London 2012 InternationalEducation Programme Sports and venues of the London 2012 Olympic Games Giving a home to inspiration In 2012, athletes from all over the world will come to the UK to take part in one of the world’s largest festivals of sport and culture, the Olympic Games. Every four years, a different Host City becomes the centre of cultural and sporting excellence. In 2012, it’s London’s turn. The sports of the London 2012 Olympic Games The 26 Olympic sports, split into the following 39 disciplines: Archery Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London Dates: Friday 27 July – Friday 3 August Medal events: 4 Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women) Archery dates back around 10,000 years and is now practised in more than 140 countries around the world. At the London 2012 Olympic Games world- Athletics class athletes will take part in 26 Olympic sports including Athletics, Handball, Wrestling and Venue: Olympic Stadium – Diving. Olympic Park (track, field and combined events), London; The There was a huge amount to do to prepare Mall (road events), London for the London 2012 Games so the London Dates: Friday 3 August – Sunday Organising Committee of the Olympic and 12 August Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Medal events: 47 Delivery Authority (ODA) were set up. Athletes: 2,000 The ODA is responsible for planning and The Marathon event was increased from around building the Olympic Park, looking after both 25 miles to 26.2 miles at the London 1908 the permanent and temporary venues and Olympic Games, so the race could finish in front developing the transport system. of the Box where members of the British Royal Family were sitting. The length of the Marathon LOCOG is responsible for staging a Games we remains 26.2 miles to this day. will never forget. Organising such an important event is a big challenge! Badminton Venue: Wembley Arena, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172 Olympic shuttlecocks contain 16 feathers, each of them plucked from the left wing of a goose, and can travel faster than 400km/h. Basketball Canoe Slalom Venues: Basketball Arena Venue: Lee Valley White Water – Olympic Park, London Centre, Hertfordshire (preliminaries, women’s quarter- Dates: Sunday 29 July – Thursday finals); North Greenwich Arena, 2 August London (men’s quarter-finals and Medal events: 4 women’s semi-finals onwards) Athletes: 82 Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August Up to 25 gates can be on a white water course. Medal events: 2 Touching a gate adds a two-second time penalty to Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 the run; missing a gate incurs a 50-second penalty. women, 12 teams in each event). Canoe Sprint Basketball was originally played using a football. It wasn’t until the very end of the 19th century that Venue: Eton Dorney, the first basketballs were manufactured. Buckinghamshire Dates: Monday 6 – Saturday 11 Beach Volleyball August Medal events: 12 Venue: Horse Guards Parade, Athletes: 246 London Dates: Saturday 28 July – In canoes, athletes use a single-bladed paddle Thursday 9 August from a kneeling position. In kayaks, the Medal events: 2 competitors sit in the boat and use a paddle with Athletes: 96 (48 men, 48 women; two blades. 24 teams in each event) Cycling – BMX Since Beach Volleyball made its debut at the Atlanta 1996 Games, seven of the eight gold Venue: BMX Track – Olympic medals have been won by the US and Brazil. Park, London Dates: Wednesday 8 – Friday 10 Boxing August Medal events: 2 Venue: ExCeL, London Athletes: 48 Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August BMX bikes have only one gear and one brake. Medal events: 13 Athletes: 286 (250 men, 36 Cycling – Mountain Bike women) Venue: Hadleigh Farm, Essex Boxing was introduced to the ancient Olympic Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 Games in the 7th century BC, when opponents August fought with strips of leather around their fists. Medal events: 2 Athletes: 80 (50 men, 30 women) The races will be held over rough, hilly countryside. Cycling – Road Equestrian – Dressage Venue: The Mall, London (Road Venue: Greenwich Park, London Race); Hampton Court, London Dates: Thursday 2 – Thursday 9 (Time Trial) August Dates: Saturday 28 July – Medal events: 2 Wednesday 1 August Athletes: 50 Medal events: 4 Athletes: 212 (145 men, 67 In Dressage, riders and their horses perform a women) series of movements known as a dressage test, and are awarded scores by judges. During the time trial cyclists start 90 seconds apart. The winner is the cyclist with the fastest Equestrian – Eventing time over the course. Venue: Greenwich Park, London Cycling – Track Dates: Saturday 28 – Tuesday 31 July Venue: Velodrome, London Medal events: 2 Dates: Thursday 2 – Tuesday 7 Athletes: 75 August Medal events: 10 This competition combines dressage, cross- Athletes: 188 (104 men, 84 country riding and jumping. women) Equestrian – Jumping The track in the Velodrome has been laid with lengths of Siberian pine, and is banked to an Venue: Greenwich Park, London angle of 42 degrees at its steepest point. Dates: Saturday 4 – Wednesday 8 August Diving Medal events: 2 Athletes: 75 Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park, London These events are an exciting test of skill, speed Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday and power held in an arena around a short 11 August 2012 course combining 12-14 fences. Medal events: 8 Athletes: 136 (68 men, 68 Fencing women) Venue: ExCeL, London Olympic springboards must be at least 4.8m Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday long and 50cm wide, while platforms should be 5 August at least 6m long and 3m wide. Medal events: 10 Athletes: 212 Fencing was the first Olympic sport to feature professional athletes. Football Gymnastics – Trampoline Venues: City of Coventry Stadium Venue: North Greenwich Arena, (Coventry); Hampden Park London (Glasgow); Millennium Stadium Dates: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 (Cardiff); Old Trafford (Manchester); August St James’ Park (Newcastle); Medal events: 2 Wembley Stadium (London) Athletes: 32 Dates: Wednesday 25 July – Saturday 11 August The first modern trampoline was used in the Medal events: 2 1930s as a training tool for tumblers, astronauts Athletes: 504 (288 men, 216 and athletes. women; 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams). Handball Since it was introduced as a medal sport in 1908, Venue: Handball Arena – Olympic Football has featured at every Olympic Games Park, London (preliminaries, except one – the Los Angeles 1932 Games. women’s quarter-finals); Basketball Arena – Olympic Park, London Gymnastics – Artistic (men’s quarter-finals, plus all semi- finals and finals) Venue: North Greenwich Arena, Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday London 12 August Dates: Saturday 28 July – Tuesday Medal events: 2 7 August Athletes: 336 (168 men, 168 Medal events: 14 women; 12 teams in each event) Athletes: 196 (98 men, 98 women) Handball uses an indoor court measuring 40m x 20m, the largest court of any indoor ball sport at Since the Games in Ancient Greece, the sport the Games. has been considered to offer perfect symmetry between mind and body. Hockey Gymnastics – Rhythmic Venue: Hockey Centre, London Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday Venue: Wembley Arena, London 11 August Dates: Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 Medal events: 2 August Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 Medal events: 2 women; 12 teams in each event) Athletes: 96 (all women) Men’s Hockey made its Olympic debut at Competitors perform short routines to music London in 1908, while the first women’s using hand apparatus – a ball, clubs, a hoop Olympic Hockey competition was held at the and a ribbon. Moscow 1980 Games. Judo Sailing Venue: ExCeL, London Venue: Weymouth and Portland, Dates: Saturday 28 July – Friday 3 Dorset August Dates: Sunday 29 July – Saturday Medal events: 14 11 August Athletes: 386 Medal events: 10 Athletes: 380 (237 men, 143 Judo made its first appearance at the Olympic women) Games at Tokyo in 1964. Competitors use a mix of attack and defence in one-on-one contests, The 10 different Olympic Sailing events (six for which can be tough, tense and explosive. men, four for women) feature a variety of craft, from dinghies and keelboats to windsurfing Modern Pentathlon boards. Shooting Venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Monday Venue: Handball Arena - Olympic Park, London 6 August (fencing); Aquatics Centre - Olympic Park, Medal events: 15 London (swimming); and Greenwich Park, Athletes: 390 London (riding, combined event) Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 August In Pistol and Rifle events, competitors aim at a Events: Fencing, Swimming, Riding, Combined ringed target from a set distance. In Shotgun Run/Shoot Event events, competitors shoot at moving clay targets Medal events: 2 launched above and in front of them. Athletes: 72 (36 men, 36 women) Swimming A century after its Olympic debut, the Modern Pentathlon competition at the London 2012 Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Games will be the first at which running and Park, London (pool events); shooting are combined into a single discipline. Hyde Park, London (Marathon Swimming 10km) Rowing Dates: Saturday 28 July – Saturday 4 August (Aquatics Venue: Eton Dorney, Centre); Thursday 9 – Friday 10 Buckinghamshire August (Hyde Park) Dates: Saturday 28 July – Medal events: 34 Saturday 4 August Athletes: 950 Medal events: 14 Athletes: 550 (353 men, 197 At the London 1908 Olympic Games, the pool women) was built on the infield of the athletics track at White City Stadium and the competition was The youngest Olympic champion is thought to be held outdoors. a French boy, aged no more than 12, who coxed for a Dutch pair at the Paris 1900 Games. Synchronised Swimming Tennis Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Venue: Wimbledon, London Park, London Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday Dates: Sunday 5 – Friday 10 5 August August Events: Men’s and women’s Singles Medal events: 2 and Doubles; Mixed Doubles Athletes: 104 (all women) Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women) Synchronised Swimming is one of only two events on the Olympic programme to be Tennis appeared at the first modern Olympic contested exclusively by women.