As they cross the finish line the effort is clearly etched on these athletes faces. Picture: Getty Images

The images are bold, some black and white, capturing some of the most iconic images of some of the greatest sporting achievements in past Olympics.

One of the many images that are on display at the exhibition. The words on the board in the background are telling. Picture: Getty Images

Now, the award winning photos are on display at the Getty Images Gallery at Westfield Stratford City, within walking distance of the 2012 Olympics venues.

The exhibition, Olympics Through the Ages, will run until September 30 and features iconic Games moments from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 through to the incredible spectacle of Beijing in 2008.

The prints capture the winners, the losers in moments of drama and action as they chase records and personal goals - all of them aware that the chance to win an Olympic medal comes just once every four years.

Getty Images are the official photographic agency to the International Olympic Committee in association with Panasonic.

Louise Garczewska, Director of Getty Images Gallery, said: “We are extremely grateful to Westfield Stratford City for providing such a superb venue for this exciting exhibition and we hope that visitors to Westfield Stratford City and the Olympic Park will marvel at the incredible photography on display.”

To mark the official opening of the exhibition, The Street at Westfield Stratford City was transformed into a sporting spectacular with the Olympic Park as a backdrop. Sport related installations lined The Street, each representing a different sport, giving visitors the chance to glimpse some of the equipment sued by the athletes in the exhibition.