Stories about Olympics from August, 2012
Paralympic Games Kick Off in London
After hosting a most memorable Olympics, the British capital city of London welcomed the world's Paralympians for what is claimed to be the biggest Paralympics Games ever.
The South Caucasus at the 2012 Olympics
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics. The three South Caucasus countries have been participating independently in the Olympics since 1996, and they each...
Puerto Rico: Jaime Espinal's Silver Medal Makes History
Puerto Rico celebrates Jaime Espinal's Olympic silver medal, the first to be won for the country in the freestyle wrestling. This is the second medal won for Puerto Rico in the London 2012 Olympics and only the second silver medal to be won in the country's history.
Saudi Arabia: Reaching the Line of Gender Equality
While saluting the decision of Saudi Arabia to send two female athletes to the London Olympics, the Saudi Women Driving deplores the fact that Saudi women cannot drive. “The whole world...
Female Saudi Athletes – Out of the Olympics, Into the Twitter Storm
After stepping out of the Olympics, the first and only Saudi female athletes in the history of the Saudi sports, Sarah Attar and Wojdan Shahrkhani have received a storm of reactions on the Saudi twittersphere. Haifa Al Rasheed samples reactions which range from inspiration and hope to shame and disgrace.
Central Asia's Mixed Success at London Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics offered mixed successes for Central Asian states. While the Games proved nothing short of triumph for team Kazakhstan, the success of athletes from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan was more moderate. And for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, the Olympics were largely a disappointment.
Afghanistan: When Bronze Means More than Gold
"In a year filled with suicide bombings, school poisonings and kidnappings, the bronze for Afghanistan was more than gold." The country celebrates its one and only Olympic winner - Bronze medalist and Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai.
Colombia Adds Gold and Bronze BMX Medals to Their List
Carlos Oquendo and Mariana Pajón added two medals to Colombia's collection. The country ended the Olympics achieving a historic eight medals. Mariana Pajón's medal is the second gold medal in Colombia's history in the Olympic Games.
Nicaragua: A Blogger's Olympic Dream
Mildred Largaespada from the blog 1001 trópicos [es] shares her “Olympic dream.” In 1984, Mildred was part of Nicaragua's National Junior Basketball Team and participated in the Central American Games...
Ecuador: Sprinter Álex Quiñónez Brings Country to Standstill During Final
Ecuador took to social networks to offer support for the Ecuadorian sprinter Álex Quiñónez as he represented the country for the first time in the London 2012 Olympics. Quiñónez reached the 200m finals, finishing in seventh place.
Cameroon: Olympic Escape – Blame the System, Not the Athletes
"It's rather sad, however, to see that our country has become a prison, from which everyone wants to escape at any cost." Cameroon delves into reasons behind the disappearance of seven athletes from the 2012 London Olympic Games.
East Timor: Marathoner Captures London Hearts
East Timorese young marathoner Augusto Soares, 25, captured the hearts of the Olympic marathon audience with his perseverance and good humour. With only two months training, his goal was to finish the race, which he did. His smiling run was one of the closing moments of London 2012 Olympics.
London Olympic Games made in China
Beatrice from Ministry of Tofu puts together a set of infographic and reports on products related with London Olympic Games which are made in China.
China: Hurdler Liu Xiang's Olympic Failure Provokes Fierce Debate
Liu Xiang', the former world-record holder of the 110-meter hurdles and 2004 Olympic champion in the same event, dropped out of the London Olympic Games without clearing a single hurdle in the race. Some Chinese are sympathetic, others are more frustrated by the failure.
Mexico Wins Historic Football Gold Medal
For the first time in the country's Olympic history, Mexico won a gold medal in Men's Football. On August 11, 2012, the country celebrated as the Olympic team beat Brazil 2-1.
Argentina Wins its First Gold Medal in London 2012
Argentinian Twitter users are celebrating the country's first gold medal in London 2012 after Sebastian Crismanich beat Spain's Nicolás Garcia Hamme in Taekwondo.
Colombia: Gold for Cyclist Mariana Pajón
Colombians on Twitter anxiously awaited the performance of BMX cyclist Mariana Pajón. Hashtags like ORO (“gold”), #ÁnimoMariana (“Go Mariana”), or Mariana Pajón became local Trending Topics before and after Pajón won...
Should Singapore ‘Import’ Athletes to Win Olympic Medals?
The bronze medal victory of Feng Tianwei, a Chinese-born athlete who represented Singapore in the 2012 London Olympics, has ignited debate whether the Singapore government should exert more effort to develop local talent instead of simply 'recruiting' from other countries.
Colombia Achieves Historic Results in London 2012
With 6 medals up until now, the Colombian delegation that is participating in the London Olympics has achieved the best performance in the history of Colombia in the Olympic Games.
Tajikistan: Female Boxer Fights Odds, Wins Olympic Bronze
"I hope Chorieva will become a motivation for other Tajik girls and women, and we will have more female champions in future. It doesn't matter whether she wins or loses, she has already broken a social stereotype."
Kazakhstan: ‘Imported’ Olympic Champions Cause Controversy
Two of the six gold medals bagged by Kazakhstan at the London Olympics were claimed by Chinese-born female weightlifters. The success of the "imported" athletes has caused a lot of controversy, with Chinese officials accusing Kazakhstan of misinforming the public about the athletes' country of origin.
