The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held from July 27 to August 12 in London, and the Paralympics will be held from August 29 to September 9.
The 2012 London Olympics was decided at the IOC Conference in 2005, and since then, London has tried to hold successful Olympic games. With the time for the 2012 games approaching, London is busier than ever. It has already hosted the Olympic games in 1908 and 1948, which makes it the first city in the world where the Olympic games will be held for the third time. As London has much experience in hosting the Olympic games, the big fans of the Olympics expect much from the 2012 London Olympics. When the games start, the world’s attention will be fixed on London.
Now, allow ST to present to you tidbits about the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Hosting the Olympic games offers a golden opportunity for countries to make their country known to people all around the world. This is why the host countries spend much time and money to create an impressive emblem and mascot for the Olympics.
Here is the 2012 London Olympic emblem. It has a shocking design. As shown in the picture, the past emblems consisted of a separate emblem, the venue, the year the games were held, and the Olympic mark, but this emblem has only two elements: the venue and the Olympic mark. Where is the year when the games will be held? Look carefully at the emblem. It is symbolic of 2012, the year when the games will be held. Also, the emblem has five colors: blue, orange, yellow, green, and pink. All these colors are the official colors of the emblem. Due to its unique design and colors, some people are uneasy with it, but nobody knows what results this unique emblem may bring. It will be judged by the people in the future, once the games start.
Let’s get to know the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic mascots.
Wenlock
My name is inspired by Much Wenlock in Shropshire, a town at the heart of Olympics history. In the 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin watched the Much Wenlock games, inspired by the Olympic games of ancient Greece. De Coubertin was inspired by the Wenlock games and went on to found the modern Olympic movement. The light on my head is inspired by the lights on London’s iconic black taxis. The shape of the front of my head is based on the shape of the Olympic stadium roof. My eye is a camera lens, capturing everything I see as I go.
Mandeville
My name is inspired by Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, the birthplace of the Paralympic games. Sir Ludwig Guttmann held his own sports competition in Stoke Mandeville for the World War II soldiers with spinal injuries. The Stoke Mandeville Games grew until they became the Paralympic games. The shape of the front of my head is based on the shape of the Paralympic mark: the Agitos structure.
The mascot and emblem are interesting ingredients of the Olympic games, but the following questions seem the most frequently asked ones: Who will win? Can a new world record be set? What will our country’s records be? Our eagerness to find the answers to these questions will prod us to watch all the events.
ST asked the Soongsilians what sports they think will earn the most medals for our country in the 2012 London Olympics. As this graph shows, the Soongsilians think that archery will bring the most medals to our country, followed by taekwondo (14%), judo (10%), wrestling (9%), and swimming (7%). The chart next to the graph lists South Korea’s medal records in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. These results almost completely coincide with the Soongsilians’ predictions.
In the 2012 London Olympics, South Korea will participate in the following events: taekwondo, archery, badminton, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, judo, etc. In all these events, it has won many medals in the past, which raises the people’s expectations with regard to the country’s record in the forthcoming London Olympics. In the 2012 London Olympics, South Korea has set a goal: ten gold medals, and appearing in the top ten list.
In the Olympics, unexpected players sometimes win medals, or star players break world records. People call them “Olympic stars.” Every Olympic event has witnessed the birth of a star. ST picks up the Olympic stars in each event.
Only a few months are left before the 2012 London Olympics. To attain victory in this once-in-four-years sports event, the players practice very hard. Don’t judge the players’ efforts only by their records or by the colors of their medals. Let’s give a big hand to all the players. ST hopes that everyone will enjoy the Olympics regardless of its results. Also, ST hopes that Pyeongchang will successfully host the 2018 Winter Olympics!
