London Olympics 2012 World Wide Sponsors

World Wide Olympics Sponsors

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

Taekwondo

Expect plenty of excitement at ExCeL when the Taekwondo competitors take to the court at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Key facts

Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 8
Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women)

The word ‘Taekwondo’ translates into English as ‘the way of foot and fist’ – an accurate description of the principles behind this Korean martial art. Powerful kicks and punches are, literally, the name of the game, which offers tension, drama and plenty of action.

http://www.london2012.com/taekwondo

Table Tennis

Power, subtlety and lightning-fast reflexes will all be on display at ExCeL during the exciting London 2012 Olympic Games Table Tennis competition.

Key facts

Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Wednesday 8 August
Medal events: 4
Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women)

Table Tennis has come a long way from its origins in the late 19th century, when it developed as an after-dinner game played by upper-class English families. More than a century later, Table Tennis is a breathtaking spectacle that blends power, speed, skill and subtlety – no wonder it’s the biggest participation sport in the world.


http://www.london2012.com/table-tennis

Synchronised Swimming

At the London 2012 Games, the Synchronised Swimming is all about grace under pressure, as swimmers use pinpoint precision and immense stamina to deliver beautiful routines in the pool.

Key facts

Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park
Dates: Sunday 5 – Friday 10 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 104 (all women)

Synchronised Swimming grew out of the ornamental water ballets of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which became popular in Europe and the US thanks to pioneers such as Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman. The first competitions were held in the 1930s, five decades before the sport made its Olympic debut in 1984.

http://www.london2012.com/synchronised-swimming

Swimming

Speed, strength and stamina will be key for athletes in the Swimming competition at the London 2012 Games, which features no fewer than 34 medal events.

Key facts

Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park (pool events); Hyde Park (Marathon Swimming 10km)
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Saturday 4 August (Aquatics Centre); Thursday 9 – Friday 10 August (Hyde Park)
Medal events: 34
Athletes: 950

Evidence of people swimming for sport dates all the way back to Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Greek times. Now hugely popular around the world as a leisure activity and a competitive sport, Swimming has featured at every modern Games and remains a real Olympic crowd-pleaser.


http://www.london2012.com/swimming

Shooting

During the London 2012 Games, nearly 400 competitors will be shooting for gold across 15 dramatic events.


Key facts

Venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Monday 6 August
Medal events: 15
Athletes: 390

Having been practised competitively for centuries, the tense and demanding sport of Shooting is now popular all over the world. At Beijing, marksmen and women from more than 100 countries took part in the competition.


http://www.london2012.com/shooting

Sailing

The waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will play host to 10 exhilarating Sailing events during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Key facts

Venue: Weymouth and Portland
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 10
Athletes: 380 (237 men, 143 women)

Mastery over ever-changing conditions on open water requires skill and nerve. Both will be essential for competitors in the Sailing events at London 2012, 14 days of competition that should offer plenty of excitement and drama in the beautiful but testing waters of Weymouth Bay, on the south coast of England.

http://www.london2012.com/sailing

Rowing

The Rowing competition at the London 2012 Games will feature extraordinary displays of power and passion on the world-class waters at Eton Dorney.

Key facts

Venue: Eton Dorney
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Saturday 4 August
Medal events: 14
Athletes: 550 (353 men, 197 women)

Although its history dates back centuries, Rowing only came of age as a competitive sport in the last 200 years. Interest began to increase after Oxford and Cambridge Universities began their rivalry on the Thames in 1829, a rivalry that continues today in the shape of the annual Boat Race.

Today’s sport is renowned for its competitors’ legendary displays of strength and stamina, as athletes push themselves through the pain barrier in an attempt to win Olympic gold.

http://www.london2012.com/rowing

Modern Pentathlon

A sport like no other, at the London 2012 Games Modern Pentathlon will celebrate 100 years as part of the Olympic Games.

Key facts

Venue: Copper Box - Olympic Park (fencing); Aquatics Centre - Olympic Park (swimming); and Greenwich Park (riding, combined event)
Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 August
Events: Fencing, Swimming, Riding, Combined Run/Shoot Event
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 72 (36 men, 36 women)

Modern Pentathlon was championed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and has its origins in a 19th-century legend. The story goes that a young French cavalry officer was sent on horseback to deliver a message. To complete his mission, he had to ride, fence, shoot, swim and run – the five challenges that face competitors in Modern Pentathlon today.


http://www.london2012.com/modern-pentathlon

Judo

Judo contests at the London 2012 Olympic Games will be a five-minute whirlwind of combat, with athletes attempting a combination of throws and holds in a bid to defeat their opponents.

Key facts

Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Friday 3 August
Medal events: 14
Athletes: 386

Developed from jujitsu and established as a sport in the late 19th century by Dr Jigoro Kano, Judo is a sport for which athletes are called upon to employ an intricate mix of attack and defence. The sport’s one-on-one battles can be tough, tense and explosive, as competitors grapple for command against equally determined opponents.

http://www.london2012.com/judo

Hockey

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, men’s and women’s teams will be shooting for gold and glory at the new Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park.

Key facts

Venue: Riverbank Arena
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 women; 12 teams in each event)

Hockey demands speed, stamina and a mastery of intricate hand-eye coordination. Played by teams of 11 on an outdoor pitch, the sport is a long-time Olympic favourite, offering non-stop action over 14 days of competition.

http://www.london2012.com/hockey

Handball

High scoring and a quicksilver pace will combine to make Handball a truly thrilling team sport at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Key facts

Venue: Copper Box – Olympic Park (preliminaries, women’s quarter-finals); Basketball Arena – Olympic Park (men’s quarter-finals, plus all semi-finals and finals)
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 336 (168 men, 168 women; 12 teams in each event)

Speed, skill and stamina are key attributes for competitors in modern Handball, a fast and exhilarating team sport. Handball offers plenty of physical contact and non-stop, end-to-end action, and should draw big crowds throughout the competition at London 2012.

http://www.london2012.com/handball

Gymnastics – Trampoline

Prepare to be dazzled by the athletes in the Trampoline competition at the London 2012 Games, the newest of the three Gymnastics disciplines to have arrived on the Olympic programme.

Key facts

Venue: North Greenwich Arena
Dates: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 32

Devised in the 1930s at the University of Iowa, the first modern trampoline was initially used as a training tool for tumblers, astronauts and athletes. However, it grew in popularity to such an extent that in 1964, the first ever Trampoline World Championships were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Since making its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games in 2000, the sport has consistently featured awe-inspiring displays of acrobatic excellence, with athletes springing to heights of up to 10m.

http://www.london2012.com/gymnastics-trampoline

Gymnastics - Rhythmic

During the London 2012 Olympic Games, grace and beauty will be on show throughout the four days of Rhythmic Gymnastics competition at Wembley Arena.

Key facts

Venue: Wembley Arena
Dates: Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 96 (all women)

Rhythmic Gymnastics first appeared during the 19th century, and slowly grew in popularity until the first experimental competitions were staged during the 1930s. Having evolved to incorporate elements from classical ballet, German muscle-building techniques and Swedish exercise systems, it’s one of the most beautiful spectacles on the Olympic programme.

http://www.london2012.com/gymnastics-rhythmic

Gymnastics - Artistic

Hugely popular with audiences all over the world, Artistic Gymnastics looks set to draw huge crowds to North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Key facts

Venue: North Greenwich Arena
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 14
Athletes: 196 (98 men, 98 women)

The grace, strength and skill of Olympic gymnasts have been astonishing audiences since the Games in Ancient Greece, where Gymnastics was regarded as the perfect symmetry between mind and body. The best known of the three Gymnastics disciplines, Artistic Gymnastics is always among the most popular competitions at the Games.

http://www.london2012.com/gymnastics-artistic

Football

Spread across six major grounds around the UK, the London 2012 Olympic Games Football competition promises plenty of excitement.

Key facts

Venues: City of Coventry Stadium, (Coventry); Hampden Park (Glasgow); Millennium Stadium (Cardiff); Old Trafford (Manchester); St James' Park (Newcastle); Wembley Stadium

Dates: Wednesday 25 July – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 504 (288 men, 216 women; 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams).

Football will be a major feature of the Olympic programme at London 2012. Beginning with group matches and ending with a knockout phase, the competition will offer all the drama that fans have come to expect from major international tournaments. There will be two medal events at London 2012, one for men’s teams and one for women.

http://www.london2012.com/football

Fencing

The tense, testing sport of Fencing has featured at every Olympic Games of the modern era.

Key facts

Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August
Medal events: 10
Athletes: 212

Although sword fighting dates back thousands of years, Fencing as we now understand it really came of age as a sport in the 19th century. A tense, compelling battle of wits and technique, the sport is one of the few to have featured at every modern Olympic Games.


http://www.london2012.com/fencing

Equestrian - Eventing

Featuring dressage, cross-country and a dramatic jumping finale, the Eventing competition at the London 2012 Games will offer an all-encompassing test of Equestrian skill.

Key facts

Venue: Greenwich Park
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 31 July
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 75

There are three distinct parts to the Eventing competition: dressage, which illustrates the harmony between horse and rider; cross-country riding, which requires speed, power and nerve; and jumping, which calls for precision, agility and impeccable technique. The combination tests every element of horsemanship, and offers the spectator plenty of excitement along the way.

http://www.london2012.com/equestrian-eventing

Equestrian - Jumping

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Jumping competition will require horse and rider to navigate a short course with precision, speed and perfect technique.

Key facts

Venue: Greenwich Park
Dates: Saturday 4 – Wednesday 8 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 75

Commonly known as ‘showjumping’ in the UK, jumping as we know it today developed out of necessity. Until the 18th century, hunters were able to gallop across open fields in pursuit of foxes. But when fences were built in the English countryside during the process of enclosure, riders and horses needed to adapt – and Jumping was born.

http://www.london2012.com/equestrian-jumping

Equestrian - Dressage

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Dressage events will test the ability of horse and rider to display both athletic prowess and supreme elegance.


Key facts

Venue: Greenwich Park
Dates: Thursday 2 August – Thursday 9 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 50

Equestrian sport can be traced back more than 2,000 years, when the Greeks introduced dressage training to prepare their horses for war. Classical dressage reached its peak with the development of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, which laid the basis for the elegant, graceful sport practised today.

http://www.london2012.com/equestrian-dressage

Diving

At the London 2012 Games, Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below.


Key facts

Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August 2012
Medal events: 8
Athletes: 136 (68 men, 68 women)

Competitive diving developed from gymnastics in the 18th century, when gymnasts in Sweden and Germany began to perform tumbling routines into water. Along with Swimming, Synchronised Swimming and Water Polo, the elegant yet dramatic sport of Diving is one of four disciplines that make up the Olympic sport of Aquatics.


http://www.london2012.com/diving

Cycling - Track

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, there will be 10 gold medals up for grabs over six action-packed days in the Track Cycling competition.

Key facts

Venue: Velodrome
Dates: Thursday 2 – Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 10
Athletes: 188 (104 men, 84 women)

Cycling has a long and fascinating history in the UK. As early as 1870, large crowds were drawn to races held in England on indoor wooden tracks, which closely resembled the velodromes of today.

Thanks in part to recent British success in the sport, track cycling is now as popular here as it’s ever been, and is sure to draw huge crowds at London 2012.

http://www.london2012.com/cycling-track

Cycling - Road

At London 2012, a quartet of challenging, exciting Road Cycling events will energise the streets of London and Surrey.

Key facts

Venue: The Mall (Road Race); Hampton Court Palace (Time Trial)
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Wednesday 1 August
Medal events: 4
Athletes: 212 (145 men, 67 women)

According to popular legend, the first ever bicycle race was held in Paris in 1868, and was won by a 19-year-old cyclist from Suffolk named James Moore. It goes without saying that the sport has grown since these humble beginnings. More than 140 years after Moore’s triumph, Road Cycling events draw huge crowds and enormous TV audiences around the world, and the four Olympic medal events at London 2012 should see the streets of London and Surrey packed with passionate fans.


http://www.london2012.com/cycling-road

Cycle - Mountain Bike

Rocky paths, tricky climbs and technical descents will provide plenty of challenges for riders in the Mountain Bike competition.

Key facts

Venue: Hadleigh Farm, Essex
Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 80 (50 men, 30 women)

Much like BMX, Mountain Biking is a young sport that has risen to worldwide popularity at an amazing rate. Fast, furious and occasionally downright terrifying, the sport developed in northern California during the 1970s. However, it quickly spread from its low-key beginnings and now has a huge following around the globe, which has only grown since its arrival on the Olympic programme in the 1990s.


http://www.london2012.com/cycling-mountain-bike

Cycling – BMX

The fast and furious sport of BMX will be making only its second Olympic appearance at the London 2012 Games.

Key facts

Venue: BMX Track – Olympic Park
Dates: Wednesday 8 – Friday 10 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 48

BMX (Bicycle Motocross) began to take off in the late 1960s in California, around the time that motocross became popular in the US. The motorised sport was the inspiration for the pedal-powered version, a breathtaking spectacle that’s since become popular all over the world.

http://www.london2012.com/cycling-bmx

Canoe Sprint

Requiring sustained bursts of speed and power, Canoe Sprint at the London 2012 Games will offer thrilling, down-to-the-wire finishes.

Key facts

Venue: Eton Dorney
Dates: Monday 6 – Saturday 11 August
Medal events: 12
Athletes: 248

The histories of the canoe and the kayak go back hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century that the first official canoe and kayak races were held. The sport now takes two forms, the oldest of which is the power-packed, fiercely competitive Canoe Sprint discipline.


http://www.london2012.com/canoe-sprint

Canoe Slalom

During the London 2012 Games, the Canoe Slalom competition will call for speed and precision on the daunting white water rapids at the new Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Key facts

Venue: Lee Valley White Water Centre
Dates: Sunday 29 July – Thursday 2 August
Medal events: 4
Athletes: 82

Modelled on slalom skiing, the first Canoe Slalom competition was held in Switzerland in 1932. The sport was staged on flat water during its early days, but was later switched to white water rapids.

Since becoming a permanent part of the Olympic programme 20 years ago in Barcelona, the sport has thrilled spectators at the Games with spectacular, non-stop action on the powerful, unforgiving water.

http://www.london2012.com/canoe-slalom

Boxing

At the London 2012 Games, the ever-popular men’s Boxing events will be joined on the Olympic programme by a women’s competition for the first time.

Key facts

Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 13
Athletes: 286 (250 men, 36 women)

Boxing featured at the original Olympic Games in the 7th century BC, when opponents fought with strips of leather wrapped around their fists. The sport’s regulations were codified in 1867 as the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, named in honour of the nobleman who endorsed them. The essence of these rules is still in place today, governing this perennially exciting and dramatic Olympic sport.

http://www.london2012.com/boxing

Beach Volleybal

Teams of two will serve, bump and spike their way towards gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games Beach Volleyball competition, held in the heart of the capital.

Key facts


Venue: Horse Guards Parade
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Thursday 9 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 96 (48 men, 48 women; 24 teams in each event)

Beach Volleyball came of age on the sun-soaked beaches of Santa Monica, California, during the 1920s. The event now regarded as the first Beach Volleyball World Championships was held in the state in 1976, and was even won by a pair of Californians (Greg Lee and Jim Menges). However, over the last three decades, the sport has moved far beyond its West Coast roots and is now played all over the world.

http://www.london2012.com/beach-volleyball

Basketball

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, one of the world’s most popular and fastest-growing team sports will be showcased at the Basketball Arena and North Greenwich Arena.

Key facts

Venues: Basketball Arena – Olympic Park (preliminaries, women’s quarter-finals); North Greenwich Arena (men’s quarter-finals and women’s semi-finals onwards)
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 women, 12 teams in each event).

Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher who wanted to create a game that could be played indoors during the winter by his students at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The first game, which took place in December 1891, used peach baskets for goals. In the 120 years since these humble beginnings, basketball has grown into one of the most exciting and popular team sports in the world.


source : http://www.london2012.com/basketball

Badminton

Badminton players at the London 2012 Olympic Games will need lightning-fast reactions if they’re to keep up with shuttlecocks travelling at speeds in excess of 400km/h.
Key facts

Venue: Wembley Arena
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August
Medal events: 5
Athletes: 172

During the 19th century, British military officers in the Indian town of Poona added a net to the ancient game of battledore (meaning ‘bat’) and shuttlecock, and named this new game after the town.

The sport of Poona was eventually brought back home by the officers, and was played at the Duke of Beaufort’s Gloucestershire residence in 1873. The residence was (and is still) called Badminton House, which is how this thrilling sport got the name used today.

Athletics

One of the most popular sports that will feature at the London 2012 Olympic Games is also the biggest: Athletics features 2,000 athletes running, walking, jumping and throwing for gold.

Key facts

Venue: Olympic Stadium – Olympic Park (track, field and combined events); The Mall (road events)
Dates: Friday 3 August – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 47
Athletes: 2,000

Athletics is the perfect expression of the Olympic motto ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ (‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’) – the competition requires athletes to run faster, throw further, jump higher and leap longer than their rivals. With 2,000 athletes competing in 47 events, Athletics is the largest single sport at the Games.

source : http://www.london2012.com/athletics

Archery

Held at Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Archery competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games will call for pinpoint precision and nerves of steel.

Key facts

Venue: Lord's Cricket Ground
Dates: Friday 27 July – Friday 3 August
Medal events: 4
Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women)


Archery dates back around 10,000 years, when bows and arrows were first used for hunting and warfare, before it developed as a competitive activity in medieval England. A tense and testing sport that requires immense reserves of skill and nerve, Archery is now practised in more than 140 countries around the world.

London 2012 Olympics Sports

Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Boxing
Canoe Slalom
Canoe Sprint
Cycling – BMX
Cycling – Mountain Bike
Cycling – Road
Cycling – Track
Diving
Equestrian – Dressage
Equestrian – Eventing
Equestrian – Jumping
Fencing
Football
Gymnastics – Artistic
Gymnastics – Rhythmic
Gymnastics – Trampoline
Handball
Hockey
Judo
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Swimming
Synchronised Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water Polo
Weightlifting
Wrestling


source: http://www.london2012.com/sport