Sumi, the Paralympic Games mascot, takes his name from the Salish (a language spoken by the Amerindian people of British Columbia) word “sumesh”, which means “guardian spirit”. This creature, which has the wings of a thunderbird, the paws of a black bear and an orca hat, lives in the mountains near Vancouver ©IOC Nora Rupp

An Olympic torchbearer in an American-Indian canoe ©IOC

The reverse of the winner’s medal for the Calgary Games is decorated with the profiles of two figures: an athlete crowned with laurels accompanied by a native Indian, whose hair is made up of (from top to bottom) cross-country skis, a ski pole, a bobsleigh, Alpine skis, an ice skate, a hockey stick, a luge and a rifle ©IOC

Popole Misenga celebrates after beating India’s Avtar Singh in the first round of the men’s -90kg judo event. The 24-year-old is originally from the Bukavu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was severely affected by the Second Congo War, and sought asylum in Brazil during the Judo World Championships in 2013. “I’m just really happy to be here because everybody understands and knows about the refugee team, knows the refugee story,” he said. “People around the world, they’re all watching this competition right now.”

Helsinki 1952-The match India (IND) 1st - Holland (NED) 2nd, (6:1).

Melbourne 1956-Opening ceremony: the delegations. In the foreground, India (IND).

BEIJING - AUGUST 08: Rajvardhan Singh Rathore of the India Olympic shooting team carries his country's flag to lead out the delegation during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China.

BEIJING - AUGUST 08: Members of the India delegation enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China.

BEIJING - AUGUST 08: Members of the India delegation enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China.

BEIJING - AUGUST 08: Rajvardhan Singh Rathore of the India Olympic shooting team carries his country's flag to lead out the delegation during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics at the National Stadium on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China.