Artistic Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The artistic gymnastics events at the 2012 Summer Olympics were held at The O2 Arena in London, referred to as the North Greenwich Arena for the Games, which was also the location for the finals of the basketball tournament. The program remained the same as it had since 1960, with the men’s portion having remained unchanged since 1936, and consisted for 14 events: 8 for men and 6 for women.

China topped the medal table with eight, four of which were gold, repeating their placement from the 2008 Summer Games. The Chinese were far less dominant in London, however, for they had won nine of the 14 gold medals in Beijing and 14 overall. The only other country to capture more than one gold medal was the United States, who won half of the women’s events: the team all-around, the individual all-around, and the floor exercise. The host nation had a relatively good haul as well, with Louis Smith winning the nation’s first silver medal in the sport since 1908 and Great Britain taking home four medals overall, equal to their total from all other Olympics combined. The Netherlands had a historic moment when Epke Zonderland was crowned Olympic champion in the horizontal bar, the nation’s second gold medal, and podium finish, in Olympic gymnastics, with the first having come in 1928. Yang Hak-Seon became South Korea’s first Olympic gymnastics gold medalist after emerging victorious in the men’s horse vault, while Arthur Zanetti of Brazil, winner of the men’s rings event, earned his nation’s first Olympic gymnastics medal ever.

Zou Kai of China was the most decorated gymnast for the men, winning gold medals in the floor exercise and the team all-around and a bronze medal in the horizontal bar. American Aly Raisman was the star of the women’s events, winning gold in the floor exercise and the team all-around as well as bronze on the balance beam. Two competitors, Yordan Yovchev of Bulgaria and Oksana Chusovitina of Germany, participated in their sixth Olympics in London, a record number of appearances for a gymnast.