Olympic and World Records 2012

The first modern Olympics, held in Athens in 1896, featured 241 athletes from 14 countries.

When the event hits London in 2012, 4,200 athletes from 147 countries will compete before a global television audience of 6.7 billion people. In the intervening years, some of the greatest stories in the history of sports have been written, and names have been immortalised. This official publication of the London 2012 Games collects the finest Olympic achievements and celebrates the legendary athletes behind them.