Every Olympic Games is guaranteed to provide drama and excitement in abundance, be it through unprecedented feats of brilliance, heart-breaking near-misses or incidents that transcend the sporting world.

Ahead of Rio 2016, we take a look back at 10 of the most memorable Olympic moments.

BERLIN 1936: AWESOME OWENS CLAIMS FOUR GOLDS

By triumphing in the 100 metres, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump at the Berlin 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens became the first American to win four track and field golds in one Games.

However, his superb athletic performances carried a much greater significance, at a time when Adolf Hitler was aiming to advance Nazi ideology by showing the world that 'Aryan' people were a dominant race.

Owens' excellence discredited Hitler's appalling theory. When the sprinter died in 1980, American president Jimmy Carter said: "Perhaps no athlete better symbolised the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry."

HELSINKI 1952: ZATOPEK'S DISTANCE-RUNNING TREBLE

Mo Farah was rightfully lauded for securing gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m at London 2012. Yet in 1952, Emil Zatopek won both of those events, as well as triumphing in the marathon - a sensational distance-running treble that appears unlikely to ever be repeated.

The success of Zatopek - who had won respective gold and silver in the 10,000m and 5000m four years earlier - was all the more remarkable given the man nicknamed 'the Czech locomotive' had never competed in a marathon prior to the Helsinki Games.

Despite that, his winning time of two hours, 23 minutes and 3.2 seconds represented an Olympic record.

ROME 1960: BIKILA'S BAREFOOT BRILLIANCE

Another amazing tale was provided in the men's marathon eight years later, as the previously unknown Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia surged to victory in Rome running barefoot.

The first East African to win an Olympic gold medal, Bikila often trained barefoot and opted against using team-issued shoes that had caused him pain.

In Tokyo four years later, Bikila became the first man to defend the Olympic marathon title, this time running in shoes.

MEXICO CITY 1968: SMITH AND CARLOS MAKE POWERFUL STATEMENT

After winning gold and bronze in the men’s 200 metres at the Mexico City 1968 Games, Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a silent protest against racial discrimination in their medal ceremony, bowing their heads and raising a hand to make a 'Black Power' salute. 

The actions of Smith and Carlos, who were duly expelled from the American team, were hugely powerful and both men were subsequently honoured for their roles in furthering the civil rights movement in America.

Some form of protest from black American athletes had been anticipated, but few could have predicted the effectiveness of Smith and Carlos' dignified actions.

MONTREAL 1976: THE PERFECT 10

At the age of 14, Nadia Comaneci secured a place in Olympic folklore by becoming the first gymnast to receive a 'perfect 10' score.

The achievement had been widely considered unattainable, yet Comaneci - a slight Romanian boasting the cleanest of techniques - went on to receive seven 10s at the Montreal Games alone, and a host of other gymnasts followed suit prior to the International Gymnastics Federation changing their scoring system in 2006.

Forty years on, the name of Comaneci, who added two golds in Moscow to the three she claimed in Montreal, remains inextricably linked with the Games.

SEOUL 1988: LOUGANIS USES HIS HEAD ON WAY TO GOLD

A double gold medallist at two successive Olympics, in 1984 and 1988, Greg Louganis is widely recognised as one of the greatest divers in history.

Yet the dive he is most famous for is one that went horribly wrong.

Louganis hit his head on the platform in the 3m springboard heats at the Seoul Games - a terrifying moment made scarier by the fact he had been competing when Sergei Chalibashvili was fatally injured when attempting the same reverse three-and-a-half-somersault dive at the 1983 World University Games in Edmonton.

Thankfully, Louganis avoided serious injury and was able to secure victory in the following day's final. He also defended his 10m platform crown.

BARCELONA 1992: TEARFUL REDMOND REFUSES TO QUIT

Derek Redmond provided one of the ultimate Olympic tear-jerkers at the Barcelona 1992 Games.

Redmond had been plagued by fitness issues throughout his career and suffered another cruel blow in his 400m semi-final, when a hamstring injury forced him to pull up abruptly on the back straight, before crumpling to the ground in agony.

Although his pain was clear, the Briton was determined to complete the race. And, after getting back to his feet and limping towards the final bend, an emotional Redmond was helped to the line by his father, Jim, who had dashed down from the stands to lend support.

The duo crossed the line to warm applause, with Jim going on to say: "I'm the proudest father alive. I'm prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal."

ATLANTA 1996: INSPIRATIONAL ALI LIGHTS CAULDRON

Great secrecy surrounded the identity of the person who would light the Olympic cauldron at the Atlanta 1996 Games.

So there were gasps of amazement when the great Muhammad Ali - an Olympic gold medallist in 1960 - emerged to fulfil the task during the opening ceremony.

Ali had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 12 years earlier and the debilitating effects of the illness were clear to see as the former world heavyweight champion lit the cauldron, his upper body trembling.

The courage he showed in defying his illness inspired many and Ali's appearance in Atlanta is remembered among his most iconic moments.

BEIJING 2008: EIGHT GOLDS FOR PHENOMENAL PHELPS

Mark Spitz looked to have set an Olympic record that would never be matched when he claimed seven gold medals at the Munich 1972 Games.

However, 36 years on in Beijing, Michael Phelps surpassed his fellow American with a stunning eight victories - setting seven world records in the process.

The 'Baltimore Bullet' had earned six golds and two bronze medals at the previous Olympics in Athens, but proved even more dominant in 2008.

Five individual triumphs and three relay victories saw Phelps - the most decorated Olympian of all-time with 18 golds among his 22 medals - make history.

BEIJING 2008: LIGHTNING BOLT SHOCKS THE WORLD

If Usain Bolt's victory in the men's 100m final at the Beijing Olympics was sensational, the Jamaican streaking clear of the field to win in a world-record time of 9.69 seconds, his subsequent success over 200m provided an even bigger 'wow' factor.

Michael Johnson's time of 19.32 seconds, set at the Atlanta 1996 Games, had been considered unbeatable.

Yet Bolt - operating at full throttle having enjoyed the luxury of being able to showboat in his incredible 100m run - was able to trim two hundredths of a second off Johnson's record.

Remarkably, Bolt hit even greater heights at the following year's World Championships in Berlin - lowering the 100m world record to 9.58secs before setting a new mark of 19.19 in the 200m.