Claim: London is the location of a place.

The 2012 Summer Olympics , formally the Games of the XXX Olympiad and commonly known as London 2012 , was a major international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games , as governed by the International Olympic Committee -LRB- IOC -RRB- . It took place in London and to a lesser extent across the United Kingdom from 25 July to 12 August 2012 . The first event , the group stage in women 's football began on 25 July at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , followed by the opening ceremonies on 27 July . 10,768 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees -LRB- NOCs -RRB- participated .   Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and then-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone , London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore , defeating bids from Moscow , New York City , Madrid , and Paris . London is the first and only city thus far to host the modern Olympic Games three times , having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948 .   Construction for the Games involved considerable redevelopment , with an emphasis on sustainability . The main focus was a new 200 ha Olympic Park , constructed on a former industrial site at Stratford , East London . The Games also made use of venues that already existed before the bid .   The Games received widespread acclaim for their organisation , with the volunteers , the British military and public enthusiasm praised particularly highly . The opening ceremony , directed by Danny Boyle , received widespread acclaim throughout the world , particular praise from the British public and a minority of widely ranging criticisms from some social media sites . During the Games , Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time , winning his 22nd medal . Saudi Arabia , Qatar , and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time , so that every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games . Women 's boxing was included for the first time , thus the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors . These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Jacques Rogge .   The final medal tally was led by the United States , followed by China and host Great Britain . Several world and Olympic records were set at the games . Though there were several controversies , the 2012 games were deemed highly successful with the rising standards of competition amongst nations across the world , packed stadiums and smooth organisation . Furthermore , the focus on sporting legacy and post-games venue sustainability was seen as a blueprint for future Olympics .