The final countdown has begun for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games that will be held in London. The Isles of Wonder, the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, is scheduled for July 27th.
The Games, that come around every four years, run through August 12th. This will be London’s third time as the official host, and will make them the first city to hold that honor. The United States is the first country that the Summer Olympic Games have been held four times, but unlike London, the U.S. games were held in various cities.
To qualify for the Olympic Games, competitors have to either reach a certain place in a major international event, or achieve a certain place on the International Sports Federation’s ranking list. National teams qualify in continental tournaments.
The Olympic Games, founded in 1894, have come a long way from the 42 event competition with 250 male athletes. Now, there are more than 10,000 male and female competitors from 205 nations. More than 9 million tickets will be printed for the summer games, with as many as 180,000 spectators every day.
The United States ranks #1 on the International Olympic Committee’s list of All-time medals with 2,297 total medals – broken down to: 930 Gold, 728 Silver, and 639 Bronze. Let’s hope that the U.S. will remain on top! If you can’t make the trip across the pond to get to the games, don’t forget to tune in starting July 27th!
