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Ten golden moments of the 2012 Games
Source:Reuters – Global Times Published: 2012-8-17 18:30:03
The Olympic cauldron with its 204 copper petals is dismantled during the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games on Sunday at the Olympic stadium in London. Photos: AFP
The London Olympic Games was packed with sporting highlights, personal dramas and emotional highs and lows. Here are 10 golden moments from the Games.
The opening ceremony
Seven teenagers, in keeping with the Games motto of "Inspire a generation," lit 204 copper petals which then rose on stalks to form the single burning flower of a cauldron. It was a dramatic finale to a musical celebration of British history and culture that also starred 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth in her first acting role alongside James Bond actor Daniel Craig. The moment of realization that it was really her, turning from her desk to say "Good evening, Mr Bond" was delicious.
Saudi Arabia's first female athlete
The kingdom sent female athletes to a Games for the first time, ensuring every country competing was represented by both sexes. Judoka Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani, a painfully shy teenager with no international experience and wearing an ill-fitting suit and head covering, made a brave debut in front of a global audience of millions. She lasted only 80 seconds but won plenty of applause nonetheless.
The opening ceremony
Seven teenagers, in keeping with the Games motto of "Inspire a generation," lit 204 copper petals which then rose on stalks to form the single burning flower of a cauldron. It was a dramatic finale to a musical celebration of British history and culture that also starred 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth in her first acting role alongside James Bond actor Daniel Craig. The moment of realization that it was really her, turning from her desk to say "Good evening, Mr Bond" was delicious.
Saudi Arabia's first female athlete
The kingdom sent female athletes to a Games for the first time, ensuring every country competing was represented by both sexes. Judoka Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani, a painfully shy teenager with no international experience and wearing an ill-fitting suit and head covering, made a brave debut in front of a global audience of millions. She lasted only 80 seconds but won plenty of applause nonetheless.
Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani
Andy Murray takes tennis gold
Murray had been reduced to tears when he lost the Wimbledon men's singles final to Roger Federer in July but he took his revenge by thrashing the Swiss on Centre Court in an astonishing performance from a man who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament. The memory of the Scot leaping into the crowd to celebrate with his nearest and dearest will linger long.
Michael Phelps bows out
With a lop-sided smile of satisfaction, the greatest of swimmers and possibly the greatest Olympian of all time said farewell with one last immense performance for the US relay team in the men's 4x100m medley. Final tally: 18 career golds, 22 medals. He had done everything he set out to achieve. The world of swimming has lost a titan of the pool.
Murray had been reduced to tears when he lost the Wimbledon men's singles final to Roger Federer in July but he took his revenge by thrashing the Swiss on Centre Court in an astonishing performance from a man who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament. The memory of the Scot leaping into the crowd to celebrate with his nearest and dearest will linger long.
Michael Phelps bows out
With a lop-sided smile of satisfaction, the greatest of swimmers and possibly the greatest Olympian of all time said farewell with one last immense performance for the US relay team in the men's 4x100m medley. Final tally: 18 career golds, 22 medals. He had done everything he set out to achieve. The world of swimming has lost a titan of the pool.
Michael Phelps
Usain Bolt wins and wins and wins
The world's fastest man and his Jamaica relay teammates provided three of the enduring moments of the Games. The showman opened his campaign with a Games record in the 100 meters, followed up by becoming the first man to retain his titles in the 100m and 200m, where Jamaica finished 1-2-3, and then anchored the 4x100m relay to a world record time.
The moment where Bolt and Yohan Blake caught each others' eyes as they crossed the finish line in the 200m, with the winner putting his finger to his lips to silence the young pretender, was a classic moment of theater.
The world's fastest man and his Jamaica relay teammates provided three of the enduring moments of the Games. The showman opened his campaign with a Games record in the 100 meters, followed up by becoming the first man to retain his titles in the 100m and 200m, where Jamaica finished 1-2-3, and then anchored the 4x100m relay to a world record time.
The moment where Bolt and Yohan Blake caught each others' eyes as they crossed the finish line in the 200m, with the winner putting his finger to his lips to silence the young pretender, was a classic moment of theater.
|Usain Bolt
Mo Farah wins two golds
Even Bolt was moved to do the "Mobot," the M-shaped hands-on-head gesture after Farah's 5,000m win. Mogadishu-born but proudly British, Farah's feat was hailed as the greatest in the country's athletic history. The first Briton to win a long-distance gold, he was only the seventh man to do the Olympic 5,000m/10,000m double. A golden memory will be the spine-tingling roar of the crowd and the sight of Farah, flag around his shoulders, embracing his daughter after winning.
Even Bolt was moved to do the "Mobot," the M-shaped hands-on-head gesture after Farah's 5,000m win. Mogadishu-born but proudly British, Farah's feat was hailed as the greatest in the country's athletic history. The first Briton to win a long-distance gold, he was only the seventh man to do the Olympic 5,000m/10,000m double. A golden memory will be the spine-tingling roar of the crowd and the sight of Farah, flag around his shoulders, embracing his daughter after winning.
Gabby Douglas
The Flying Squirrel
US President Barack Obama wants to meet her, Oprah Winfrey shed "happy tears" for her and her surname is an anagram of "USA Gold". The US fell in love with gymnast Gabby Douglas, the "Flying Squirrel" who became the first African American to win an Olympic title in the women's individual all-round event.
US President Barack Obama wants to meet her, Oprah Winfrey shed "happy tears" for her and her surname is an anagram of "USA Gold". The US fell in love with gymnast Gabby Douglas, the "Flying Squirrel" who became the first African American to win an Olympic title in the women's individual all-round event.
Ye Shiwen
Ye Shiwen breaks a world record
The 16-year-old Chinese swimmer won two golds in London but her smashing of the 400m individual medley world record, with a time five seconds faster than her personal best, was astonishing. Suggestions from a top US coach that it was, in fact, altogether unbelievable and might be a result of banned substances triggered a firestorm in China where the accusations were seen as biased and racist.
The 16-year-old Chinese swimmer won two golds in London but her smashing of the 400m individual medley world record, with a time five seconds faster than her personal best, was astonishing. Suggestions from a top US coach that it was, in fact, altogether unbelievable and might be a result of banned substances triggered a firestorm in China where the accusations were seen as biased and racist.
Tears of Hoy
The "Hoy Wonder" that is Chris Hoy shed tears of joy after winning his sixth Olympic cycling gold to become Britain's most decorated Olympian. "I'm in shock," he said. "I'm trying to take it all in, but this is surreal. It is what I always wanted."
The "Hoy Wonder" that is Chris Hoy shed tears of joy after winning his sixth Olympic cycling gold to become Britain's most decorated Olympian. "I'm in shock," he said. "I'm trying to take it all in, but this is surreal. It is what I always wanted."
Chris Hoy
South Korean sit-in
A weeping Shin A-lam staged a one-hour protest and had to be physically escorted off the fencing piste after her 6-5 defeat by Germany's Britta Heidemann in the epee semifinal on July 30.
The sight of the 25-year-old looking dejected as she sat on a spot-lit piste, pristine in her white uniform with a towel draped over her shoulder, was an indelible image.
Reuters - Global Times
A weeping Shin A-lam staged a one-hour protest and had to be physically escorted off the fencing piste after her 6-5 defeat by Germany's Britta Heidemann in the epee semifinal on July 30.
The sight of the 25-year-old looking dejected as she sat on a spot-lit piste, pristine in her white uniform with a towel draped over her shoulder, was an indelible image.
Reuters - Global Times
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