-14, 8-15, 15-3, 15-9. Noel showed splendid generalship in the rallies and his service was more accurate than his opponent's."

Medals' table top three

Great Britain: 56 gold 51 silver 39 bronze.
United States: 23 gold 12 silver 12 bronze.
Sweden: 8 gold 6 silver 11 bronze.