SPORTING PAST: The Beijing Olympics has inspired a rummage through Cambridgeshire County Council s archives to uncover some of the area s sporting history and successes. The Going for Gold exhibition will visit St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives and will fe

SPORTING PAST: The Beijing Olympics has inspired a rummage through Cambridgeshire County Council's archives to uncover some of the area's sporting history and successes.

The Going for Gold exhibition will visit St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives and will feature some of the county's former Olympic heroes as well as some lesser known sports, such as bandy.

The sport, which was also known as winter soccer, is a form of ice hockey played with rules similar to football. The Tebbuts family of Bluntisham were said to have been skilled bandy players and are featured in the exhibition.

There is also a photography believed to show competitors in Huntingdonshire's first marathon.

The race was run in 1909, starting in Ramsey and finishing at Hinchingbrooke Park in Huntingdon.

A total of 15 competitors took part in the marathon, making their way through Warboys, St Ives, and Godmanchester. They raised money for the Huntingdon County Hospital.

Anne Solly, Cambridgeshire project co-ordinator, said: "Our library and archives collections are a rich source of material and information relating to the Olympics and I am delighted that we are able to give the people of Cambridgeshire an opportunity to celebrate the games."

INFORMATION: Going for Gold will be at Huntingdon Archives Centre on Thursday, August 28, Huntingdon Library on Friday, August 29, St Ives Library on Tuesday, September 2 and St Neots Library on Thursday, September 11. To find out more, visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Olympics facts:

- Host nation Greece won the most medals (47) at the first summer Olympics in 1896

- The first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924

- Norway has won the most medals (263) at the Winter Olympic Games

- The United Stated has won the most medals (2,189) at the Summer Olympic Games

- The five Olympic rings represent the five major regions of the world - Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceana and every national flag in the world includes one of the five colours (blue, yellow, black, green and red).