Olympics

As the Paralympic games in London come to a close many (including myself) have been touched by the athletes' fortitude and the endearing spirit of both games.

Not one for sport, I normally stay clear of tuning into any sporting event, let alone attending a match, though after an incredible night of sport at the Excel Centre I've truly been converted.

Visiting any of the Olympic venues or park is a great outing alone, but I was lucky enough to get an evening pass to view some of the world's best Paralympic teams competing in men's sitting volleyball.

A packed arena comprised of locals and visitors, all cheering on Brazil and Team GB. As they geared up to represent their respective nations, scores of fans, mainly Londoners, proudly began to chant.

I was suddenly immersed into the most alien thing to me- the competitive zone of the spectator. Thankfully for me my home team were playing and before I knew it, a sense of relentless pride took over me and I was consumed by the spectacle.

Despite the festive atmosphere, which to my amusement involved a DJ playing popular music during every interval and point of the game, Great Britain struggled to defeat the Brazilian juggernauts.

With the London 2012 Olympics now just a fond memory, we look at the numbers of the Games. Medals, athletes, visitors- there are some amazing facts and figures that came out of London 2012. Here are some of the best:

Although the London 2012 Olympic Games have now finished, there are certain moments that people will never forget. Here we pick our six most memorable moments of the Games (with a slight British bias of course!). Click on the titles of each moment to watch them:
 

After two weeks of glorious, unforgettable sporting action, London 2012 came to an end last night with a Closing Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. Some of the biggest musicians in the world joined together to present a collection of some of the best-known British music, as the athletes danced in the stadium and the responsibility was passed on to Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Last Weekend of Sport

However, before all the closing party, there was one last weekend of Olympic sport to enjoy. Team GB made sure they went out with a bang, claiming another four gold medals over the weekend. Luke Campbell and Anthony Joshua both took boxing golds, whilst Ed McKeever won the kayak 200m sprint. However, it was Mo Farah who grabbed most of the headlines, adding the 5,000m gold to the one he won for the 10,000m. It was the first time a Brit had ever completed this unique Olympic double, and firmly placed Farah as one of the stand out performers for Britain at the Games.

All this was amongst Usain Bolt taking another gold medal and setting another world record, as his Jamaican team strolled to the men's 4x100m relay. Bolt celebrated with Mo Farah afterwards, both copying the other's famous celebratory pose:

Whilst Usain Bolt was getting all the plaudits last night after his second gold medal of the Olympics, perhaps there was a runner more deserving of credit who ran earlier in the day.

Manteo Mitchell from the United Sates was half way though his leg of the men's 4x400m relay heats when he felt a snap in his leg. As Mitchell himself explains:

"As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break. I heard it. I even put out a little war cry but the crowd was so loud you couldn't hear it. I wanted to just lie down. It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half."

However, instead of pulling up injured and not finishing the race (something I don't think anyone could have blamed him for), he decided to carry on:

"I didn't want to let the three guys or the team down, so I just ran on it. It hurt so bad. I'm pretty amazed that I still split close to 45 seconds on a broken leg."

So, not only did Mitchell finish his lap, he finished it in a quick time, and amazingly the US went on to qualify for the final as the second fastest team at London 2012. An x-ray after the race revealed that he had indeed broken the fibula bone in his left leg.