Summer Olympics 2012 | London, England

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London, England

 

What's in Store for the London Games

Olympic Stadium Photo Source: London 2012

London Preview
What to expect at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games

Olympics 2012 by the Numbers
The numbers behind the London Summer Games

Sport for All
Wild cards are added to a strict qualification system to encourage greater sports participation worldwide

Bikinis Optional
Changes are afoot, and underfoot, in London

Olympic Multitasker
Oscar Pistorius hopes to compete in two Olympics in one summer

Olympics for the Young and Old
Hiroshi Hoketsu will be the oldest Olympian in London

Competing Countries
205 countries are participating in the London Summer Olympics

Here Come the Women
First-time appearances and the debut of women's boxing

Quiz: London Olympics
What is the motto for the 2012 Summer Games?

U.S. Olympic Training Facilities
Where Olympians live and train

Paralympics
Spirit in motion

Olympic History and Biographies

Olympic Symbols and Traditions
Flames, doves, oaths, and more

Olympic Athletes A-Z
Read biographies of famous Olympians

Memorable Olympic Moments
Read about some of the most memorable performances in Summer Games history

Summer Olympics Through The Years
Find all past medalists, highlights of each Games, competing countries, and more

Sites of the Modern Olympics
See which cities have hosted the Olympics since 1896

Olympics Timeline
From ancient Greece to the present day

Munich Massacre
Remembering the worst tragedy in modern Olympic history

Country Profile: United Kingdom | Map of the United Kingdom
Read about England's history and find statistics and facts about the country

Encyclopedia: United Kingdom
Learn about the UK's people, government, history, and more

London
Read this encyclopedia entry about the capital of the UK

Olympic Medalists

By Country: All-Time Medal Standings
Find out which countries have won the most medals

By Athlete: All-Time Leading Medal Winners
See the winningest Olympians

All-Time Leading U.S. Medal Winners
Which U.S. athletes have brought home the most medals?

Winners Event-by-Event
Lists of gold medal winners from 1896-2008 by event

Sports Previews

Archery
Precision and nerves of steel are key

Badminton
The world's fastest racket sport dates to the 5th century BCE

Basketball
Twelve teams battle for gold

Boxing
This event was considered too violent at the first modern Olympics in 1896

Canoe/Kayak
These aren't the canoes you see navigating lakes and ponds

Cycling
BMX cycling returns after debut in 2008

Diving
One of the Olympics' most-watched events

Equestrian
The only Olympic sport in which humans and animals are teammates

Fencing
Three types of swords are used in Olympic fencing

Field Hockey
Both men and women compete

Gymnastics
Artistic Gymnastics
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Trampoline
This division of gymnastics made its Olympic debut in 2000

Handball
Soccer with the hands instead of the feet

Judo
A mix of strength, flexibility, and technique

Modern Pentathlon
An interesting combination: shooting, fencing, swimming, horse-show jumping, and running

Rowing
Rowing requires calm water

Sailing
The event name yachting was changed to sailing in 2000

Shooting
Shotgun, rifle, pistol, and air guns are used

Soccer
England looks forward to the home-field advantage

Swimming
Michael Phelps tries for more Olympic gold

Synchronized Swimming
A combination of ballet and gymnastics in water

Table Tennis
The world's largest "participation" sport, better known as ping pong

Taekwondo
Taekwondo means "the way of hands and feet."

Tennis
Players take to the grass courts of Wimbledon

Track & Field
Called Athletics in London

Triathlon
The sport of ironmen and ironwomen

Volleyball
A sport where digs make a difference

Water Polo
Inspired by the game of rugby

Weightlifting
One of the oldest—and simpliest—form of competition

Women's Boxing
This event makes its Olympic debut in London

Wrestling
The focus of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896

Quizzes and Crosswords

Quiz: Summer Olympics Trivia
Greek shepherd Spiridon Louis . . .

Quiz: The Ancient Olympics
The Olympics were held in honor of this Greek god . . .

Quiz: Ancient Greek Games (challenging)
Women competed in these games, which may predate the Olympics . . .

Quiz: Olympic Mascots
Hodori and Hosuni, the mascots of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, were what type of animal?

Quiz: Olympic Cities
Which country has won the most medals at the Olympic games—without ever hosting the games?

Quiz: Memorable Ceremonies
Which of the following items was not given to event winners at the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896?

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