Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Event	Athletics
Games	2012 Summer Olympics
Dates	3–12 August 2012
Stadium	Olympic Stadium
Nations	201
Athletes	2237
Events	47
Prev	Beijing 2008
Next	Rio 2016

Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics were held during the last ten days of the London Games, from 3 to 12 August. The sport, often considered the centerpiece of the Olympic Games, featured 2,237 athletes from 201 National Olympic Committees competing in 47 events. Competition took place in the newly constructed Olympic Stadium within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Competition schedule

The athletics program commenced on 3 August with the men's 20 km walk and the first round of the women's 100 m. Track and field events were strategically scheduled across morning and evening sessions to accommodate global television audiences, with finals predominantly held in the evening. The final day, 12 August, featured the prestigious men's marathon, which started and finished on The Mall near Buckingham Palace, providing a iconic backdrop for the conclusion of the athletics competition.

Venue

All track and field events, excluding the marathons and race walks, were held at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. The stadium, a centerpiece of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, had a temporary capacity of 80,000 for the Games. The marathon courses traversed central London landmarks, while the race walks were held on a looped circuit around The Mall and St. James's Park.

Events

The program mirrored that of Beijing 2008, with 24 events for men and 23 for women; the only disparity remained the men's 50 km walk, which had no female equivalent. Notable additions to the schedule included the introduction of women's 3000 m steeplechase as a regular Olympic event, following its debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The schedule featured standard track events from the 100 m to the 10,000 m, alongside field events such as the long jump, pole vault, and hammer throw.

Participating nations

A record 201 National Olympic Committees entered athletes in the athletics competition, surpassing the previous record set at the 2008 Summer Olympics. This underscored the global universality of the sport. The United States fielded the largest team, while smaller nations like Tuvalu and Nauru were represented by a single athlete each. Notably, South Sudan, which had gained independence in 2011, did not yet have a recognized National Olympic Committee and its athletes competed under the Independent Olympic Athletes banner.

Medal summary

The United States topped the athletics medal table, winning 29 medals, including 9 golds. Jamaica had a dominant performance in the sprints, with Usain Bolt successfully defending his titles in the 100 m, 200 m, and 4 × 100 m relay. Great Britain enjoyed significant success, winning 6 gold medals, including victories for Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon, Greg Rutherford in the long jump, and Mo Farah in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m. Other multiple gold medalists included Allyson Felix of the United States and David Rudisha of Kenya.

Records

The Games witnessed several historic world and Olympic records. David Rudisha of Kenya set a stunning world record of 1:40.91 in the men's 800 m final. On the track, the United States women's 4 × 100 m relay team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, and Carmelita Jeter smashed the 27-year-old world record. In the field, Aries Merritt of the United States won the 110 m hurdles in an Olympic record time of 12.92 seconds, while Elena Lashmanova of Russia set a world record in the women's 20 km walk.

Category:Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:2012 in athletics (track and field)