Top 10 sports events of 2012
- By Wang Mengru
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 11, 2012
London Olympic Games
The London Olympic and Paralympic Games attracted 680,000 overseas visitors to the major capital during the three summer months of 2012.
The London Olympic Games opening ceremony earned Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle and his team the Beyond Theater Award at the annual London Evening Standard Theater Awards.
The opening ceremony was watched by an estimated 900 million people across the world on July 27, and featured a stunt-double for Queen Elizabeth II skydiving into the Olympic Stadium accompanied by James Bond.
Over 10,000 athletes competed in 26 different disciplines and 302 gold medal events at the London Games. The biggest winner, the United States, stands at the top with 45 gold medals and 103 in total. China, despite a strong start, ended in 2nd place with 38 gold ones and 87 overall. Host nation Britain landed the third spot, with Russia and South Korea rounding up the top five. Forty-four world records and 117 new Olympic records were set during the London Games.
Still the biggest winner at the London games, American swimmer Michael Phelps, grabbed 4 gold and 2 silver medals. He also became the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 18 gold and 22 medals to his name.
China's swimmer Sun Yang, gymnast Zou Kai and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt were also included in the top 15 medal winners. China's most decorated Olympian in history however, is Zou Kai, who now has earned five gold medals from three Olympics.
