London 2012: Olympic Games event guides
- Published
The greatest sportsmen and women from around the world are in London, competing in events ranging from archery to wrestling, badminton to volleyball.
How do those sports work? How did the superstars get started and how can you have a go yourself?
With expert analysis, rules, history, ones to watch and an explanation of each sport's unique appeal, BBC Sport provides comprehensive guides alongside details of how to try them out.
Archery
Want to know how to hit something the size of a beermat from a distance of seven bus-lengths? This is the place.
Meet the GB archer heading to her sixth Olympics, discover which Asian nation dominates the sport, and use Archery GB's club finder to work out where you can pick up a bow for the first time.
Athletics
Did you know? Marathon runners burn up almost twice the average person's daily calorie allowance in one race.
Now, you may not want to take things to that extreme, but UK Athletics has a 'Grassroots' scheme to get new athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers into the sport. Here, find out where to find one near you, plus the equipment you'll need and the history of Olympic athletics.
Badminton
Not many sports hit speeds of up to 200mph - but badminton does. Or the shuttlecock, at least.
It'll take you a while to hit it that fast but if you want to learn, there are more than 2,200 clubs in the UK. Use our guide to find one near you plus find out where Britain's medal hopes might lie at London 2012.
Basketball
More than 300,000 people play basketball each month in Britain. If you're at school, the 'Try Basketball' scheme can get you involved - if you're over 25, 'Ball Again' is the scheme for you.
Get all the details you need to play basketball here, as well as John Amaechi's expert verdict on London 2012 and Britain's basketball hopes.
Beach volleyball
Hang on, how many tonnes of sand? Immerse yourself in the summery sport of beach volleyball here. And yes, even in blustery Britain, taster sessions are available.
Head here for more information on how the 'Go Spike' campaign can get you involved, as well as our guide to the basics ahead of the London 2012 competition on Horse Guards Parade.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Boxing
Don't try this at home. Instead, try it at your local club - where you'll the right equipment and vital supervision as you develop the physical and mental discipline needed in boxing.
Our guide has full details of clubs in the UK as well as an explanation of the weight divisions at the Games, a look at how scoring works in amateur boxing, and BBC experts' predictions for Team GB.
Canoe Slalom
You could fill 75 bath tubs per second with the water coursing down the Lee Valley slalom course. So it's probably an idea to start somewhere else.
Happily, there are clubs all over the UK with equipment you can borrow and slightly calmer waters on hand. Our guide has all the details plus all the rules of slalom canoeing - like gates and penalties - explained.
Canoe Sprint
Head down and paddle as fast as you possibly can - over 200m, 500m or a full kilometre. But beginners can find it tricky enough just getting in the boat without capsizing.
Help is at hand. Our guide covers place to start paddling in the UK, plus we explain the various classes of Olympic sprint canoe racing and rate British hopes at London 2012.
Cycling: BMX
Bumps and berms abound in Britain. There are more than 50 BMX tracks in the UK to choose from if you fancy yourself the new Shanaze Reade.
Our guide tells you where to find them all, what the sport's about, who the Olympic favourites are and how the rules shape the event at London 2012. Maybe skip the part about the broken collarbone if you're just about to start out.
Cycling: Mountain Bike
There are four types of mountain bike race - cross-country, the Olympic one, is probably a good place to start. Downhill can be something to aim at for later. Helmet, knee pads and so on? Essential.
British Cycling offers various ways into MTB and we've got them covered in our guide. We also take a look at the top British riders and explain the rules of Olympic cross-country mountain biking ahead of the Games.
MOUNTAIN BIKE: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Cycling: Road
Britain's roads reverberate like never before with the whirring wheels of weekend warriors on their road bikes. Fancy joining them? We'll explain how initiatives like Sky Ride can help out. You don't have to compete - simply going for a ride counts.
However, there's a lot more at stake this summer for the best British road cycling team in generations, if not ever. Our guide picks apart the rules and riders for the London 2012 road races and time trials.
Cycling: Track
After the Olympics there will be a shiny, new velodrome waiting for you. But what skills do you need? Why stay indoors instead of pedalling out on the open road? And doesn't always going left get boring?
Our guide answers these questions and can help you find a track near you. British hopes are high for more track cycling success this summer, so we also preview the London 2012 track cycling programme.
TRACK CYCLING: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Diving
Diving tones a wide variety of muscles, engaging the lower body, back, shoulders, abdominals and arm muscles. Don't underestimate this sport - as you get better, it becomes a full-body workout.
Don't underestimate the best of British, either. Tom Daley is a household name but our guide introduces you to a few more Team GB names as well as ways to start out in the sport in the UK.
Equestrian
Riding a horse is probably less expensive and tricky than you think. Lessons are available all over the country and our guide tells you where to try the sport for the first time.
This is actually three sports in one: eventing, dressage and jumping. We explain which is which, how the skills you need differ between the three, and what to expect in each at London 2012.
Fencing
Fencing is a sport that will tone muscles, build core strength and reward agility and all-round fitness. There are 300 or so clubs in the UK waiting to hear from you, while even toddlers can get involved using foam swords.
Our guide has all those details as well as an overview of the three types of fencing at the Olympics - epee, foil and sabre - and some suggestions for names to watch.
Football
There are all kinds of ways to start playing football in Britain. To help you on the way, our guide has links to all the right places to find advice and locations near you.
Olympic football can also be confusing - there are unique rules about age in the men's game and this is the one place you will find a GB football team, so we explain more about that and pick some teams to watch at the Games.
Gymnastics: Artistic
Bad news. You can't get a perfect 10 any more - that scoring system faded some time ago - but it turns out 16.375 is the new 10.0, so you'll just have to aim for that when you sign up at one of the 1,600-plus gymnastics clubs in the UK.
Our guide gives you all the links you need to make a start, as well as explaining how anyone gets to a score of 16.375 (or higher) and who from Team GB might do just that this summer.
ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Ribbons, hoops, clubs and balls are the tools of this trade - plus flexibility, agility and, of course, rhythm.
Our guide explains how to try rhythmic gymnastics for yourself as well as explaining what to look out for when you watch the Olympic group and individual finals. What are the rules? How is it scored? And what are the hopes of the British team at London 2012?
RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Gymnastics: Trampoline
Most people have had a go on a trampoline, but moves at the top level are astonishingly complex - not to mention lasers measuring how long you spend in the air, to the millisecond, all of which counts towards your score.
If you want to get bouncing then our guide will put you in the picture, while explaining what happens in an Olympic trampoline final and picking the protagonists who may have a spring in their step this summer.
Handball
Handball never used to be big at all in Britain, but with a home Games that is changing. There are nearly 100 clubs to join across the UK and our guide will help you find the one nearest to you.
But how do you play? Is it more like basketball or football? And how come Iceland are so good at it? We explain all that and more, plus we introduce the British teams for London 2012.
Hockey
Want to try hockey? Now could be the right moment, with the two GB sides looking the strongest they have in years. England Hockey and the home nations' other governing bodies run programmes like Hockey Nation to get newcomers involved.
Our guide provides useful links to those projects as well as looking at the rule changes designed to speed up the game at London 2012, and the main contenders for gold.
Judo
Don't get in the way of Teddy Riner. France's 6ft 8in heavyweight judo star has five world titles to his name and looks to be a certainty for Olympic gold at London 2012.
With a bit of luck, he won't turn up to your judo taster session. Our guide tells you where to find a club near you, explains the rules of the Olympic event (including the categories) and looks at Britain's brightest hopes.
Modern Pentathlon
Swimming and running is a good place to start here. Then try your hand at shooting. After that, you only need to acquaint yourself with showjumping and fencing, and you're a modern pentathlete.
This is a sport with plenty of nuances and some important rule changes for London 2012 - involving laser guns, primarily, so you'll want to read on. Our guide explains the sport, it's history, and where to find out more.
MODERN PENTATHLON: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Rowing
Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent helped to establish Britain at the top of global rowing, but there's nothing to stop the rest of us going for a weekend outing on the UK's rivers.
Our guide explains the different rowing boat classes, links to more useful information on getting started, and asks whether Team GB can maintain its fine medal record in the sport this summer.
Sailing
Britain is a sailing nation and the Olympic sport takes in everything from dinghies to windsurfers (and, from Rio 2016, kiteboarding).
We explain the different regattas of the Games in our guide, alongside a full preview of leading British names - like three-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie - and ways to get started in the sport.
Shooting
Keep an eye on double trap shooting at this year's Games for the best chance of British success. And if you're looking to try the sport yourself, our guide includes links to introductory courses where you'll get to experience the different weapons and learn basic safety.
We also go through the Olympic events and explain a scoring system that, unusually, goes up to 10.9.
Swimming
Wil Rebecca Adlington win gold again? Who will come out on top between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte? And is there a swimming pool nearby?
All valid questions and our guide can help with each, boasting details of various British Swimming programmes alongside analysis of this summer's main event at London 2012 and the top Britons hoping to win medals.
Synchronised Swimming
Nowhere else in the Olympic Games is being able to hold your breath such a valuable skill. Synchro may look dainty and balletic, but you need considerable fitness levels and coordination to succeed.
Find out where to get started with our guide, plus get the lowdown on the most likely candidates for Olympic gold in one of only two sports at the Games limited to female participants (the other being rhythmic gymnastics).
SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Table Tennis
Millions of people play table tennis in Britain. Our guide will also tell you it's a favoured sport of Susan Sarandon, George Clooney and Bill Gates, but - more importantly - we have all the information you need to start playing.
At the Olympics, table tennis is dominated by China. We also take a look at the sport's Olympic history and the prospects of a six-strong Britsih contingent this summer.
Taekwondo
Britain's four-strong team - excluding the world number one in his category, Aaron Cook, you will recall - has a good chance of medals at London 2012.
But how do you win those medals? How is taekwondo scored, why are kicks to the head so important, and how has technology in the sport developed? Plus, how do you get started in the sport? Our guide has all the answers.
Tennis
Just weeks after Wimbledon, tennis is back on the same grass courts for the Olympic Games - as are some of the biggest names in the sport, not least Britain's own beaten Wimbledon finalist Andy Murray.
Did you know that there are more than 500 venues across the UK where you can play tennis for free? Our guide has all those details as well as a run-down of the Olympic tennis tournament and ones to watch.
Triathlon
Britain's Brownlee brothers are hot favourites for a one-two in this summer's Olympic men's triathlon. They started out by fell-running in Yorkshire but there are plenty of other ways to get into this sport of swimming, cycling and running.
Our guide outlines how to start out in triathlon, provides some background on the Brownlees and sizes up their opponents inside Hyde Park at London 2012.
Volleyball
This sport was supposedly devised as a gentler alternative to basketball - tell that to the teams at the Olympics. And then find out for yourself by taking part in the Go Spike campaign and getting involved in the game.
Our guide has the details you need to sign up plus more background on the sport, an asssessment of Team GB's hopes at London 2012 and a look at ones to watch from other nations.
Water Polo
Great Britain won four of the first five Olympic water polo tournaments. That, it seems, was apparently enough as no GB team has qualified for any Games since 1956. This summer, both GB's men and women will compete as the host nation.
Water polo is a tough sport, requiring endurance and physicality. Read our guide to get started and find out more about the sport at London 2012.
Weightlifting
Teenage British weightlifter Zoe Smith has proved you don't have to be the size of a house to make a career out of weightlifting - or even a hobby.
If Smith has inspired you, our guide can help you find the nearest of the UK's 50 or so weightlifting clubs. We also explain the sport's basics, look at some of the key names heading to London 2012 and profile the chances of Brits lifting a medal.
WEIGHTLIFTING: BBC Sport event guide and how to get involved
Wrestling
One famous Olympic wrestling bout lasted an incredible 11 hours - if you fancy having a go, chances are your first try might be over a little sooner. Our guide has all the information you need to help you pick from the 40 wrestling clubs in the UK that can get you going.
Britain has one wrestler at the Games. Meet her in our guide, read up on the rules that separate this from pro wrestling, and size up some of the superstars coming to London for the Games.