Let the games begin!
In just a few hours London will try to impress the world when it hosts the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. From now through August 12th more than 10,500 athletes from 204 nations will compete in 26 sports, including swimming, diving, gymnastics, wrestling, track and field, boxing and tennis. Two weeks later, the Paralympic Games will turn the spotlight on 4,200 athletes with disabilities.
To get your family into the spirit of the 2012 London Games, especially young children, who will likely be inspired by the pomp, circumstance and amazing athleticism, take some time to peruse these Olympic facts:
Mascots: The Olympic Games have adopted mascots since the 1960s. This year one-eyed, blob-like mascots will take center stage. Wenlock is the mascot for the Olympics and Mandeville represents the Paralympics. Neither is gender specific and their names are derived from small English towns that reportedly ooze with charm.
Olympic Rings: The Olympic rings include five interlocking circles that represent the five original continents that took part in the first Games–Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe. The colors of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red. The colors were selected because at least one of them can be found on the flag of every nation.
Mottos: The general motto for the Olympic Games is: “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” However, the 2012 Summer Olympics has its own motto which is: “Inspire a generation.”
London Games: The theme for the Opening Ceremony in London is “Isles of Wonder” and will feature more than 15,000 performers. The Opening Ceremony will also include the parade of athletes, where competitors from Greece always march in first and the host country last. While London has the honor of hosting the Games this year, the following cities will experience the same privilege next: Sochi, Russia (2014 Winter Games); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2016 Summer Games); and Pyeongchang, South Korea (2018 Winter Games).
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