The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event, that took place in London (United Kingdom), from 27 July to 12 August 2012. More than 10,000 athletes from 204 Nartional Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in this momentous event.
The Games received widespread acclaim for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military, and public enthusiasm praised particularly highly. The opening ceremony, directed by Danny Boyle, also received near-universal acclaim. During the Games, Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Great Britain achieved its highest tally of gold medals since 1908, finishing third in the medal table. Another highlight of the event was that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, meaning every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. With women’s boxing included, the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics was held on 27 July and called “Isles of Wonder”. Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was its artistic director, with the music directors being the electronic music duo Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of Underworld.
The Games were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was the second Games the Queen had opened personally, the first being the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. All successive Olympics held in Canada or Australia have been opened by their respective governors-general.
Live musical performers included Frank Turner, Mike Oldfield, London Symphony Orchestra (accompanied by Rowan Atkiinson, Dizzee rascal, Arctic Monkeys, and Sir Paul McCartney, who performed the song “Hey Jude” at the end of the ceremony. The official BARB ratings gave the opening ceremony a rating of 24.24 million viewers, the highest audience for any British television broadcast since 1996.
Top ten of the 2012 Summer Olympics medal table
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 |  United States (USA) |
46 | 29 | 29 | 104 |
| 2 |  China (CHN) |
38 | 27 | 23 | 88 |
| 3 |  Great Britain (GBR)* |
29 | 17 | 19 | 65 |
| 4 |  Russia (RUS) |
24 | 26 | 32 | 82 |
| 5 |  South Korea (KOR) |
13 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
| 6 |  Germany (GER) |
11 | 19 | 14 | 44 |
| 7 |  France (FRA) |
11 | 11 | 12 | 34 |
| 8 |  Italy (ITA) |
8 | 9 | 11 | 28 |
| 9 |  Hungary (HUN) |
8 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
| 10 |  Australia (AUS) |
7 | 16 | 12 | 35 |
| Total (85 NOCs) | 302 | 304 | 356 | 962 | |
India at the 2012 Summer Olympics
India participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London (UK) from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) sent the nation’s largest delegation to the Games in Olympic history. A total of 83 athletes, 60 men and 23 women, competed in 13 sports. Men’s field hockey was the only team-based sport in which India had its representation in these Olympic Games. India also marked its Olympic return in weightlifting, after the International Weightlifting Federation imposed a two-year suspension for the nation’s athletes in Beijing because of doping scandal.
The Indian team featured several Olympic medalists from Beijing, including rifle shooter and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, who failed to advance into the final rounds of his event in London. Wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist Sushil Kumar managed to claim another medal by winning silver in the men’s freestyle wrestling. The IOA also appointed him to be the nation’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
This was India’s most successful Olympics based on the medal standings, winning a total of 6 medals (2 silver and 4 bronze), and doubling the nation’s overall record in Beijing. Two medals were awarded to the athletes in shooting and wrestling. India also set a historical milestone for the female athletes who won two Olympic medals. Badminton player and world junior champion Sania Nehwal became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic bronze medal in the women’s singles. Boxer Mary Kom, on the other hand, lost to Great Britain’s Nicola Adams in the semi-final match, but settled for the bronze in the first ever women’s flyweight event.
India’s Medalists
| Medals by sport | ||||
| Sport |  |
 |
 |
Total |
| Shooting | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wrestling | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Badminton | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Boxing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
 Silver |
Vijay Kumar | Shooting | Men’s 25 m rapid fire pistol | 3 August |
 Silver |
Sushil Kumar | Wrestling | Men’s 66 kg freestyle | 12 August |
 Bronze |
Gagan Narang | Shooting | Men’s 10 m air rifle | 30 July |
 Bronze |
Saina Nehwal | Badminton | Women’s singles | 4 August |
 Bronze |
Mary Kom | Boxing | Women’s flyweight | 8 August |
 Bronze |
Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling | Men’s 60kg Freestyle | 11 August |
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics was held on 12 August 2012. In addition to protocol, the ceremony featured a flashback fiesta to British music with The Who finishing out the performance. The ceremony also included a handover of the Olympic flag by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London to Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The closing ceremonies reminded the world that a lot of popular music has come from Britain. It was fun in parts, like whenever Eric Idle was on stage or when Muse tore through “Survival,” which has been the anthem of these Olympics, played before the start of every event with great effect. The Spece Girls were a hoot, too.
“These were happy and glorious Games,” said International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge at the closing ceremonies, quoting a line from the British national anthem. And he was right. As one commentator pointed out: “No one does understatement with more passion than the British, and four years after a Games that were wonderful in their own right, that was just what Dr. Rogge ordered – a nation that did not need the spotlight for itself, but instead provided sport’s biggest moment with a perfect stage.”
