A Celebration of Olympic Proportions!

Today’s the day!! The Olympics begin! I love the Olympics. In fact if I could take the next two weeks off and do nothing but watch the action, I would.

I even cook for the celebration!

(That made me hungry. Might have to do this again!)

This year’s host city is London, England. The Opening Ceremonies are tonight (Friday, July 27) carried by NBC during prime time. After the beauty and precision of the last show in Beijing, I’m anxious to see how the London designers top it. Led by Artistic Director Danny Boyle, the show is entitled Isles of Wonder. The best part? Live barnyard animals! (12 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, 9 geese, 7 sheep, and 3 sheepdogs) I can’t wait! Over 15,000 (human) performers will take part, and the ceremonies are expected to be viewed by an audience of four million. Will you be one of them?

The Closing Ceremonies will take place on Sunday, August 12. Again televised during NBC’s prime time schedule, it’s not nearly as exciting as the opening. I’m kidding. They’re typically also quite beautiful. Just sad, since everything’s over with!

Between the opening and closing, thirty-six (yes, 36!) different sports make up the Summer Olympics. Below is a list of sports, along with some pertinent dates surrounding their competitions. I am sure you’ll find something you like. The name of each sport links to its official 2012 London Olympics web page for scheduling and results. Enjoy!

• Archery: Competition Dates July 27 – August 3
• Athletics: Competition Dates August 3 – August 12
• Badminton: Competition Dates July 28 – August 5
• Basketball: Competition Dates July 28 – August 12
• Beach Volleyball: Competition Dates July 28 – August 9
• Boxing: Competition Dates July 28 – August 12
• Canoe Slalom: Competition Dates July 29 – August 2
• Canoe Sprint: Competition Dates August 6 – August 11
• Cycling – BMX: Competition Dates August 8 – August 10
• Cycling – Mountain Bike: Competition Dates August 11 – August 12
• Cycling – Road: Competition Dates July 28 – August 1
• Cycling – Track: Competition Dates August 2 – August 7
• Diving: Competition Dates July 29 – August 11
• Equestrian: Competition Dates July 28 – August 9
• Fencing: Competition Dates July 28 – August 5
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Competition Dates July 28 – August 7
• Gymnastics – Rhythmic: Competition Dates August 9 – August 12
• Handball: Competition Dates July 28 – August 12
• Hockey: Competition Dates July 29 – August 11
• Judo: Competition Dates July 28 – August 3
• Modern Pentathlon: Competition Dates August 11 – August 12
• Rowing: Competition Dates July 28 – August 4
• Sailing: Competition Dates July 29 – August 11
• Shooting: Competition Dates July 28 – August 6
• Soccer (Football): (Already Started) – August 1
• Swimming: Competition Dates July 28 – August 10
• Synchronized Swimming: Competition Dates August 5 – August 10
• Table Tennis: Competition Dates July 28 – August 8
• Taekwondo: Competition Dates August 8 – August 11
• Tennis: Competition Dates July 28 – August 5
• Trampoline: Competition Dates August 3 – August 4
• Triathlon: Competition Dates August 4 and August 7
• Volleyball: Competition Dates July 28 – August 12
• Water Polo: Competition Dates July 29 – August 12
• Weightlifting: Competition Dates July 28 – August 7
• Wrestling: Competition Dates August 5 – August 12