The Best Athletes of London 2012
After a great two weeks of sport on UK soil it is time to reflect on all the great sporting achievements that have taken place.
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An Olympics of Firsts
London is the only City to have hosted the Olympics 3 times.
Women
This year was the first year that every country was represented by women athletes. It was also the first time women were allowed to compete in the Boxing.
Blade Runner
London 2012 also saw the first disabled athlete allowed to compete in an Olympic Track Event. Before this Olympics there had been showcase wheelchair races on the track. Im Dong-Hyun a blind Archer from South Korea had competed in two previous Olympic Games and Competed in London 2012. But this year the spectators were given the chance to watch Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius run against able bodied 400m runners. In his first round heat he did not disappoint. He managed to progress into the Semi Final. Im Dong-Hyun won a team Bronze to go with his Two Team Golds from 2004 and 2008.
Oscar is my first Nomination for Most Inspirational Athlete.
English: South African Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius (born 22 November 1986), taking part in the Landsmót ungmennafélags Íslands in Kópavogur, Iceland, the largest sporting event in Iceland which is held every three years. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Im Dong-Hyun is also Nominated for Most Inspirational Athlete.
Im Dong-Hyun (Photo credit: cobaltfish)
Most Inspirational Athlete.
There are lots of stories about competitors overcoming the odds to compete in the Olympics. I have already mentioned Oscar Pistorius the South African Paralympic Athlete who had both legs amputated when he was three. And Im Dong-Hyun the Blind Archer.
Other Inspirational Athletes from London 2012.
Kieran Behan
Kieran was confined to a wheelchair at the age of ten after an operation to remove a tumor from his leg. Just over a year later he deified the odds and learned to walk again. He returned to Gymnastics only to fall from the high bar and suffer a head injury and be confined to a wheelchair again. Doctors never expected him to walk again but not one to let things get him down he relearned basic skill and within three years was walking and back training.
Carrie Johnson
Carrie has Crohn’s disease, a debilitating autoimmune disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms can include pain, fatigue and weight loss – and they can flare up at any time. Despite this she has now competed in three Olympic Games.
