Animal Olympics by Paul Goldstein

Wildlife photographer and Exodus tour guide Paul Goldstein has compiled a fun set of pictures showing how wild animals could rival Olympic athletes in a variety of sporting events.

Lasha Gujejiani of Georgia and Ricardo Blas Jr of Guam tussle for supremacy in the 100kg judo event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and two adorable lion cubs tussle for supremacy in their own playfight. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

China’s Li Xiaopeng performs a tricky manoeuvre on the parallel bars in Beijing… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and a leopard performs a tricky manoeuvre on a tree in Africa. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Timothy Mack of the USA attempts to clear the bar in Athens… (Jussi Nukari / Rex Features)

…and a langur monkey attempts to reach the next branch in India. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Evgeniya Kanaeva of Russia struggles to control the clubs with her splayed limbs in a rhythmic gymnastics event in Beijing… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and a newborn giraffe calf struggles to stand on its splayed limbs in Africa. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Synchronised swimmers Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova of Russia perform in Athens… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and synchronised penguins perform in Antarctica. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Zou Shiming of China fights Eduard Bermudez Salas of Venezuela during a men’s light fly (48kg) boxing match in Beijing… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and two lion cubs stage their own boxing match in Africa. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

A group of swimmers wearing black-and-white full-body suits dive into the pool in Beijing… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and a group of penguins dive back out (well, you can’t blame them; the water does look pretty cold). (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Great Britain’s Germaine Mason wins silver in the men’s high jump final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics… (Giuliano Bevilacqua / Rex Features)

…and a wildebeest makes a daring high jump into the Mara River in Kenya. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Tom Daley of Great Britain stands on the edge of the 10-metre-high platform in Beijing… (Harry How/Getty Images)

…and a group of penguins stand on the edge of a high iceberg in Antarctica. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Britain’s Christopher Tomlinson makes an attempt in the men’s long jump final at the 2004 Athens Olympics… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and a leopard attempts its own long jump. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Great Britain’s Mark Shipman dives into the water from the 3m springboard in Athens… (MAKKU ULANDER / Rex Features)

…and a penguin dives into the water from an iceberg in Antarctica. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Great Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu runs ahead of Yulia Gushchina of Russia to win the women’s 400m final in Beijing… (Sipa Press/Rex Features)

…and a wildebeest runs ahead of a lioness to win its life. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Lei Cao from China performs a lift in the women’s 75kg weightlifting final to win the gold medal in Beijing… (Canadian Press / Rex Features)

…and a lioness performs a lift with one of her own cubs. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Yulis Gabriel Mercedes of Dominican Republic and Chu Mu-Yen of Chinese Taipei fight a taekwondo bout in Beijing… (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

…and two serval cubs fight their own taekwondo bout in Africa. (Paul Goldstein/Exodus / Rex Features)

Source: telegraph.co.uk