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2012 London Olympics
Facts and Figures
The Games of the XXX Olympiad
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are being held in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August. Around 10,500 athletes representing 204 nations and territories are competing in 302 events covering 26 sports at what is officially known as The Games of the XXX Olympiad.
Bid
London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympics after competing against strong bids from New York, Madrid, Paris and Moscow. London also hosted the games in 1908 and 1948, making this year’s event the third time the games have been held in London since the modern Olympics began in 1896. The motto of this year’s Olympic Games is "Inspire a Generation".
Visitors
People from all over the world are visiting London for the Olympics, and they’ll be among over 500,000 spectators expected to attend. Over 9,000,000 seating tickets have been sold, with prices ranging from around $30 for standard seats at regular events to around $3,000 for the best seats at the July 27 Opening Ceremony.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony begins with thousands of athletes marching into the Olympic Stadium behind their national flags. A spectacular show follows that culminates in the arrival of the Olympic Torch and the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. The lighting of this flame marks the official start of the London Olympics, and for the next 16 days the world’s top athletes will be competing with all their might for one of over 4,000 Olympic medals on offer.
Closing Ceremony
After all the events have been held, and all the medals have been awarded, the Closing Ceremony will take place on August 12. At the end of this ceremony the flame in the Olympic Cauldron will finally be extinguished, and the games will be over.
Paralympic Games
Not long after the London Olympics are over, the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will begin. The Opening Ceremony will be held on July 29 and the competition will continue for the next eleven days, until the