2012 Summer Olympics facts for kids
| Host city | London, United Kingdom | ||
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| Motto | Inspire a Generation | ||
| Nations | 204 | ||
| Athletes | 10,768 (5,992 men, 4,776 women) | ||
| Events | 302 in 26 sports (39 disciplines) | ||
| Opening | 27 July | ||
| Closing | 12 August | ||
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| Cauldron |
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| Stadium | Olympic Stadium | ||
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The 2012 Summer Olympic Games were a huge sports event. They took place in London, United Kingdom. The games ran from July 27 to August 12, 2012. After that, the Paralympic Games were held from August 29 to September 9. London made history by hosting the modern Olympic Games three times. It had also hosted them in 1908 and 1948.
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How London Won the Bid
Nine cities wanted to host the 2012 Olympics. They sent their plans by July 15, 2003. These cities included Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro.
On May 18, 2004, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose five cities. These were London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, and Paris. The IOC is the group that organizes the Olympic Games.
The IOC team visited these five cities in February and March 2005. They checked out each city's plans.
On June 6, 2005, the IOC shared its reports. Paris seemed to have the best plan. London's plan was also very good. Many people thought Paris would win because it had tried to host the games before. But some thought London and Paris were equally strong.
Finally, on July 6, 2005, London was announced as the winner. This happened in Singapore.
About the 2012 Games
Athletes from 204 different countries took part in the games. Also, four athletes competed under the Olympic flag. They were from South Sudan and the former Netherlands Antilles.
Countries That Competed
Many countries sent athletes to the London 2012 Olympics. Here are some of them:
Medal Winners
To see which countries won the most medals, check out the main article:
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Sports at the Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics featured 26 different sports. A new sport was added for women: boxing! The International Boxing Federation decided that 40 female athletes would compete in five weight classes.
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The Motto: Inspire a Generation
The official motto for the 2012 Summer Olympics was "Inspire a generation." This motto was chosen to show that the games wanted to encourage people worldwide. The goal was to get everyone excited about sports and the Olympic spirit.
Meet the Mascots
The official mascots for the Olympics and Paralympic Games were shown in May 2010. Their names were Wenlock and Mandeville. They were designed to be fun and friendly symbols of the games.
Major Sponsors
The 2012 Olympics had many companies help pay for the event. Some of the well-known sponsors included McDonald's, Acer, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Panasonic. These companies helped make the games possible.
 Olympic Games |
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| Summer Games: 1896, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1912, (1916), 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028 |
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| Winter Games: 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 | ||
| Athens 2004 — Turin 2006 — Beijing 2008 — Vancouver 2010 — London 2012 — Sochi 2014 — Rio 2016 — Pyeongchang 2018 — Tokyo 2020 Games in italics will be held in the future, and those in (brackets) were cancelled because of war. See also: Ancient Olympic Games |
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| Youth Olympic Games |
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| Summer Games: 2010, 2014, 2018 | ||
| Winter Games: 2012, 2016, 2020 |
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| Singapore 2010 — Innsbruck 2012 — Nanjing 2014 |
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Images for kids
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Lord Coe, chairman of the LOCOG
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The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on the Isle of Portland in Dorset hosted the sailing events
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The Olympic Javelin service ran between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet, via Stratford
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The Emirates Air Line crosses the River Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks
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Olympic rings marked on a street, indicating that the lane is reserved for the use of Olympic athletes and staff
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The Countdown Clock in Trafalgar Square
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Medals of the London 2012 Olympics
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The torch relay in Newport, Isle of Wight
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Tower Bridge was illuminated with the Olympic Rings in the week leading up to the opening ceremony.
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Fireworks at the opening ceremony
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The Holland Heineken House, the Dutch home in Alexandra Palace.
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Mo Farah (left) with Usain Bolt (right), demonstrating one another's famous gestures (the "Lightning Bolt" and "Mobot")
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The International Broadcast Centre in June 2011
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The Olympic Mascots, Mandeville (left) and Wenlock (right)
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See also
In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 para niños
