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2012 SUMMEROLYMPICS17Days,26Sports,200Countriesand10,000Athletes

ByKimberlyDumkeFriday,February10,2012TheancientOlympicGamesbeganinOlympia,Greece,in776BCE.ThegoalsofthegamesweretohonorthegodZeus,showcasetheathleticskillofcompetitors,andpromotegoodrelationsamongGreekcities.

Atfirst,therewasjustoneevent—afootraceformen—andthegameslastedonlyoneday.Overtheyears,thegamesgrewtoseveralevents,lastedfivedays,andincludedathletesfromdistantGreekcolonies.Nowomenwereallowedtocompete,andmarriedwomenwerenotevenallowedintothestadiumasspectators.Thegameswereusuallyheldeveryfouryears—aperiodoftimethatcametobeknownasanolympiad—until393CE.

ThemodernOlympicGameswerecreatedbyBaronPierredeCoubertinofFrance.ThefirstmodernOlympicstookplaceinAthens,Greece,in1896,with241maleathletesfrom14countriescompeting.Sincethen,thegameshavebeenheldeveryfouryears—exceptin1940and1944,whentheywerecanceledbecauseofWorldWarII—inadifferentplacearoundtheworld.Theyhavecontinuedtoaddsportsandparticipants.

Womenfirstcompetedatthe1900gamesinParis,France.In1924,thefirstWinterOlympicgames,featuringsportsonsnowandice,wereheldinChamonix,France.TheParalympicGames,forathleteswithaphysicaldisability,

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firsttookplacein1960inRome,Italy.ThefirstYouthOlympics,forathletesbetweentheagesof14and18,washeldinSingaporein2010.

The2012SummerOlympicswillbeheldinLondon,England,fromJuly27toAugust12.LondonalsohostedtheOlympicGamesin1908and1948.Morethan9millionspectatorswillwatchmorethan10,000athletesfrommorethan200countries.

Athleteswillcompetein26sports.Somesportshavemultipledisciplines.Forexample,thesportofgymnasticsincludesthreedisciplines:artistic,rhythmic,andtrampoline.Thegameswillfeatureatotalof38disciplines,withmultipleeventsforindividualsand/orteams.

Aquatics

Aquaticsincludesthedisciplinesofdiving,swimming,synchronizedswimming,andwaterpolo.

Diving(Venue:AquaticsCentre,London)Inthe18thcentury,gymnastsinGermanyandSwedenbeganperformingtumblingroutinesintowater.Thatledtothedevelopmentofcompetitivediving.

TheOlympicdebutofmen’sdivingwasin1904inSt.Louis,Missouri.Women’sdivingwasintroducedatthe1912gamesinStockholm,Sweden.

Today,divingcompetitionsarefavoritesamongspectators.Theeventsfeatureaspringboard,whichis3meters(9.84feet)high,orafixedplatform,whichis10meters(32.8feet)high.Individualdiversandduosforsynchronizedeventsreceivescoresupto10fromapanelofjudges.

Swimming(Venue:AquaticsCentreandHydePark,London)

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CompetitiveswimmingasasportbeganinEuropearound1800.

SwimminghasbeenfeaturedinallmodernOlympicGamessincetheybeganin1896.Originally,theraceswereheldinopenwater,suchaslakes.Ruleswereformalizedin1908.Thatyear’sLondongamesfeaturedthefirstOlympicswimmingcompetitionheldinapool.Womenfirstcompetedatthe1912games.

Today,thereare34medalevents.FourstrokesareusedinOlympiccompetition:freestyle,backstroke,breaststroke,andbutterfly.Theindividualandteamrelaymedleyracesfeatureallfourstrokes.AnOlympic-sizedpoolis50meters(164.04feet)long.Racingdistancesrangefromonelengthofthepoolto1,500meters(4,921.26feet).

The2012gameswillalsofeaturea10-kilometer(6.2-mile)marathoneventheldattheSerpentine,alakeinLondon’sHydePark.

SynchronizedSwimming(Venue:AquaticsCentre,London)Aroundtheturnofthe20thcentury,waterballetsbecamepopularinEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Waterballetdevelopedintosynchronizedswimming,acombinationofswimming,dance,andgymnastics.

ThedebutofsynchronizedswimmingintheOlympicswasatthe1984gamesinLosAngeles,California,intheU.S.Whilesomegamesfeaturedasoloevent,todaythereareonlycompetitionsforduetsandteamsofeight.

Competitorsperformshortroutinessettomusic,andjudgesscorethemonvariouscomponents,includingchoreographyandexecution.OnlywomencompeteinOlympicsynchronizedswimming.

WaterPolo(Venue:OlympicPark,London)

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Ateamsport,waterpoloisplayedbygroupsofseveninapoolwithagoalateachend.Theobjectiveistogetaballintotheopponent’sgoalwhilenevertouchingthebottomorsidesofthepoolduringplay.Thesportdevelopedinthelate19thcenturyasanaquaticformofrugby,demonstratingswimmingskillandstrength.Athletesmightswim5kilometers(3miles)duringamatch!

Teamsports,includingmen’swaterpolo,wereintroducedatthe1900OlympicsinParis.Women’swaterpolodebutedatthe2000gamesinSydney,Australia.

Archery(Venue:Lord’sCricketGround,London)

Bowsandarrowswerefirstusedforhuntingandwarfareabout10,000yearsago.Archery—usingabowtoshootanarrowasclosetoatargetaspossible—developedasacompetitiveactivityinmedievalEngland.Today,itispracticedinmorethan140countries.

Archerywasfeaturedinthe1900OlympicsinParis.Itwasdroppedafter1908,returnedin1920,thenwasdroppedagain.Itwasreintroducedin1972attheOlympicsinMunich,Germany,andhasbeenpartofthegamessincethen.

Menandwomencompeteindividually,shootingfromadistanceof70meters(229.7feet).Thetargetshaveadiameterof122centimeters(48inches),witha12.2-centimeter(4.8-inch)goldringinthecenter.

Athletics(Venues:OlympicStadiumandTheMall,London)

Athleticcontestsinrunning,walking,throwing,andjumpingaresomeoftheworld’soldestsports.AncientEgyptiantombsdepictathleticeventsasearlyas2250BCE.TheveryfirstOlympicGamesfeaturedasprintofapproximately192meters(629.9feet).AthleticshavebeenamajorpartofeveryOlympicssince.

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Today,fourareasmakeuptheathleticscompetition.Trackeventsarefootracesrangingfrom100to10,000meters(109.4yardsto6.2miles).Fieldeventsfeaturethrowingandjumping,andincludeshotputandlongjump.Combinedeventsinvolverunning,jumping,andthrowing,andincludethedecathlon.Roadeventsincludemarathonsandracewalks.Athletescompeteasindividualsandteams,calledrelays.

Athleticswillbethelargestsportinthe2012Olympics,with2,000athletescompetingin47events.

Badminton(Venue:WembleyArena,London)

Badmintonisplayedonarectangularcourtbyindividualsorteamsoftwo.Theobjectiveistoscorepointsbystrikingashuttlecock—afeatheredprojectile—witharacketoverthenetsoitlandsintheopponent’shalfofthecourt.Thegamewascreatedinthelate1800sbyBritishmilitaryofficersstationedinIndia.Theyaddedanettoanancientgamecalled“battledore”andlaterbroughtthenewgamebacktoEngland.Currently,thesportisdominatedbyAsiancountries,includingChina,Indonesia,andSouthKorea.

BadmintonmadeitsOlympicdebutatthe1992gamesinBarcelona,Spain.Olympicshuttlecockscontain16feathers,whicharepluckedfromtheleftwingofagoose,andcantravelatspeedsover400kilometers(248.5miles)anhour!Therearesinglesanddoublescompetitionsforbothmenandwomen,aswellasmixeddoublesforaduowithamanandawoman.

Basketball(Venues:BasketballArenaandNorthGreenwichArena,London)

Dr.JamesNaismith,aphysicaleducationteacherandinstructorattheYMCAinSpringfield,Massachusetts,createdbasketballin1891asawaytokeepstudentsactiveduringthewinter.Thesportisplayedbytwoteamsoffive

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playersonacourtthatmeasures28meters(91.9feet)longby15meters(49.2feet)wide.Pointsarescoredbyshootingaballthroughtheopponent’snet(basket).Originally,peachbasketsandsoccerballswereused.In1906,thepeachbasketswerereplacedbymetalhoopswithbackboards.Theorangeballthatisnowcommonlyusedwasintroducedinthelate1950s.

Men’sbasketballdebutedasanOlympicsportatthe1936gamesinBerlin,Germany.Women’sbasketballbeganin1976attheOlympicsinMontreal,Quebec,Canada.

ProfessionalplayersfromtheNBAwerefirstallowedtoparticipateinthe1992gamesinBarcelona.Priortothat,onlyprofessionalsfromEuropeandSouthAmericawereallowedtocompeteintheOlympics.

Boxing(Venue:ExCeL,London)

Acombatsportthatdatesbackthousandsofyears,boxinginvolvestwopeopleusingtheirfiststofighteachother.Thesport’sregulations,calledtheMarquessofQueensberryrules,werecodifiedin1867.Therewere12rules,includingtheintroduction“fair-sized”gloves.Today,theessenceoftheserulesisstillinplace.Boxerscompeteinvariousweightcategoriesandscorepointsforeverypunchlandedontheiropponent’sheadorupperbody.

Men’sboxingmadeitsfirstOlympicsappearancein1904inSt.Louis,Missouri.Women’sboxingwillbeafullmedaleventforthefirsttimeatthe2012Londongames,withcompetitionsinthreeweightclasses.

Canoeing

Thefirstofficialcanoeandkayakraceswereheldinthemid-19thcentury.Incanoes,athleteskneelanduseapaddlewithasinglebladetopropelandsteertheboat.Inkayaks,competitorssitintheboat,usepaddleswithbladesatboth

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ends,andsteerwithasmallrudder.

Today,thesportofcanoeinghastwodisciplines:canoeslalomandcanoesprint.

CanoeSlalom(Venue:LeeValleyWhiteWaterCentre,Hertfordshire)ThefirstcompetitionforcanoeslalomwasheldinSwitzerlandin1932.Itwasmodeledonslalom(Alpine)skiing,whereracersmustpassthroughaseriesofgates.Originally,thecanoecoursewasonflatwater,butthiswaslaterchangedtowhitewaterrapids,andhasupto25gates.Racerstrytoavoidthegatesbecausetouchingormissinganyincurspenalties.Boatsaresmallandlighttoallowbettermaneuverability.

TheOlympicdebutofcanoeslalomwasin1972inMunich.However,itdidnotbecomeapermanentpartoftheprogramuntil1992.Therearecanoeracesformen’sindividualsandduos,andkayakracesformen’sandwomen’sindividuals.

CanoeSprint(Venue:EtonDorney,Buckinghamshire)

Sprintsarehead-to-headracesonstillwater.Boatsarelongandstreamlined.

CanoesprintbecameafullOlympicsportin1936inBerlin.In2012,therewillberacesforindividuals,aswellasteamsoftwoandfour.Theracedistanceswillbe1,000meters(3,281feet),500meters(1,640feet),and,forthefirsttime,200meters(656feet).

Cycling

Thefirsthuman-poweredvehiclewithtwowheelswasinventedbyBaronKarlvonDraisofGermany.Heintroducedittothepublicin1817,anditisconsideredtheforerunnerofthemodernbicycle.Thefirstbicycleracewaslikelyheldin1868inParis.

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Today’sOlympicsincludefourcyclingdisciplines:BMX,mountain,road,andtrack.

BMX(Venue:BMXTrack,OlympicPark,London)

Motocross,racesformotorcyclesandall-terrainvehiclesheldonenclosedoff-roadcircuits,beganintheUnitedKingdomintheearly1900s.BMX(BicycleMotocross),thenon-motorizedequivalent,startedinthelate1960sinCaliforniaandisnowpopularallovertheworld.Thebikeshaveonlyonegearandonebrake,andthewheelsaresmallerthanastandardroadbike.Thesefeatureshelpnavigateracetracksthathavejumps,bumps,andtightcorners.

BMXdebutedasanOlympicmedalsportformenandwomenin2008inBeijing,China.RidersattheLondon2012gameswillstartonarampthatis8meters(26.3feet)high.Sincethetrackisshort,therearemultipleheatsleadinguptothefinalandeachracelastsonlyabout40seconds.

MountainBike(Venue:HadleighFarm,Essex)

LikeBMX,mountainbikingisayoungsportthatdevelopedinCaliforniaandisnowpopulararoundtheworld.Racesareheldonroughandhillycountryside.Thebicyclesarebuiltforspeed,durability,andcomfort.

MountainbikingbecameanOlympicsportformenandwomenin1996atthegamesinAtlanta,Georgia.InLondon,therewillbejustoneraceforeachgender.Allracerswillstarttogetherandthewinnerwilltakethegoldmedal.Themen’sandwomen’sraceswilllastaboutanhourandforty-fiveminutes.

RoadCycling(Venues:TheMallandHamptonCourtPalace,London)

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ThefirstmodernOlympicsin1896inAthensfeaturedaroadcyclingevent,butthedisciplinedidnotbecomeapermanentpartoftheprogramuntilthe1912gamesinStockholm.In2012,therewillbetwoeventseachformenandwomen:aroadracewhereeveryonestartsatthesametime,andashortertimetrialwhereridersstart90secondsapart.

TrackCycling(Venue:Velodrome,London)

Asearlyas1870,peopleinEnglandwenttobicycleracesheldindoorsonwoodentracks.Thesetrackscloselyresemblemodernvelodromes,whichhavesteeplybankedovaltrackswithtwostraightsectionsandtwo180-degreecircularbends.

TrackcyclinghasbeenpartofalmosteveryOlympics.The2012gameswillhavefivetrackcyclingeventsformenandfiveforwomen.Twoofeachareteamevents.Oneofthethreeindividualeventsisnew—theomnium.Intheomnium,individualriderswillcompeteacrosssixdifferentevents,includingracesagainsttheclockaswellasotherracers.

Equestrian

Equestrianisalsoknownasriding,horsebackriding,andhorseriding.Thesportismorethan2,000yearsold,originatingwhentheGreeksintroduceddressage(theFrenchwordfor“training”)topreparetheirhorsesforwar.

Whileequestriandisciplinesfirstappearedatthe1900OlympicsinParis,theyweredifferentthantodayandtherewerenoneinthenexttwogames.The1912gamesinStockholmintroducedthedisciplinesofdressage,eventing,andjumping,whichhavebeenintheOlympicseversince.

Originally,onlycommissionedmilitaryofficerswereallowedtocompetein

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equestrianevents,soitwasamen’s-onlysport.Competitionwasopenedtocivilians,includingwomen,startingatthe1952gamesinHelsinki,Finland.

EquestrianisoneofthefewOlympicsportsinwhichmenandwomencompetedirectlyagainsteachother.Onlytwomedalsareawarded—oneforindividualandoneforteam—ineachdiscipline.

Theequestriandisciplines,alongwiththeequestrianportionofthemodernpentathlon,aretheonlyOlympiceventsthatinvolveanimals.Thethreeequestriandisciplinesaredressage,eventing,andjumping.

Dressage(Venue:GreenwichPark,London)

Theobjectiveofcompetitivedressageistoshowahorseperformingmovementsonrequest,demonstratingtheharmonyofahorseandrider.

Eventing(Venue:GreenwichPark,London)

Eventingissometimescalled“combinedtraining”andhasthreeparts:dressage,cross-countryriding,andjumping.Atthe2012games,theeventingcompetitionwilltakeplaceoverfourdays.

Jumping(Venue:GreenwichPark,London)

Jumping,alsoknownas“showjumping,”grewoutofnecessitywhenfenceswerebuiltinEnglandaroundthe18thcentury.Thesebarriersimpededhuntersonhorsebackpursuingfoxes,sotheystartedjumpingthem.Atimedevent,jumpingisheldonashortcoursewith12-14fences.Penaltiesareassessediffencesarerefusedormissed.(Afenceisrefusedwhenthehorserefusestojumporattempttojumpoverit.)

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Fencing(Venue:ExCeL)

Armedcombatoriginatedthousandsofyearsagowithclubs,spears,andaxes.Later,armedcombatinvolvedswords.Competitionsinmodernfencing—acombatsportusingbladedweapons—beganinthe19thcentury.

FencingisoneofonlyfoursportsthathavebeenfeaturedateverymodernOlympics.Men’sfoilandsabreeventswereincludedinthe1896gamesinAthens.Epeeeventsdebutedin1900inParis.Women’sfencingwasaddedin1924inParis.Thereareeventsforbothindividualsandteamsofthree.

WeaponsandrulesvaryforthethreeformsofOlympicfencing.Inepéebouts,thetipofaheavyswordisusedtoscorepoints.Thewholebodyisatarget,andopponentscanscorepointsoneachotheratthesametime.

Infoilcontests,thetipofalightthrustingweaponisusedtoscorepointsontheopponent’storso.Insabre,thetipandedgeofalightcuttingandthrustingweapon(derivedfromthecavalrysword)isusedtoscorepointsabovetheopponent’swaist.Bothfoilandsabrehaverulesontimingandright-of-way,soonlyonecompetitorcanscoreatatime.

FieldHockey(Venue:HockeyCentre,OlympicPark,London)

Hockey,whichcomesfromtheFrenchwordfor“stick,”isateamsportinwhichplayersusehook-shapedstickstotrytomoveahardballintotheiropponent’sgoal.Themoderngamewasformalizedintheearly19thcenturyinEngland.Insomecountries,includingtheU.S.,theterm“fieldhockey”isusedforthegamethatisplayedonnaturalorartificialgrassorgravel.(Otherformsofthegameareicehockeyandstreethockey.)

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Teamscanhaveupto16players,butonly11maybeonthefield,orpitch,atonetime.Thefieldmeasures91.4meters(300feet)by55meters(180.4feet).

Men’shockeywasfirstfeaturedintheOlympicsin1908.Women’shockeydebutedatthe1980gamesinMoscow,Russia.In2012,teamswillcompeteonawater-basedsyntheticgrassfield,whichallowstheballtomovemoresmoothlyandquickly.

Football(Venues:SixgroundsaroundtheUnitedKingdom,includingoneeachinScotlandandWales)

Gamesinvolvingkickingaballdatebackthousandsofyears.Therulesofmodernfootball,knownassoccerintheU.S.,werecreatedinthelate1800s.Today,footballisplayedinmorethan200countries,makingitthemostpopularsportintheworld.Itisplayedbyteamsof11onalargefieldofnaturalorartificialgrass.Theobjectiveistoscoremoregoalsthantheopponent.

Men’sfootballfirstfeaturedasanOlympicmedalsportin1908inLondon.Exceptforthe1932gamesinLosAngeles,California,ithasbeenincludedineachofthegamessincethen.Women’sfootballdebutedin1996inAtlanta.For2012,themen’scompetitionhasanagerestrictionof23yearsoryounger,althougheachteamcanincludethreeolderplayers.

Gymnastics

Thesportofgymnasticsinvolvesperformingexercisesthatrequireagility,balance,strength,skill,andgrace.Itdatesbackmorethan2,000yearstoancientGreece.

ThreegymnasticsdisciplinesarefeaturedintheOlympics:artistic,rhythmic,andtrampoline.

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ArtisticGymnastics(Venue:NorthGreenwichArena,London)

Intheartisticgymnasticsdiscipline,athletesperformroutinesondifferentapparatuses.Themodernversionevolvedatthebeginningofthe19thcenturyincentralEurope.Therearesixeventsformen:floorexercise,horizontal(orhigh)bar,parallelbars,pommelhorse,rings,andvault.Womencompeteinfourareas:balancebeam,floorexercise,unevenbars,andvault.

ArtisticgymnasticshasbeenfeaturedinallmodernOlympics.Apanelofjudgesgivesscoresfactoringinexecutionanddegreeofdifficulty.Medalsareawardedforeachapparatus,aswellasbestall-aroundindividualandbestteam.

RhythmicGymnastics(Venue:WembleyArena,London)

Combiningdanceandgymnastics,rhythmicgymnastsperformshortroutineswithhandapparatuses,suchasahoop,andmusicalaccompaniment.Itoriginatedinthe19thcentury,andthefirstcompetitionswereheldinEuropeinthe1930s.

RhythmicgymnasticsandsynchronizedswimmingaretheonlytwoOlympicdisciplinesforwomenonly.IndividualcompetitioninrhythmicgymnasticsmadeitsOlympicdebutin1984inLosAngeles.Agroupcompetitionwasaddedin1996inAtlanta.Apparatusesusedareaball,clubs,ahoop,arope,andaribbon.Apanelofjudgesscoresonartistry,difficulty,andexecution.

Trampoline(Venue:NorthGreenwichArena,London)

ThefirstmoderntrampolinewasdevelopedasatrainingtoolfortumblersattheUniversityofIowain1936.ItwasusedfortrainingpilotsduringWorldWarII,andlaterforastronauts.Meanwhile,itcontinuallygrewinpopularityamongthe

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public,andthefirsteverTrampolineWorldChampionshipswerestagedin1964inLondon.

Incompetition,athletesperformshortroutinesfeaturingtwists,bounces,andsomersaults.Highlyskilledgymnastscanbounceupto10meters(32.8feet)high!

TheOlympicsprogramfirstfeaturedtrampolinegymnasticsin2000inSydney,withindividualcompetitionsformenandwomen.Judgesgivescoresfordifficulty,execution,andflighttime.

Handball(Venue:HandballArena,London)

Thehandballgameoftodaywasdevelopedinthelate19thcenturyinDenmark,Germany,andSweden.Itisplayedbyteamsofsevenonacourtmeasuring40metersby20meters(130feetby66feet)thathasagoalateachend.Playersusetheirhandstopassandthrowasmallballintotheopponent’sgoal.Duringa60-minutematch,manygoalsmaybescored.Infact,itisnotuncommonfortheretobe50goalsormore!

The1936BerlinOlympicsfeaturedfieldhandball,whichwasplayedoutdoors.Indoorhandballformendebutedatthe1972Munichgames.Competitionforwomenbeganatthe1976Montrealgames.

Judo(Venue:ExCeL)

Theword“judo”means“gentleway”inJapanese.Acombatsportandmodernmartialart,itwascreatedbyJigoroKanoinlate1882inJapan.Itusesacomplexcombinationofattackanddefense.Competitorsusetheirhandsandfeettostrike,thrust,throw,andhold,withtheultimategoalofgettingtheopponentonhisorherbackontheground.

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Men’sjudobecameanOlympicmedalsportin1964inTokyo,Japan.Awomen’scompetitionwasaddedinthe1992Barcelonagames.Therearesevenweightclassesformenandsevenforwomen.Duringthefive-minutebouts,competitorsscorepointsfordifferentthrowsandholds.However,ifacompetitorthrowstheopponentonhis/herbackwithsufficientforceandcontrolandisawardedthemaximumscore(ippon),thecontestimmediatelyends.

ModernPentathlon(Venue:HandballArena,AquaticsCenter,andGreenwichPark,London)

Modernpentathloninvolvesfivechallengesthattakeplaceonthesameday.Firstisfencing,whereeachcompetitormustfenceagainsteveryotherathlete.Nextisa200-meter(656.2-foot)freestyleswim.Thatisfollowedbya12-jumpequestrian(horseback-riding)course.Competitorsaregivenscoresforthesechallenges,whichdeterminewheretheystartforthefinaltwoevents:acombinedrun/shoot,wherecompetitorsrunseveral1,000-meter(3,281-foot)stretchesandthenshootatsetsoffivetargets.

ModernpentathlonmadeitsOlympicdebutinStockholmin1912.Atthe2012Games,therewillbe72athletes(36menand36women)competingfortwomedals.Thewinnerswillbetheoneswhocrossthefinishlinefirstduringtherun/shoot.

Rowing(Venue:EtonDorney,Buckinghamshire)

Peoplehavebeenusingoaredboatsfortransportationandrecreationforthousandsofyears.Modernrowingracesbeganmorethan200yearsago.

Therearetwoformsofrowingcompetition:sweep,whererowershaveoneoar,andsculling,wheretheyhavetwooars.Thereareeventsforsolorowersandforteamsoftwo,four,andeight.Sometypesofracesuseacoxswain(or

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“cox”),whositsfacingtherowersandcoordinatestheirrhythmandpower.

RowingfirstappearedasanOlympicsmedalsportin1900inParis.Onlymenwereallowedtocompeteuntilthe1976MontrealOlympics.Atthe2012games,353menand197womenwillcompetefor14medals.Thecourseforalleventsis2,000meters(1.24miles).

Sailing(Venues:WeymouthBayandPortlandHarbor)

Evidenceofsailing—thepropulsionofaboatwithsailsusuallymadeoffabric—existsthroughouthumanhistory.

SailingwasscheduledforthefirstmodernOlympicsin1896,butwascanceledbecauseofsevereweather,soitdebutedinParisin1900.Itwasknownas“yachting”until1996.In2012,therewillbe10medalevents—sixformenandfourforwomen—featuringavarietyofcraft,includingdinghies,keelboats,andwindsurfingboards.Eacheventconsistsofaseriesofracesinwhichpointsareawardedforfinishingposition.

Shooting(Venue:TheRoyalArtilleryBarracks,London)

Thefirstshootingcompetitionswereheldinthelate1800sintheU.K.andtheU.S.Men’sshootinghasbeenfeaturedinalmosteverymodernOlympics.Women’scompetitionswereaddedin1984inLosAngeles.

Therearethreetypesofevents:pistol,rifle,andshotgun.Competitorsinpistolandrifleeventsshootatastationarytargetwith10ringsfromdistancesof10,25or50meters(32.8,82or164feet).Shotguncompetitorstakeaimatmovingclaytargets.

TableTennis

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(Venue:ExCeL)

Alsoknownasping-pong,tabletennisoriginatedinthe1880sinEnglandasanafter-dinnergameamongtheupperclass.Itisplayedbytwotofourpeopleonahardtabledividedbyanet.Usingsmallracketstohitalight,hollowball,playersscorepointswhentheopponentsfailtoreturntheball.

TabletennishasbeenanOlympicsportsincethe1988gamesinSeoul,SouthKorea.Medalsareawardedformen’sandwomen’ssinglesanddoubles.

Taekwondo(Venue:ExCeL)

Looselytranslated,theword“taekwondo”means“thewayofthefootandfist”or“theartofkickingandpunching.”ItisaKoreanmartialartthatcombinesvariousunarmedcombatstylesanddatesbacktothelate1950s.

TaekwondobecameanOlympicmedalsportin2000inSydney.InOlympiccompetition,theobjectiveistolandpunchesandkicksontheopponent’sscoringzones.Pointsareawardedforvalidkicksandpunchestothetorso,forspinningkicks,andforturningkickstothehead.In2012,therewillbefourweightcategoriesformenandfourforwomen.

Tennis(Venue:Wimbledon,London)

Thegameoftennisisplayedonacourtwithanetinthemiddle.Playersuseracketstohitahollowballoverthenetandscorepointswhentheiropponentsfailtoreturntheball.Themoderngameoriginatedin19thcenturyEngland.

TenniswasfeaturedinthefirstmodernOlympicsin1896.However,itwasdroppedin1924anddidnotreturnuntil1988inSeoul.Forthe2012games,mixeddoubles(onemanandonewoman)willbeappearingforthefirsttime

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since1924.Therewillalsobemedalsformen’sandwomen’ssinglesanddoubles.

Triathlon(Venue:HydePark,London)

SomepeoplebelievethetriathlonbeganinFranceinthe1920s,butthesport’sexactoriginsarenotknown.Thefirstmodernswimming/biking/runningeventtobecalleda“triathlon”washeldin1974inSanDiego,California.

ThetriathlonwasfirstfeaturedintheOlympicsatthe2000Sydneygames.Therearecompetitionsformenandwomen,bothofwhichconsistofa1,500-meter(4,921-foot)swim,a40-kilometer(24.85-mile)bikeride,anda10-kilometer(6.2-mile)run,inthatorder.

Volleyball

Volleyballisplayedonacourtdividedbyanet.Theobjectiveistoscorepointsbylandingaballintheopponent’shalfofthecourt.Therearetwodisciplines:beachvolleyballandvolleyball.

BeachVolleyball(Venue:HorseGuardsParade,London)

Beachvolleyballdiffersfromregularvolleyballintwoways:Itisplayedoutdoorsonacourtcoveredinsand,andteamshavetwoplayersratherthansix.Thesportoriginatedinthe1920sinSantaMonica,California.

BeachvolleyballformenandwomenmadeitsOlympicdebutin1996inAtlanta.Itsoonbecameoneofthemostpopularspectatorsports.Atthe2012games,3,000tonsofsandwillbebroughtintoatemporaryarenatocreatethebeach.

Volleyball

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(Venue:EarlsCourt,London)

WilliamG.Morgan,aYMCAphysicaleducationdirector,createdagamehecalled“Mintonette”in1895,inHolyoke,Massachusetts.Heintendedittobealess-intensealternativetothenewsportofbasketball.ThegamesoonbecameknownasvolleyballandspreadtovariousYMCAsaroundtheUnitedStates.

Today,volleyballisactuallyquiteintense,andthespeedoftheballcanexceed130kilometersperhour(80.8milesperhour)!Itisplayedbytwoteamsofsixwithanetheightthatis2.43meters(8feet)formenand2.24meters(7.35feet)forwomen.

Men’sandwomen’svolleyballmadeitsOlympicdebutatthe1964gamesinTokyo.

Weightlifting(Venue:ExCeL)

Theobjectiveofweightliftingistoliftmoreweightthananyothercompetitor.Someathletescanliftmorethanthreetimestheirownbodyweight!

Men’sweightliftingwasincludedinearlyOlympicGames,whereallathletescompetedinthesameevents,regardlessoftheirbodyweight.Weightclasseswereintroducedatthe1920gamesinAntwerp,Belgium.Women’sweightliftingdebutedatthe2000Sydneygames.

Competitorsarenowdividedinto15weightcategories—eightformenandsevenforwomen.Therearetwotypesofliftineachevent:thesnatch,wherethebarisliftedfromthefloortoabovetheheadinonemovement,andtheclean-and-jerk,wherethebarisbroughtuptotheshouldersandthen“jerked”overthehead.

Wrestling

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(Venue:ExCeL)

Wrestlingisabody-to-bodycombatsportwiththeobjectiveofgainingandmaintainingasuperiorpositionovertheopponent.Itisoneoftheoldestsportsintheworld,withoriginsthatcanbetracedbackthousandsofyears.

Men’swrestlingwasfirstheldattheancientOlympicsin708BCE.Greco-Romanwrestling,inwhichcompetitorsareonlyallowedtousetheirarmsandupperbodiestoattacktheiropponents’upperbodies,hasbeenpartofeverymodernOlympics.Freestylewrestling,inwhichathletesmayuseallpartsoftheirbodiestogainholdsontheiropponents,debutedatthe1904gamesinSt.Louis.Women’swrestling,whichissimilartomen’sfreestyle,wasintroducedin2004inAthens,Greece.

Vocabulary

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

agility noun abilitytomovequickly,easily,andwithflexibility.

apparatus noundeviceorpieceofmachineryinvolvingmanydifferentpartsorinstruments.

aquatics nounindividualorteam(relay)sportsofdiving,swimming,synchronizedswimming,andwaterpolo.

archery nounartandscienceofusingbowsandarrowsforhunting,sport,orthemilitary.

athletics nounindividualorteam(relay)sportsofrunning,walking,throwing,andjumping.Alsocalledtrack-and-field.

badminton nounsportwhereteamsofoneortwouseracketstovolleyashuttlecockoverahighnetthatdividesthecourtinhalf.

BMXadjective,noun

(BicycleMotocross)bicycleridingoverroughterrainoranobstaclecourse.

bout noun anathleticcontestormatch.boxing noun sportoffightingwithclosedfists.

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canoenoun,verb

small,openboatwithpointedends.

cavalry noun militaryunitthatservesonhorseback.choreographynoun artofcomposingdances.civilian noun personwhoisnotinthemilitary.

combinedtraining

nounindividualequestriansportwiththreeparts:dressage,cross-countryriding,andshowjumping.Alsocalledeventing.

coxswain nounpersonwhosteersaracingboat,facingtherowersandcoordinatingtheirrhythmandpower.

cross-countryadjective,noun

havingtodowithmovingacrossthecountry,athleticallyassociatedwithroughterrain(skiing,trekking).

debut verb toappearforthefirsttimeinpublic.

decathlon nounindividualsportwhereanathletecompetesin10athletic(track-and-field)events.

derive verb tocomefromaspecificsourceororigin.diameter noun widthofacircle.dinghy noun smallsailingboatusedforracing.distinguish verb todifferentiateorrecognizeasdifferent.

diving nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletesintegratecomplexacrobaticswithjumpingintowater.

dressage nounsportwhereahorseperformsmovementsonrequest,demonstratingtheharmonyofahorseandrider.

epee nounlightswordusedinfencingwithabowl-shapedguardthatprotectsthehand.

equestrian adjective havingtodowithhorses.

fencing nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletespracticeattackanddefensewithbladedweapons(swords)toscorepointsonanopponent'sbody.

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

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fieldhockey nounsportwhereteamsof11playersusehook-shapedstickstotrytomoveahardballintotheiropponent'sgoal.

foil noun light,four-sidedswordusedinfencing.forerunner noun eventorthingthatprecededsomethingelse.freestylewrestling

nounindividualsportwhereathletesmayuseallpartsoftheirbodiestotrytogainholdsontheiropponents.

Greco-Romanwrestling

nounindividualsportwhereathletesusetheirupperbodiestotrytogainholdsontheiropponents.

gymnastics nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletesperformacrobaticexercisesthatrequireagility,balance,strength,skill,andgrace.

handball nounsportwhereteamsofsevenplayersusetheirhandstopassandthrowasmallballintotheopponentsgoal.

head-to-headadjective directcompetition.heat noun oneroundofseveralinacompetition.impede verb tointerfereorslowdown.incur verb toacquiresomething,usuallyunwantedorunpleasant.intandem phrase onebehindtheother,orinsingle-file.

ippon nounhighestscoreawardedinajudocompetition,foraperfectlyexecutedtechnique.

judo nounindividualsportandmartialartwhereathletesusetheirhandsandfeettostrike,thrust,throw,andholdwiththeultimategoalofgettingtheopponentonhisorherback.

kayak nounsmallcanoemadewatertightaroundthewaistoftheoccupantandmovedinthewaterwithasinglepaddle.

keelboat nounshallowriverboat,oftenusedintransportingcargoorforrowing.

maneuver noun askillfulmovement.marathon noun 42.195kilometer(26mile,385yard)footrace.

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

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MarquessofQueensberryrules

pluralnoun

(1865)generalsetof12rulesforboxing.

martialartspluralnoun

formsofself-defenseandcombatthatdonotusuallyuseweapons.

mixeddoubles

pluralnoun

sportwhereteamsconsistingofonemanandonewomancompeteagainsteachother.

modernpentathlon

nounindividualsportwhereathletescompeteinfivedistinctevents:fencing,swimming,horsebackriding,running,andshooting.

motocrossadjective,noun

raceorsportformotorcyclesorall-terrainvehiclesonoff-roadcourses.

objective noun goaloraim.

Olympics nouninternationalsportscompetitiondividedintosummerandwintergamesheldeveryfouryears.

omnium nountrackcyclingeventfeaturingsixraces,includingtimetrialsandhead-to-headcompetitions.

ParalympicGames

pluralnoun

internationalsportingeventforathleteswithphysicaldisabilities,heldeverytwoyearsimmediatelyaftertheOlympics.

pistol noun smallfirearm,designedtobeshotwithonehand.pitch noun playingfield,suchasforsoccerorcricket.pommelhorse

nounraised,paddedapparatuswithhandles(pommels)usedinmen'sartisticgymnastics.

rapids nounareasoffast-flowingwaterinariverorstreamthatismakingaslightdescent.

rhythmicgymnastics

nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletesperformshortroutineswithaball,clubs,hoop,rope,orribbon.

rifle nounfirearm,shotfromtheshoulder,withspiralgroovesinthegunbarrelthatallowthebullettotwistonexit.

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

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rowing nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletesusepaddlestopropelaboat.

sabre nounthin,straightswordusedinfencing,withpointsscoredfortouchingtheopponent'supperbody.

sculling noun typeofrowingwhereathletesusetwooars.

shotgun nounlargefirearmwithalongbarrel,usuallyfiredfromtheshoulder.

shotput nounindividualsportwhereathletesthrowaheavymetalball(shot)asfarastheycan.

shuttlecock noun featheredobjectstruckbackandforthinbadminton.

slalom nounskiingcoursewhereracersfollowazig-zagpatternthroughgatesorpoles.

snatch nounpartofweightliftingwheretheweightisliftedfromthefloortoabovetheheadinonefluidmovement.

spectator noun personwhoobservesaneventorsituation.sprint noun shortrace.stationary adjective unmoving.sweep noun typeofrowingwhereathletesuseoneoar.

synchronizedswimming noun

individualorteamsportwhereathletesperformshortroutinesinwater,settomusicandjudgedonvariouscomponents.

synthetic adjectivemanufacturedbypeople,notoccurringnaturally.

tabletennis nounindividualorteamsportwhereathletesusesmallracketstohitalight,hollowball,scoringpointswhenopponentsfailtoreturntheball.Alsocalledping-pong.

taekwondo nounindividualsportandmartialartwhereathleteskickandpunchtoscorepointsontheiropponent

timetrial nounracewhereathletesaretimedindividuallyonasetcourse.

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

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triathlon nounendurancesportinvolvinganythreeathleticeventsperformedinarowusuallyswimming,bicycling,andrunning.

vaultnoun,verb

raised,paddedapparatususedinartisticgymnastics,andtheactofusingittopushoffofwhileleaping(vaulting).

velodrome nounsportsfacilityorarenawithasteeplybankedovaltrackwithtwostraightsandtwo180-degreecircularbends.

weightlifting noun individualsportwhereathletescompetetoliftthemost.whitewater noun fast-movingpartsofariver.windsurfing noun sportusingasurfboardequippedwithasail.

wrestling nounindividualsportwhereathletesusetheirbodiestotrytopin,orforcetheiropponent'sshoulderstotheground.

YouthOlympics

pluralnoun

internationalsportingeventforathletesages14-18,heldeverytwoyearscoincidingwiththeOlympics.

TermPartofSpeech

Definition

Articles&ProfilesNationalGeographicEducation:2010WinterOlympics

WebsitesLondon2012OlympicsTheInternationalOlympicCommittee:London2012SummerOlympics

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