Image Credit: Evening Standard
Very rarely does a programme have 52 million viewers, let alone 90% of the British population tuning in. However, London 2012 Olympics proved that not only is the Olympics a fantastic event that audiences love, but Britain are a nation that should be recognised on a national scale.
The combination of conventional broadcast media, and online and mobile platforms, made the games available to a record potential global audience of 4.8 billion people in every corner of the world. With women now being able to compete in all sports on the Olympic Programme for the first time, and Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time, such huge events demonstrate how programmes were able to generate such figures.
It is important to consider what a milestone the games were in terms of sporting success. One could claim it is impossible to forget ‘Super Saturday’- which has been voted as the greatest sporting moment of all time.
This night saw British trio, Jessica Ennis- Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all strike gold within just 44 minutes of each other at the ‘London Stadium’, which was just a snippet of Britain’s success.
Image Credit- talkSPORT
Collectively, the home nation won 65 medals, meaning they were third in the medal table rankings, and surpassed their goal of 45 medals. The fact Britain achieved this huge success in front of a home crowd brought the country together, providing a harmonious atmosphere across the streets of Britain.
Not only did 2012 see such a memorable summer, but it also saw Man City scoring twice in stoppage time to be crowned champions for the first time in 44 years, beating Manchester United on goal difference to win the Premier League.
With some City fans leaving the game against Queens Park Rangers in tears, Edin Dzeko equalised in the second of the five minutes stoppage time, before Aguero scored the goal that won the title.
Many of you may remember this ‘AGUEROO’ moment: which ultimately signified the City players and supporters shifting from one end of the emotional scale to another. With Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United side dominating the league for many years, Man City finally achieved redemption, in an unforgettable title race that was talked about for the entire decade.
Furthermore, in a year that deserved much attention due to immense sporting success, it is impossible to neglect Bradley Wiggins’ becoming the first British rider to win the Tour De France. Wiggins finished with a winning margin of 3 minutes and 21 seconds, which seems ironic as he reportedly nearly dropped out of the race due to continuous friction with his teammate. However, in a year of heroic British success, the importance of Wiggins setting another British record demonstrates what a year 2012 was, setting the bar for what would prove to be another exciting year in 2013.
Image Credit: BBC