Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Wrestling
Wrestling at London 2012 will pit competitors against each other in head-to-head displays of power, technique and sheer strength.
Key facts
Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Sunday 5 – Sunday 12 August 2012
Medal events: 18
Athletes: 344
Recognised as one of the world’s oldest sports, Wrestling was first held at the ancient Olympics in 708 BC, and was included at the Athens 1896 Games, the first of the modern era. Played out on a circular mat, the sport is a battle of nerves, strength and skill, and should provide plenty of drama at ExCeL during London 2012.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting at the London 2012 Olympic Games will showcase a test of pure strength – the oldest and most basic form of physical competition.
Key facts
Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 15
Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 women)
One of the most straightforward sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme is also among the most awe-inspiring. The aim of Weightlifting is simple: to lift more weight than anyone else. The result is pure sporting theatre of the most dramatic kind, and a real spectator favourite.
http://www.london2012.com/weightlifting
Water Polo
Quick, exhilarating and not for the faint-hearted, Water Polo should offer plenty of action in the pool at London 2012.
Key facts
Venue: Olympic Park – Water Polo Arena
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 women)
Water Polo developed during the 19th century as an aquatic version of rugby, played informally in rivers and lakes. The version of the game that survives today is closer to Handball: a fast, tough and demanding sport, it’s featured on every Olympic programme since the Paris 1900 Games.
http://www.london2012.com/water-polo
Volleyball
The dynamic, competitive sport of Volleyball will be staged at historic Earls Court during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Key facts
Venue: Earls Court
Date: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 women: 12 teams in each event)
In 1895, William G Morgan devised a game he called ‘mintonette’, which he designed as a gentle alternative to basketball for older members of his YMCA gym. A century later, Volleyball is anything but gentle – few sports on the Olympic programme offer such fast, furious and exhilarating action.
http://www.london2012.com/volleyball
Triathlon
Hyde Park will welcome the world’s best triathletes for one of the most exciting and high-profile events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Key facts
Venue: Hyde Park
Dates: Saturday 4 and Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 110 (55 men, 55 women)
The precise origins of Triathlon are unknown: some say that the sport began in France between the wars, others that it really developed in the United States during the late 1970s. Whatever the true history, Triathlon is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and the London 2012 competition in Hyde Park promises to draw enormous and enthusiastic crowds.
http://www.london2012.com/triathlon
Tennis
Just three weeks after the end of the annual grand slam tournament, Wimbledon will once again welcome the best players in the world for the London 2012 Olympic Games Tennis competition.
Key facts
Venue: Wimbledon
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August
Events: Men's and women’s Singles and Doubles; Mixed Doubles
Medal events: 5
Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women)
Every four years, the Olympic Tennis tournament attracts the world’s top stars. At Beijing in 2008, for instance, Rafael Nadal won the men’s Singles, while the Williams sisters triumphed in the women’s Doubles. All the players will be aiming for a showdown on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, where the Olympic champions will be crowned.
http://www.london2012.com/tennis
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