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Relive the best moments of London 2012
18/12/2012
With 2012 drawing to a close, Olympic.org decided to look back on a truly memorable year by asking Olympic fans on Facebook what their favourite moments were from the London 2012 Olympic Games.
After receiving more than 40,000 votes, the poll has revealed the 10 most popular sporting moments from the Games, including the record-breaking performances of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
Here is the top 10 in full, but if your favourite moment isn’t among them, you can still relive all the highlights from the Games in our London 2012 video gallery.
1. Usain Bolt wins the 100m
Following his record-breaking exploits at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Usain Bolt was under pressure to deliver on the track again in London – and the Jamaican spring sprint king did not disappoint as he cruised to an Olympic record of 9.63 seconds in the 100m in front of a raucous Olympic Stadium, before successfully defending his 200m title as well.
2. Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympian ever
American swimmer Michael Phelps secured his place in Olympic folklore as he won six medals in London – including four golds – to take his total Olympic medal tally to 22, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time.
3. Mo Farah wins his second gold of the Games
Roared on by an enthusiastic home crowd in the Olympic Stadium, British long distance runner Mo Farah followed up his victory in the 10,000m with another Olympic title in the 5,000m.
4. Katie Taylor wins lightweight boxing gold
With women’s boxing making its Olympic debut in London, all eyes were on four-time world champion Katie Taylor, of Ireland, to see if she could add Olympic gold to her growing list of achievements. Backed by thousands of Irish fans – whose cheers in the ExCeL Arena reached an incredible 113.7 decibels – Taylor defeated Russia's Sofya Ochigava in the final bout to become the first ever women’s Olympic lightweight champion.
5. Tom Daley claims diving bronze
British diver Tom Daley was undoubtedly one of the social media stars of the Games, becoming the fifth most talked about athlete on Facebook and gaining more than 800,000 new followers on Twitter. But it was Daley’s performances in the Aquatics Centre that really caught the eye, as the 18-year-old claimed bronze in the 10m platform.
6. USA women’s gymnastics squad secures team gold
After winning silver in Beijing in 2008, the USA women's gymnastics squad were crowned champions in the team event for the first time since 1996 after a superb performance at the North Greenwich Arena, with McKayla Maroney getting the Americans off to the perfect start with a vault that scored 16.233.
7. Jessica Ennis storms to Olympic heptathlon title
Heptathlete Jessica Ennis was carrying the hopes of the entire host nation as she began her quest for an Olympic gold medal. After personal bests in the 100m hurdles, 200m and javelin, the 26-year-old secured the Olympic title with victory in the 800m, with a packed Olympic Stadium cheering her home.
8. Usain Bolt anchors Jamaican men’s 4x100m team to new world record
Having already won the 100m and 200m, Usain Bolt joined up with Jamaican team-mates Nester Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake to complete a hat-trick of Olympic titles for the second successive Games, as he brought the baton home in the 4x100m in a new world record time of 36.84 seconds.
9. NBA stars lead USA men to basketball gold
Thirty points from Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant helped the USA overcome a spirited Spanish team to win their fifth Olympic basketball title in the last six editions of the Games, with their 107-100 victory proving to be the closest final since the Soviet Union beat the USA 51-50 in 1972.
10. Beach volleyball lights up Horse Guards Parade
Few venues in London caught the imagination quite like the historic Horse Guards Parade, which was transformed into a high-energy beach volleyball arena for the Games. With live performances by pop stars such as Mika and Rizzle Kicks, not to mention the world-class sporting action, seats at the iconic venue really were the hottest tickets in town.
