Sailing Olympic sports London 2012

700 athletes and 550 officials will stay at the Sailing Village during the Olympic Games, with approximately half that number using the accommodation during the Paralympic Games.The Osprey Quay development, which will contain 84 residential units, will house competitors and team officials taking part in the London 2012 Sailing events in Weymouth and Portland Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chair of LOCOG and Councillor Graham Winter, Mayor of Weymouth and Portland joined site workers and local residents at the Village today to thank them for their work and to showcase how a finished apartment will look during the Games.'Exciting milestone'Athletes will eat in a temporary dining hall which will be constructed on the site, and have a social area in the new Chesil Cove Foundation School which LOCOG will take temporary ownership of in May. Sir Keith Mills, LOCOG Deputy Chair said: ‘This is an exciting milestone with less than six months until we welcome the first athletes and Sailing officials to Weymouth and Portland. The Sailing Village will be a fantastic facility for the athletes, but just as importantly after the Games this will be a development with both affordable and low carbon housing on offer.’After the Sailing competitions have finished this summer the apartments will be converted into homes with 25% of the housing made available to a registered landlord for social housing needs. All the residential units are low carbon with the heating and hot water for 58 of the homes coming from a biomass heating system and many of the houses fitted with rainwater harvesting systems.

In competitive sailing, athletes complete courses in as short a time as possible, harnessing the wind in their sails for maximum speed.
There are three disciplines – match racing (one against one), fleet racing (mass start) and windsurfing – and 10 classes of boat.
Crew sizes vary from one to three, with Laser, Laser Radial, Finn and RS-X classes featuring one sailor; the 470, 49er and Star featuring two and the women’s match racing, three.
Competitors contest 10 races (15 for the 49er) with points awarded depending on finishing positions in each race (1 point for first, 41 for 41st). Each boat is allowed to discard its worst score and the ten boats with the lowest accumulated scores qualify for the medal race, where points scored are doubled and added to the opening series’ scores to decide the top 10 positions.
In match racing, the first boat across the line wins the match. Teams compete against each other in a series of round robin matches, with the top teams progressing to the final knockout stages.
Events / disciplines
(Match racing, fleet racing and windsurfing)
Men’s finn
Women’s Elliott 6m
Men’s star
Men’s 49er
Men’s laser
Women’s laser radial
Men’s RS:X, women’s RS:X
Men’s 470, women’s 470
Gold medals available
10

Held over eight days, the competition will feature 14 medal events across men’s and women’s events, ranging from Single Sculls, featuring solo rowers, to the Eight, featuring teams of eight rowers plus a cox. Each event will begin with heats, from which the best boats will qualify for the next round. Boats that do not qualify automatically from the heats get a second chance to qualify through the repechage round. The best boats eventually progress through the various stages and into the finals of each event, which decide the medallists.All entries for Rowing will be confirmed following the sport entries deadline on 9 July 2012.Find out more about the Rowing competition schedule Although its history dates back centuries, Rowing only came of age as a competitive sport in the last 200 years. Interest began to increase after Oxford and Cambridge Universities began their rivalry on the Thames in 1829, a rivalry that continues today in the shape of the annual Boat Race.
Today’s sport is renowned for its competitors’ legendary displays of strength and stamina, as athletes push themselves through the pain barrier in an attempt to win Olympic gold.Well established as a championship course, Eton Dorney hosted the DISA World Rowing Junior Championship in August 2012.The event acted as a test event for London 2012 allowing the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) to test its arrangements ahead of the Olympic Rowing competition.

Boats race in six lanes along a 2,000m flat-water course, and the first one across the line wins. At London 2012 it will take eight days to get through the 14 different classes, featuring 550 rowers.
There are two types of Olympic rowing, both with heavyweight and lightweight divisions: sweep, where rowers use a single oar, and sculling where they use two. Sweep rowers compete in crews of two, four or eight, while scullers go it alone, in doubles or in quads.
Boats – or shells – come with or without a cox, who directs the boat and steers the rowers. There are eight medals in total for men and six for women.
Crews will compete first in heats, with the best boats going through to the next round. However, for the boats that do not make it through automatically there is a second chance to qualify in the repechage round. The best boats eventually progress through the various stages and into the finals of each event, which decide the medallists.
Events / disciplines
Men’s pairs, women’s pairs
Men’s fours
Men’s eights, women’s eights
Men’s lightweight fours
Men’s single sculls, women’s single sculls
Men’s double sculls, women’s double sculls
Men’s lightweight double sculls, women’s lightweight double sculls
Men’s quadruple sculls, women’s quadruple sculls
Gold medals available
14

Dates: Saturday 11 August – Sunday 12 August
Olympic Venue: Greenwich Park
Set in legend, the Olympic Modern Pentathlon is a series of challenges said to have been completed by a 19th Century French cavalry soldier delivering a message on horseback. During his journey this soldier encountered a number of obstacles that meant he had to ride, run, swim, shoot and fence just like the events that modern Olympic Pentathletes will have to complete in to win one of 2 gold medals at the London 2012 Games Modern Pentathlon competition.Elite Modern Pentathlon competitors battle it out in knock out fencing rounds, swimming 200m freestyle, riding unfamiliar horses over a long course and then completing a combination shooting and running events.With a Thomas Cook Games Break you not only get tickets for the Modern Pentathlon at the Games you also get the peace of mind of a great value hotel close by to enjoy a terrifc London 2012 short break.

Athletes must compete in five different sports, fencing, swimming, riding and the combined running and shooting discipline in one day at London 2012.
They first fence against every other athlete in sudden death bouts, before swimming (200m freestyle) and riding (jumping over a 12-jump course) with a score being earned in each individual event.
After the first three competitions, the athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap, which determines the starting times for the combined running and shooting, where athletes run a short distance to the shooting range and aim to hit a target five times in 70 seconds.
They then run 1,000m, shoot a further five targets, run another 1,000m and shoot another five targets before running a final 1,000m to the finish line. The winner is the individual who crosses the line first.

Judo Olympic sports London 2012

Judo contests are a five-minute whirlwind of combat, with athletes attempting a combination of throws and holds in a bid to defeat their opponents.A total of 386 competitors will battle across 14 weight categories, seven for men and seven for women.All entries for Judo will be confirmed following the sport entries deadline on 9 July 2012View the full competition scheduleThe sport sees two athletes gain points for throws and holds in a bid to beat their opponent. A contest lasts a maximum of five minutes, and the athlete with the highest score is the winner. The best score is ippon, which can be achieved for a throw, a hold, a strangle or an armlock, and results in immediate victory. Judo made its first appearance as a medal sport at the Tokyo 1964 Games. The women’s competition was added to the programme at the Barcelona 1992 Games.

Developed from jujitsu, the hand-to-hand combat technique of ancient samurai warriors, judo basically involves throwing opponents to the floor and holding them in submission.

Fights take place on a mat 8sq metres in size, known as a ‘tatami’. Contests last five minutes and, if a competitor- judoka - manages to throw their opponent to the ground on their shoulder, to pin them to the ground on their back, or force them to submit to a choke, strangle or an arm-lock, they immediately score ‘ippon’- maximum score- and win the bout. Smaller scores are awarded for other kinds of throws and holds.

If the scores are tied after five minutes, the contest enters a golden score period, when the first score of any sort wins.

Fighters compete in events determined by their weight, and at London 2012 there will be seven weight classes for men and seven for women.

The tournament will follow a knock-out format. The winners of each contest will qualify for the next round, with the two finalists going head to head in the gold medal contest.

The defeated quarter-finalists will compete in two 'repechage' contests, the winners of which will then go up against the two defeated semi-finalists to determine the winners of the two bronze medals in each event.

Events / disciplines

Men’s 60kg, women’s 48kg

Men’s 66kg, women’s 52kg

Men’s 73 kg, women’s 57kg

Men’s 81kg, women’s 63kg

Men’s 90kg, women’s 70kg

Men’s 100kg, women’s 78kg

Men’s +100kg, women’s +78kg

Gold medals available

14

Hockey Olympic sports London 2012

Hockey is played on a 100 x 60 yard outdoor pitch by two teams of 11 players.
Each nation can bring a squad of 18 to the Olympics and on match-days name a 16-man team. The five substitutes can be rolled-on-and-off at anytime.
Players must use the flat, front side of their stick to hit or control the ball. Goals can only be scored by a member of the attacking team from inside the D – a semi-circular area in front of their goal.
Matches last 70 minutes, with two halves of 35 minutes, on water-based synthetic-turf pitches, which allow the ball to roll more smoothly and quickly.
In both the men and women’s competition 12 teams will be divided into two pools of six, with each team playing every other team in their pool.
The top two teams from the groups will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners going head-to-head for the gold, and the losers the bronze.
Events / disciplines
Men's and women's tournaments

The first match at the Riverbank Arena will see Australia’s women take on New Zealand on 29 July, while Great Britain's women’s first match will be against Japan.In the men’s competition, the current Olympic champions Germany start their tournament against Belgium, while Great Britain’s first match will be against Argentina.Debbie Jevans, Director of Sport at the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'The Riverbank Arena is set to stage exciting world-class sport during the Olympic Games. The Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament helped us test the venue and we will continue to work with the International Hockey Federation to fine-tune our plans before the first Olympic match takes place on the distinctive blue and pink pitches.'Competition formatThe 12 teams in each tournament have been divided into two pools of six based on world rankings, and each team will play every other team in their pool. The top two teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of those matches going head-to-head for the gold medal. The other teams in the two groups play each other to determine final placings.


Women: Pool A

Netherlands
Great Britain
China
Korea
Japan
Belgium

Women: Pool B

Argentina
Germany
New Zealand
Australia
United States of America
South Africa

Men: Pool A

Australia
Great Britain
Spain
Pakistan
Argentina
South Africa

Men: Pool B

Germany
Netherlands
South Korea
New Zealand
India
Belgium

Handball Olympic sports London 2012

Played on the largest court of any indoor ball sport at the Games, it is not uncommon to see 50 goals or more scored in a single Handball match.The competition begins at the Copper Box in the Olympic Park on 28 July, with the preliminary phase taking place across a 10-day period.The knockout matches start on 7 August, with the women's medals awarded on 11 August, followed by the men's the next day.All semi-finals and finals, as well as the men’s quarter-finals, will be held at the Basketball Arena in the Olympic Park.View the full Handball scheduleA total of 12 teams in both the men's and women's event will compete for gold in this dynamic team sport. All entries for Handball will be confirmed following the sport entries deadline on 9 July 2012.

In the men’s competition the hosts, Great Britain, will face France (the reigning Olympic champions), Sweden, Iceland, Argentina and Tunisia. Group B is made up of Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Denmark and Korea.

The women’s draw sees Great Britain in the same group as Montenegro, Russia, Croatia, Brazil and Angola, and the reigning women's Olympic champions Norway take on Korea, Sweden, France, Denmark and Spain.

Debbie Jevans, Director of Sport at LOCOG said: ‘ Today’s draw has provided some excellent matches that will showcase this great sport during the Games in London this summer.’The Handball tournament begins on the 28 July with 10 days of preliminary competition. The knockout matches start on 7 August, with the women's medals awarded on 11 August, followed by the men's the next day.
The London 2012 Handball draw

Men: Group A

France
Sweden
Iceland
Great Britain
Argentina
Tunisia

Men: Group B

Spain
Croatia
Hungary
Serbia
Denmark
Korea

Women: Group A

Montenegro
Russia
Croatia
Great Britain
Brazil
Angola

Women: Group B

Norway
Spain
Denmark
France
Sweden
Korea

Gymnastics Olympic sports London 2012

This is the last opportunity for gymnasts to qualify for the 2012 Games and is vital for the British men’s artistic gymnastics team, which includes Olympian Louis Smith.The London 2012 Gymnastics test event is taking place at the North Greenwich Arena (also known as The O2). Artistic Gymnastics and Trampoline competitions run from 10–13 January, followed by the Rhythmic Gymnastics competitions from 16–18 January.Competing for Olympic qualificationThe British men's team will be looking to qualify a full team for London 2012 during the men's Artistic Gymnastics qualification competition on Tuesday 10 January.For the Trampoline competition on Friday 13 January, both men and women will be competing for the final Olympic qualification spots. British champion Kat Driscoll will also compete despite already having secured a place at London 2012.For Rhythmic Gymnastics there are two individual routines and one group routine which count towards Olympic qualification. British athlete Francesca Jones has already booked her place for London 2012 as an individual and will compete at the test event in order to aid her preparation. The British team have to score 45.223 from the test event in order for a nomination to be submitted to the British Olympic Association to accept a host country place.'Fierce competition'Debbie Jevans, London 2012 Organising Committee Director of Sport, said: ‘Visa International Gymnastics is LOCOG’s biggest test event to date.'Not only is it vital for us to test our operations, but the competition will be fierce as the gymnasts who have yet to qualify for London 2012 battle it out for Olympic qualification.

The first competition to be contested is the team event, which doubles as the qualification round for the individual and all-around contests.
Men compete on the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, while women compete on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor.
The top 24 overall gymnasts advance to the all-around final, while the top eight scorers on each apparatus qualify for the individual apparatus finals. No more than two gymnasts per nation can compete in either the all-around or apparatus finals.
The days of scoring a perfect 10 are long gone after the scoring system was given a radical overhaul by the sport’s world governing body in 2006.
Gymnasts’ performances are now rated by two judging panels. One group of judges scores the degree of difficulty, or ‘start value’, of the routine and the other scores its execution, composition and artistry. Instead of maximum 10s, the medal-winning scores tend to be in the high 15s, 16s and 17s.
Events / disciplines
Men’s individual all around, women’s individual all around
Men’s team, women’s team
Men’s floor exercise, Women’s floor exercise
Men’s pommel horse
Men’s rings
Men’s vault, women’s vault
Men’s horizontal bars
Men’s parallel bars
Women’s balance beam
Women’s uneven bars