IOC code AUS Competitors 410 in 23 sports | Website www.olympics.com.au | |
 | ||
NOC Australian Olympic Committee Flag bearer Lauren Jackson (opening)
Malcolm Page (closing) Medals
Ranked 8th Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
8
15
12
35 | ||
Australia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era. The Australian Olympic Committee sent a total of 410 athletes to the Games to compete in 23 sports.
Contents
Australia left London with a total of 35 medals (8 gold, 15 silver, and 12 bronze), the lowest in Summer Olympics since 1992. Ten of these medals were awarded to the athletes in swimming, including the gold from the women's freestyle relay team; six in cycling, five in rowing, and four in sailing. Nine Australian athletes won more than a single Olympic medal in London, while 11 of them managed to claim their Olympic titles for the first time. From the twenty-three sports played by the athletes, fourteen of them contained at least a single Olympic medal. With the absence of baseball and softball at the Olympics, Australia's team-based athletes proved successful in London, as the field hockey teams and the women's basketball team each won bronze medals. For the first time since 2000, Australia did not win an Olympic gold medal in rowing.
Among the nation's medalists were sailor Malcolm Page, who successfully defended his Olympic title in the men's 470 class, and hurdler Sally Pearson, who became the first Australian female athlete to win gold in athletics after 12 years. Anna Meares, who won gold and bronze in London, became one of the most successful track cyclists in history, with a total of five Olympic medals. Meanwhile, Leisel Jones, who competed at her fourth Olympics, emerged as the greatest Australian female swimmer in history, with a total of nine Olympic medals, including one from London.
Medalists
* – Indicates the athlete competed in preliminaries but not the final relay.
Delegation
The Australian Olympic Committee selected a team of 410 athletes, 224 men and 186 women, to compete in 23 sports; it was the nation's fifth largest team sent to the Olympics, but the smallest since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. 227 Australian athletes had competed at their first Games, including freestyle swimmer and pre-Olympic favorite James Magnussen, and slalom kayaker Jessica Fox.
The Australian team featured twelve defending Olympic champions, including swimmer Stephanie Rice, who won a total of three Olympic gold medals, pole vaulter Steve Hooker, who broke an Olympic record in Beijing, and diver Matthew Mitcham, who won a gold medal for the first time in men's platform. Equestrian eventing rider Andrew Hoy became the first Australian athlete in history to participate in seven Olympic Games. Three athletes made their sixth Olympic appearance: road cyclist Stuart O'Grady, and trap shooters Michael Diamond and Russell Mark. Beach volleyballer and two-time Olympic medalist Natalie Cook became the first Australian female athlete to compete at five Olympic Games. Dressage rider Mary Hanna, at age 57, was the oldest athlete of the team, while diver Brittany Broben was the youngest at age 16.
Former Olympic rowing champion Nick Green served as Australia's chef de mission. Basketball player Lauren Jackson, who led her team by winning the silver medal in her three consecutive Olympics, became Australia's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1992.
Australia did not qualify teams in football, women's indoor volleyball, handball and fencing. There was only a single competitor in men's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics, and wrestling. Athletics was the nation's largest team by sport, with a total of 52 competitors.
Archery
Australia qualified two archers.
Athletics
Australia sent its second largest team from the track and field to the Olympics outside the host nation. A total of 52 track and field athletes were selected to the team, after having achieved the required qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of three athletes in each event at the "A" standard, and one at the "B" standard). Pole vaulter, defending Olympic champion, and current Olympic record holder Steve Hooker was appointed as the team captain; however, he missed out of the medal standings and lost his Olympic record to France's Renaud Lavillenie, after failing to clear the height in the finals.
Australia left London with a total of three track and field medals at the Olympics. Sprint hurdler and pre-Olympic favorite Sally Pearson became the first woman to win the nation's gold medal in the track and field since Cathy Freeman in 2000. Long jumper Mitchell Watt, competing at his first Olympics, became the fourth man to claim the silver medal in that event. Jared Tallent was initially presented with the silver medal for the men's 50 km race walk, matching the silver medal he won four years earlier in Beijing, but he was subsequently awarded the gold medal for the London event after Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin was stripped of his first-place finish after being found guilty of doping. Tallent was presented with his gold medal for the London 50 km race at a ceremony held in Melbourne on 17 June 2016.
Badminton
* Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii initially qualified in the quarterfinal round, but they were disqualified after being found guilty of "not using best efforts" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" by playing to lose matches in order to manipulate the draw for the knockout stage.
Basketball
Australia qualified a men's and a women's team.
Men's tournament
The following is the Australia roster in the men's basketball tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Women's tournament
The following was the Australia roster in the women's basketball tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics.