Tuesday, December 25, 2012

2012: London Olympic Games

The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and commonly known as London 2012, was a major international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 
 It took place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The first event, the group stage in women's football, began two days earlier, on 25 July. More than 10,000 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated.
Around 10,500 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) took part, surpassing the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester as the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK.
Three athletes from the Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee, which the IOC Executive Committee had ceased to recognise at the IOC session of July 2011, and one athlete from South Sudan, which has no recognized NOC, participated independently under the Olympic flag.
 Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and then-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris. London was the first city to host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948. 
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London 2012: Olympic torch begins its journey after being lit in Olympia, Greece

Greek actress Ino Menegaki, playing the role of High Priestess, lights a torch from the sun's rays reflected in a parabolic mirror during the torch lighting ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in GreecePicture: REUTERS/John Kolesidis
The High Priestess holds up the lit Olympic torch at the Temple of HeraPicture: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
The Olympic flame is held aloft by the High PriestessPicture: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
The high priestess passes on the Olympic flame to a priestess holding a cauldronPicture: Petros Giannakouris/AP
The High Priestess holds up the cauldron with the Olympic flamePicture: REUTERS/John Kolesidis
Actresses playing the role of priestesses take part in the torch lighting ceremonyPicture: REUTERS/John Kolesidis
An actress playing the role of a priestess releases a dovePicture: EPA/ALEXANDROS VLACHOS
Actors and actresses perform a traditional dance during the lighting ceremonyPicture: ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/GettyImages
Priestesses dance during the ceremonyPicture: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Wrestling: Omid Haji Noroozi won the 60kg Greco-Roman event

Wrestling: a victory somersault for Ryutaro Matsumoto

Rhythmic gymnastics: the Belarusian team, silver medallists

Rhythmic gymnastics: the Italian team in the ball routine

Rhythmic gymnastics: Daria Dmitrieva in the ball routine

Rhythmic gymnastics: Evgeniya Kanaeva won the gold medal

Rhythmic gymnastics: three ribbons and two hoops for Russia

Equestrian - eventing: William Fox-Pitt in action in the jumping event

Equestrian - eventing: Michael Jung with Sam in the cross country event

Equestrian - eventing: Sandra Auffarth with Opgun Louvo in the cross country event

Equestrian - eventing: Linda Algotsson jumping the wagon

Phoenix rises as Flame is extinguished

Brazilian singer Marisa Monte

Carnival atmosphere en route to Rio

Olympic rings and Phoenix

Supermodels in gold

Closing ceremony fireworks

Rio mayor takes the Olympic flag

Fireworks close the show


# pictures thankfully shared from: telegraph.co.uk, olympic.org and wikipedia.org

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