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  • Zara Phillips reins in High Kingdom

    Zara Phillips reins in High Kingdom
    © PA Photos

  • Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams pose with their medals

    Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams pose with their medals
    © PA Photos

About

2012 London Olympics:

The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London, making the capital city the first to host the Games three times, with the summer spectacular getting underway with the opening ceremony on July 27. The first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. Emperor Theodosius brought an end to 12 centuries of sport dedicated to the Olympian gods in 393 when he decreed that all such "pagan cults" be banned. It was not until 1894 that the movement, the modern Olympics as they are known, was revived. It was somewhat appropriate that the first event, in 1896, took place in Athens. The event has grown enormously, from an initial 245 athletes in 1896 to over 10,000 from 205 nations for the Beijing games in 2008 and there will be 26 sports on show in 2012.