The legacy of the London 2012 Olympics
Is there a better sporting competition than the Olympics? Nothing really beats the opportunity to see thousands of athletes from all over the world compete against each other in various disciplines, and it’s no wonder that it is by far the most hotly anticipated even in the sporting calendar.
And there’s more too: because the Olympics have a history that dates back thousands of years, originating in Ancient Greece! Now, we love online competitions here at Winzum, but we’re also interested in a whole lot more than just that, as proven by our Olympic history blog [the wonderful history of the Olympics].
In the modern era of the Olympics one of the most successful and adored was the London 2012 Olympics, especially in the UK! It is almost a decade since these games, and now more than ever the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics is easy to see. Keep reading for a juicy blog exploring the best bits about the London 2012 Olympics.
London 2012 Olympics: A round up
Do you remember the pure excitement and fun surrounding the London 2012 Olympics across the country? It was a genuinely special sporting event, with approximately 9 million tickets sold, and almost 11,000 athletes along for the ride. London 2012 also received special praise for the organisation, venues and general public spirit, making it one of the best Olympiads ever.
Famous film director Danny Boyle was recruited to oversee the opening ceremony, something that gained a huge amount of widespread critical acclaim, managing to effortlessly blend the UK’s traditional history with more cosmopolitan attitudes acquired over the last few decades in particular.
The United States won the final medal count, however with a record number of Olympic records broken it was happy days for plenty of athletes from all around the world.
A record Team GB medal haul
All of us lot in the UK will also remember London 2012 for another wicked reason: the unbelievable success of Team GB athletes. Amazingly Team GB won 29 golds, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes, placing it at No. 3 overall for the entire London 2012 Olympics.
This was the best performance since the London 1908 Olympics, something in the water eh? Remember that statistic too, it will be a great thing to know if you find yourself in the midst of a sports trivia quiz… [things to remember during a sports trivia quiz]
Important regenerative work in London
The two most exciting things about the London 2012 Olympics were Team GB’s medal haul, of course, as well as the general jovial atmosphere throughout the games. A little deeper, however, the positive vibes continued, as the Olympic Park managed to regenerate Stratford, a fairly impoverished neighbourhood.
In fact, the city regeneration that went into the London 2012 Olympics was so successful that it was used as a blueprint for sustainability and urban regeneration going forwards. Nice!
Will Tokyo 2021 go ahead?
The question on everybody’s lips at the moment is whether or not the Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled for 2020, will go ahead. It is too early to say for sure, however one thing is for certain: there’s no chance that it will be a normal Olympics, with there set to be a lot less fans.
Fingers crossed through, as the Olympics are always great fun!