London 2012 Olympics: List of 2012 Olympic Sports

List of 2012 Olympic Sports

  1. Archery – The Archery competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games will call for pinpoint precision and nerves of steel
  2. Athletics – 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Basketball – Men’s Basketball first appeared on the Olympic programme at the Berlin 1936 Games, with the women’s event introduced at Montreal 1976.
  5. Beach Volleyball – Beach Volleyball made its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996. Since then it has become one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games.
  6. Boxing – The ever-popular men’s Boxing events are joined on the Olympic programme by women’s events for the first time.
  7. Canoe Slalom – The Canoe Slalom competition will call for speed, control and precision on the daunting white water rapids at the new Lee Valley White Water Centre.
  8. Canoe Sprint – Requiring sustained bursts of speed and power, Canoe Sprint at the London 2012 Games will offer thrilling, down-to-the-wire finishes.
  9. Cycling – BMX – Having made its debut at the Beijing 2008 Games, BMX Cycling is the most recent discipline to have been added to the Olympic programme.
  10. Cycling – Mountain Bike – Rocky paths, tricky climbs and technical descents provide plenty of challenges for riders in the Mountain Bike competition.
  11. Cycling – Road – Road Cycling featured at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, with an 87km race that started and finished in Athens.
  12. Cycling – Track – Currently enjoying a boom in popularity, the action-packed sport of Track Cycling has featured at every Games but one since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
  13. Diving – Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below.
  14. Equestrian – The Equestrian competition at London 2012 is made up of three disciplines: Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. Each discipline requires different skills from the riders and horses competing.
  15. Fencing – At the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, the Fencing programme consisted of men’s Foil and Sabre events, with Epée making its debut at Paris 1900.
  16. Football – Football was introduced as a medal sport at the Paris 1900 Olympic Games.
  17. Gymnastics – Artistic – The term Artistic Gymnastics was first used in the 19th century. Between its appearance at the Athens 1896 Games and the 1920s, the event evolved into what we recognise as modern Gymnastics.
  18. Gymnastics – Rhythmic – One of just two women-only disciplines in the Olympic Games, Rhythmic Gymnastics is a combination of gymnastics and dance.
  19. Handball – Originally played outdoors as field handball, the sport first appeared at the Berlin 1936 Games.
  20. Hockey – Men’s Hockey made its debut at the London 1908 Games. The first women’s Olympic Hockey competition was held at the Moscow 1980 Games.
  21. Judo – Judo made its first appearance as a medal sport at the Tokyo 1964 Games.
  22. Modern Pentathlon – Modern Pentathlon first appeared at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games, with the women’s competition making its debut at Sydney 2000.
  23. 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.
  24. Sailing – Sailing made its Olympic debut in Paris 1900 with both men’s and women’s competitions. With the exception of St Louis 1904, the sport has appeared at every Olympic Games since.
  25. Shooting – During the London 2012 Games, nearly 400 competitors are shooting for gold across 15 dramatic events.
  26. Swimming – A total of 950 competitors will take part in 34 events in the Swimming competition.
  27. Synchronised Swimming – Synchronised Swimmers need stamina and grace for this demanding sport –one of only two for women only on the Olympic programme.
  28. Table Tennis – Since Table Tennis joined the Olympic programme in 1988, China has won 20 of the 24 available gold medals.
  29. Taekwondo – Expect plenty of excitement at ExCeL when the Taekwondo competitors take to the court at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
  30. Tennis – The Tennis competition at London 2012 will be held on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
  31. Trampoline – Trampoline Gymnastics is a relative newcomer on the Olympic programme; it made its debut at the Sydney 2000 Games.
  32. Triathlon – Triathletes are all-rounders: great swimmers, great cyclists and great runners. The event is gruelling and the winning athletes have exceptional reserves of stamina.
  33. Volleyball – Volleyball made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 1964 Games for both men and women.
  34. Water Polo – Developed during the 19th century, men’s Water Polo has featured on every Olympic programme since the Paris 1900 Games. Women’s Water Polo was introduced at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
  35. Weightlifting – Weightlifting will showcase a test of pure strength – the oldest and most basic form of physical competition.
  36. Wrestling – Recognised as one of the world’s oldest sports, Wrestling was first held at the ancient Olympics in 708 BC, and Greco-Roman Wrestling was included at the Athens 1896 Games, the first of the modern era.

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