<div style="width: 500px; text-align: center" align="center">A little more than a week after the 30th Olympiad was held in the great city of London, England there is still a lingering aura of glory; records beaten, barriers broken and a sense of worldwide sportsmanship. Despite initial skepticism regarding security concerns, London's traffic and their notoriously rainy skies, critics agreed that The Olympic Committee and the City of London managed to pull off a spectacular showing for this great event.
The top three counties in terms of the amount of medals won were the United States, China and Russia in that order. The host nation, The United Kingdom, also put forth a strong showing by finishing fourth in the overall medal count and third in the gold medal count.
There were several individual milestones that are most certainly worth mentioning:
- The American swimmer, Michael Phelps, became the most decorated Olympian in history after winning six additional medals. This brought his career medal count to 22, smashing the old record of 18 medals won by Russian gymnast, Larisa Latynina.
- Jamaican sprinter and current world record holder, Usain Bolt, also raced into history by becoming the first person ever to win gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and the 4x100 meter relay events in back-to-back Olympics.
- Oscar Pistorius is a South African runner who lost both of his legs at a very young age. He became the first double amputee to not only compete with able-bodied athletes in the Olympics, but to advance to the semifinal of the 400 meter event and to lead his team as the anchor for the 4x400 meter relay. Without a doubt he inspired millions with his efforts and paved the way for future amputees to compete in the Olympics.
- A tennis player from the United Kingdom, Andy Murray, had been just out of reach of tennis' major championships for years now. He had been overshadowed by tennis greats such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokocic. Murray managed to dominate both Federer and Djokovic on his way to winning Olympic Gold at Wimbledon in front of a roaring crowd. Winning gold finally propelled Andy Murray to the top of the tennis world after years of playing the underdog role.
- And a special shout out should go to the American women, who earned 29 gold medals by themselves. To put it in perspective, they earned more golds by themselves than every country in the Olympics besides China and the UK. You go ladies!
The Olympics and eGO share a global sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship that crosses borders. We are always inspired to see such a great showing of athletic ability bringing people together. Share your thoughts with fellow eGO members. What did you think of the London Olympics? How did your country and favorite athletes fair? Are you looking forward to the 2016 Olympics in Rio?</div>
<div style="width: 500px; text-align: right; padding: 5px" align="right">Article By: MachineGunRush
Image By: Tomssound</div>
