Hosting the Olympic Games for a record third time in 2012, London put on a spectacular show that will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest Games of all time.
A city with a long and storied history, London did an outstanding job in showcasing its popular landmarks, ensuring that the setting for each event was almost as captivating as the competition itself. The likes of Horse Guards Parade (beach volleyball), Hyde Park (triathlon and open water swimming), Lord’s Cricket Ground (archery), The Mall (athletics road events and road cycling) and Greenwich Park (equestrian) took on new roles as Olympic venues and the world looked on in awe.
These icons of London’s landscape were joined by a new city idol, the Olympic Stadium, situated in Olympic Park at Stratford in East London. The Stadium enjoyed sold out crowds of over 80,000 at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies which featured Paul McCartney, James Bond and the Spice Girls to name a few. The Olympic Stadium was also the centrepiece for some of the most enduring moments of the Games including Usain Bolt’s triple gold medal haul, home town hero Mo Farah’s 5000m/ 10000m double and our own Sally Pearson winning the 100m hurdles in a photo finish.
Michael Phelps confirmed his status as the greatest ever Olympian with his 22nd medal. The American returned home from London with four gold medals and two silver medals.
With the added element of the Ashes rivalry between the British and the Australians, the hosts rose to the occasion and claimed a well deserved third position on the medal table behind the USA and China. Great Britain bagged an impressive 29 gold medals.
