Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics
| Athletics at the Games of the XXX Olympiad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Venue | Olympic Stadium |
| Dates | 3–12 August |
| Competitors | 2,231 (1,160 men, 1,071 women)[1][2] |
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]
Medal summary
(WR = World Record, OR = Olympic Record)
Men
- *Indicates the athlete only competed in the preliminary heats.
- **Tyson Gay was stripped of his silver medal due to doping violations.[5]
Women
- *Indicates the athlete only competed in the preliminary heats.
- a The original winner, Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus, was stripped of her gold medal after failing drugs tests. The rest of the competitors were elevated by one position accordingly.
- b The original silver medalist, Darya Pishchalnikova of Russia, was stripped of her silver medal after failing drugs tests. The rest of the competitors were elevated by one position accordingly.
Medal table
| 1 |  United States |
9 | 13 | 7 | 29 |
| 2 |  Russia |
8 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
| 3 |  Jamaica |
4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 4 |  Great Britain |
4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 |  Ethiopia |
3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 |  Kenya |
2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 7 |  Germany |
1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| 8 |  Australia |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 |  China |
1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 |  Dominican Republic |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 France |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
 Poland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
 Turkey |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 14 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 |  Czech Republic |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 |  Algeria |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Bahamas |
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 | |
 Uganda |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 24 |  Cuba |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 Ukraine |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 26 |  Botswana |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Colombia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Guatemala |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Iran |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 South Africa |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Slovenia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Tunisia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 |  Bahrain |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Canada |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Estonia |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Finland |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Italy |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Japan |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Morocco |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Puerto Rico |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Qatar |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | 49 | 143 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Note: Three competitors tied for bronze in the men's high jump event.
Records
World and Olympic records
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.[6] 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.[7][8]
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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11][12] Further women's Olympic records were set by Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana in the marathon, Sally Pearson in the 100 metres hurdles and Tatyana Lysenko in the hammer throw.
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.[13] 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.[14]
| 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 | Sergey Kirdyapkin | Russia |
3:35:59 | OR |
| 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 | Elena Lashmanova | Russia |
1:25:02 | WR OR |
| 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 | Tatyana Lysenko | Russia |
78.18 m | OR |
Competition schedule
The venue for the track and field events was the Olympic Stadium while the walks and the marathons started and finished on The Mall.[15] In the tables below, M stands for morning and A for afternoon. Template:2012OlympicAthleticsSchedule
Doping
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.[16][17][18] At the Olympic competition, Tameka Williams admitted to taking a banned stimulant and was removed from the games.[19] 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.[20]Hassan Hirt,[21] Amine Laâlou,[22] Marina Marghieva,[23] Diego Palomeque,[24] and defending 50 km walk champion Alex Schwazer were also suspended before taking part in their events.[25]
Syrian hurdler Ghfran Almouhamad became the first track-and-field athlete to be suspended following a positive in-competition doping sample.[26] Nadzeya Astapchuk was stripped of the women's shot put title after her sample came back positive for the banned anabolic agent metenolone.[27] Karin Melis Mey was withdrawn before the long jump final when an earlier failed doping test was confirmed.[28]
See also
References
- ^ Number of Entries By Event. IAAF (2012-07-27). Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- ^ Number of athlete totals based upon information available on 27 July 2012. Totals include reserve athletes (back-ups for injuries/non-starters etc).
- ^ "Marthon Venue". London 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ^ Athletics at the 2012 London Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ "US Track & Field Athlete, Gay, Accepts Sanction For Anti-Doping Rule Violation". United States Anti-Doping Agency. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ Chen Race Walks home to gold. London 2012. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Sergey Kirdyapkin wins Olympics 50km walk gold in record time. BBC Sport (2012-08-11). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Aspin, Guy (2011-08-11). Russia's Elena Lashmanova sets new world record in thrilling finish to women's 20km race walk . The Independent. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Hayward, Paul (2012-08-06). Usain Bolt wins men's 100m Olympic final in 9.63 seconds to seal legacy. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Garside, Kevin (2012-08-12). Brilliant Usain Bolt leads Jamaica quartet to world record in 4x100m relay. The Independent. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ 40.82! USA shatters women’s 4x100m relay World Record in London!. IAAF (2012-08-10). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ 4x100 Metres Relay All Time. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009. IAAF. (pages 546, 548). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Rowbottom, Mike (2012-08-10). Lavillenie – doing his best to continue the story of French vault success. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Athletics – Schedule
- ^ Debbie Dunn withdraws from Olympics after positive drugs test. The Guardian (2012-07-14). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ London 2012: Two more athletes withdrawn over anti-doping tests. The Guardian (2012-07-26). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ London 2012: Selsouli to miss Games after failed drugs test. BBC Sport (2012-07-25). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ London 2012 Olympics: Sprinter Tameka Williams sent home over drugs . Scotsman (2012-07-30). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Ivan Tsikhan tests positive. ESPN (2012-08-03). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ French runner Hirt fails EPO test - source. Reuters (2012-08-10). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ London 2012: Amine Laalou, Moroccan 1500m runner, fails doping test. The Guardian (2012-08-03). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Moldova hammer thrower tossed for doping test. Sports Illustrated (2012-08-04). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Olympics 400m: Colombian Diego Palomeque fails drugs test. BBC Sport (2012-08-12). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Anzolin, Elisa (2012-08-08). Athletics - Tearful Schwazer relieved by doping ban. Reuters. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ London 2012: Positive doping test for Syrian athlete Ghfran Almouhamad. The Guardian (2012-08-11). Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Bryant, Tom (2012-08-13). Belarus shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk stripped of gold for doping. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2012-08-13.
- ^ Two Olympians banned over doping. Sky News Australia (2012-12-19) Retrieved on 2012-03-03
External links
- Official 2012 Olympics athletics webpage
- Official athlete biographies
- IAAF Olympics webpage
- BBC Sport Olympic athletics website
- 2012 Olympic athletics webpage at Sports Reference
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