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Relive the London 2012 Olympics
Relive the London 2012 Olympics
As BBC One takes us back to that glorious summer with Olympics Rewind: London 2012, we pick out some of the defining moments
By Virgin TV Edit
Can it really be eight years since the gaze of the world fell on London for the 2012 Olympic Games? We hate to break it to you, but it really is.
The upshot is enough time has now passed to revisit that most golden of summers with Olympics Rewind: London 2012 on BBC One. Over two consecutive days you can enjoy some of the greatest moments from the Games, as Team GB inspired the nation like never before.
This two-part retrospective is not to be missed, but before it all kicks off, we’ve picked out some of the most iconic bits from London 2012. And boy, were there a lot to choose from…
The Opening Ceremony
Sensational, cinematic, stirring: however you want to describe it, none of us had seen anything quite like the Opening Ceremony to the 2012 Games. Overseen by proper movie director Danny Boyle, it effortlessly brought together Britain’s rich history in one spectacular package. We still get goosebumps from just thinking about.
Super Saturday
As golden nights of sporting success go, 4 August 2012 will go down as one of the greatest ever for the UK. Six gold medals in total were won by Team GB – including three in 48 dizzying minutes for Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford. Euphoric doesn’t even begin to cover it.
It’s your boy, Hoy
Chris Hoy, he of the immense thighs, wrote himself into British sporting folklore by winning two hugely significant gold medals in cycling. The first saw him help set a new world record in the team sprint, before the next, in the Keirin, made him Britain’s most successful Olympian ever with six golds, overtaking Sir Steve Redgrave.
Bolt lands another gold
Was the fastest man in history going to bottle it on the biggest stage? Of course not. Despite a slow start in the men’s 100 metres final, Usain Bolt peeled away to set a new Olympic record of 9.63 seconds and become only the second man after Carl Lewis to retain the title following his success in 2008. But what else did you expect?
Grainger gets there in the end
Persistence. Power. Drive. Katherine Grainger combined all of these things to finally get her hands on a rowing gold medal in 2012. The Scot was a silver medallist in 2000, 2004 and 2008, before eventually landing the top prize in the double sculls in London. The look of sheer joy on her face as she received her medal with teammate Anna Watkins was one of the defining images of the Games.
Jones becomes a taekwondo titan
When your nickname is The Headhunter, it’s pretty obvious you mean business. Jade Jones won Britain’s first ever taekwondo gold in London, ecstatically throwing her helmet into the air after winning a nail-biting showdown against Yuzhou Hou of China. Go Jade!
Murray makes amends
Earlier in the summer of 2012, Andy Murray warmed the hearts of the nation by shedding a tear following his defeat to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final. Nearly one month later, the pair were facing off in the Olympic final on Centre Court, but this time it was Murray who triumphed, bringing the house down in the process. Revenge is a dish best served gold.
Awesome Adams blazes a trail
The first women’s boxing champion in Olympic history? That would be Nicola Adams, who sealed her legendary status by defeating world champ Ren Cancan inside a truly raucous ExCeL. With her punches as hard as her smile is beaming, Adams became a household name in an instant.
When is Olympics Rewind: London 2012 on TV?
You can watch the first episode on Saturday 18 July at 1.15pm on BBC One HD (CH 101). Episode 2 is on Sunday 19 July at 2pm on BBC One. Also available for 30 days in Apps & Games > BBC iPlayer.
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