London 2012: A celebration of history and an ode to a changing world

It was a proud fortnight for Britain and for London, showing to the world that the Olympic Games is much more than sports and competition. London 2012 Summer Olympics was a celebration of diversity, equality, team spirit, fair play, and Western Civilisation when at its best. It was the Games that wrote history in many respects, most memorable perhaps for women athletes.

“Didn’t we do well!” screamed the front page headline of the UK’s Daily Express the day after the Closing Ceremony of London 2012 Summer Olympics. “The Games brought out much that is best in this country,” wrote The Guardian. “They allowed us a golden glimpse of a nation that celebrates men and women with equal awe, and embraces British athletes of all racial backgrounds,” continued the story.

The London 2012 Summer Olympics was an ode to the Olympic spirit, to fair play, to a changing world, and to a changing Britain. It brought together athletes young enough to care equally for Justin Bieber and a gold medal, andold enough to remember the tragic 1972 Munich Olympics. It brought together countries that filled a whole apartment in the Olympic village, with those that had no country to compete for. It brought people of all race, all religion, andall colour.

London 2012 showed to the world that the iconic sporting event is a team effort, continually acknowledging the colossal contribution of the 70 thousand volunteers throughout the Games. It was a historic Games in many respects. It was the Games where women shined equally with men, some of them representing their countries for the first time in their history. It was the “first social media Olympics,” as put by the International Olympic Committee. 150 million Tweets were sent during the Games, Usain Bolt breaking another record with his 1.3 million followers.

Click here for full article (British Council Blog)