Athletics at the Games of the XXX Olympiad | |
---|---|
Venue | Olympic Stadium |
Dates | 3–12 August 2012 |
Competitors | 2,231 (1,160 men, 1,071 women) [1] [2] |
Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics | ||
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Qualification | ||
Track events | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | women |
800 m | men | women |
1500 m | men | women |
5000 m | men | women |
10,000 m | men | women |
100 m hurdles | women | |
110 m hurdles | men | |
400 m hurdles | men | women |
3000 m steeplechase | men | women |
4 × 100 m relay | men | women |
4 × 400 m relay | men | women |
Road events | ||
Marathon | men | women |
20 km walk | men | women |
50 km walk | men | |
Field events | ||
Long jump | men | women |
Triple jump | men | women |
High jump | men | women |
Pole vault | men | women |
Shot put | men | women |
Discus throw | men | women |
Javelin throw | men | women |
Hammer throw | men | women |
Combined events | ||
Heptathlon | women | |
Decathlon | men | |
The athletics competitions at the 2012 Olympic Games in London were held during the last 10 days of the Games, on 3–12 August. Track and field events took place at the Olympic Stadium in east London. The road events, however, started and finished on The Mall in central London. [3]
Over 2,000 athletes from 201 nations competed in 47 events in total, with both men and women having a very similar schedule of events. Men competed in 24 events and women in 23, of which 21 were the same for both. The women's schedule lacked the 50 km race walk and included 100 m hurdles and heptathlon as opposed to the men's 110 m hurdles and decathlon. The youngest participant in the athletics competition was Andorran 15-year-old Cristina Llovera while the oldest was 46-year-old Ukrainian Oleksandr Dryhol. [4] South African Oscar Pistorius became the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics. [5]
The venue for the track and field events was the Olympic Stadium while the walks and the marathons started and finished on The Mall. [6] In the tables below, M stands for morning and A for afternoon.
P | Preliminary round | Q | Qualification | H | Heats | ½ | Semi-finals | F | Final |
Date → | 3 Aug | 4 Aug | 5 Aug | 6 Aug | 7 Aug | 8 Aug | 9 Aug | 10 Aug | 11 Aug | 12 Aug | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event ↓ | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | |||
100 m | Q | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
200 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
400 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
800 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
1500 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
5000 m | H | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
10,000 m | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||
110 m hurdles | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
400 m hurdles | H | 1⁄2 | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
3000 m steeplechase | H | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 100 m relay | H | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 400 m relay | H | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Marathon | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||
20 km walk | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||
50 km walk | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Long jump | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Triple jump | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
High jump | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Pole vault | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Shot put | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Discus throw | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Javelin throw | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Hammer throw | Q | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Decathlon | F |
Date → | 3 Aug | 4 Aug | 5 Aug | 6 Aug | 7 Aug | 8 Aug | 9 Aug | 10 Aug | 11 Aug | 12 Aug | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event ↓ | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | M | A | ||
100 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
200 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
400 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
800 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
1500 m | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
5000 m | H | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
10,000 m | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
100 m hurdles | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
400 m hurdles | H | 1⁄2 | F | |||||||||||||||||||
3000 m steeplechase | H | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 100 m relay | H | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 × 400 m relay | H | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Marathon | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 km walk | F | |||||||||||||||||||||
Long jump | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Triple jump | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
High jump | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pole vault | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shot put | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Discus throw | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Javelin throw | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hammer throw | Q | F | ||||||||||||||||||||
Heptathlon | F |
(WR = World Record, OR = Olympic Record)
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 11 | 10 | 8 | 29 |
2 | Jamaica | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
3 | Great Britain | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
4 | Ethiopia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
5 | Kenya | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
6 | China | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
7 | Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
8 | Poland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
9 | Germany | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
10 | Russia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
11 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
12 | Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
France | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
14 | Dominican Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
15 | Algeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Bahrain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Croatia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Tunisia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Uganda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
26 | Cuba | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
27 | Botswana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Colombia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Finland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Guatemala | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Qatar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
35 | Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
36 | Estonia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Ireland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Japan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Morocco | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Puerto Rico | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Spain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (43 entries) | 47 | 49 | 46 | 142 |
Note: Three competitors tied for silver in the men's high jump event.
A total of four world records in athletics and eleven Olympic records were broken during the competition. This was fewer than were set at the Beijing Olympics (5 world, 17 Olympic records) but greater than the number set at the 2004 Games in Athens (2 world, 10 Olympic records).
China's Chen Ding was the first Olympic record breaker, improving the men's 20 km walk record. [33] All three Olympic walk records were broken in London as Sergey Kirdyapkin bettered the Olympic 50 km walk time and Elena Lashmanova set a new world record in the women's 20 km walk. [34] [35] However, both records from Russian racewalkers were later rescinded due to doping.
Usain Bolt was the first track athlete to improve an Olympic record as he defended his 100 m title with a run of 9.63 s. [36] He later joined the Jamaican 4 × 100 metres relay team (featuring Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake) to set a world record time of 36.84 s. [37] The women's 4 × 100 metres relay event also saw a world record: an American team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter ran 40.82 seconds to take half a second off a record which had stood for nearly 27 years. [38] [39] Further women's Olympic records were set by Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana in the marathon and Sally Pearson in the 100 metres hurdles.
David Rudisha improved his own 800 metres world record to 1:40.91 minutes, becoming the first man to break that record at the Olympics since Ralph Doubell did so at the 1968 Games. [40] Renaud Lavillenie was the only man to break a field event record, as he cleared an Olympic best of 5.97 m to win the pole vault competition. [41]
Event | Date | Name | Nationality | Result | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men's 100 metres | 5 August | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 9.63 | OR |
Men's 800 metres | 9 August | David Rudisha | Kenya | 1:40.91 | WR OR |
Men's 4 × 100 metres relay | 11 August | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 36.84 | WR OR |
Men's 20 kilometres walk | 4 August | Chen Ding | China | 1:18:46 | OR |
Men's 50 kilometres walk | 11 August | Jared Tallent | Australia | 3:36:53 | OR |
Men's 50 kilometres walk | 11 August | Russia | |||
Men's pole vault | 10 August | Renaud Lavillenie | France | 5.97 m | OR |
Women's 100 metres hurdles | 7 August | Sally Pearson | Australia | 12.35 | OR |
Women's marathon | 5 August | Tiki Gelana | Ethiopia | 2:23:07 | OR |
Women's 20 kilometres walk | 11 August | Qieyang Shenjie | China | 1:25:16 | OR |
Women's 20 kilometres walk | 11 August | Russia | |||
Women's 4 × 100 metres relay | 10 August | Tianna Madison Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | United States | 40.82 | WR OR |
Women's hammer throw | 10 August | Russia | |||
Prior to the Olympic competition, several prominent athletes were ruled out of the competition due to failed tests. World indoor medallists Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Debbie Dunn, and Mariem Alaoui Selsouli were withdrawn from their Olympic teams in July for doping, as was 2004 Olympic medallist Zoltán Kővágó. [42] [43] [44] At the Olympic competition, Tameka Williams admitted to taking a banned stimulant and was removed from the games. [45] Ivan Tsikhan did not compete in the hammer throw as a re-test of his sample from the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won silver, was positive. [46] Hassan Hirt, [47] Amine Laâlou, [48] Marina Marghieva, [49] Diego Palomeque, [50] and defending 50 km walk champion Alex Schwazer were also suspended before taking part in their events. [51]
Syrian hurdler Ghfran Almouhamad became the first track-and-field athlete to be suspended following a positive in-competition doping sample. [52] Nadzeya Astapchuk was stripped of the women's shot put title after her sample came back positive for the banned anabolic agent metenolone. [53] Karin Melis Mey was withdrawn before the long jump final when an earlier failed doping test was confirmed. [54]
The women's 1500m final has been dubbed "one of the dirtiest races in athletics history", after five of the twelve runners were disqualified for doping offences, including the original first and second-placed finishers, and the fourth-placed finisher who subsequently moved up to second place following the previous two disqualifications. [55]
Multiple medalists were found guilty of doping after the Olympics. Russia has the most (9) medals stripped.
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Competitors at the Olympic Games have used banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs.
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The Women's high jump competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 9–11 August.
The women's 20 kilometres walk at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, was held on 11 August on a route along The Mall and Constitution Hill.
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, was a summer multi-sport event held in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August. A total of 10,768 athletes from 204 nations participated in 302 events in 26 sports across 39 different disciplines.
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Media related to Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics at Wikimedia Commons