The Games of the XXX Olympiad will see athletes from more than 200 countries compete.
Torchbearer Tyler Rix smiles after lighting the Olympic Cauldron during the Olympic torch relay celebrations in Hyde Park.
Published On 27 Jul 201227 Jul 2012
A diver plunges in the pool during a practice session at the Aquatics Center at the Olympic Park ahead of the Games.
Harwinder Singh Gill displays a miniature model of the Olympic stadium with flags of the 204 participating countries along with the Olympics rings. India is sending its largest contingent ever to the Olympics with as many as 81 athletes set to compete in 13 sporting events.
Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usik climbs the Olympic rings for photos at the Athletes(***) Village at the Olympic Park. London was selected as the host city defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris.
A police boat patrols past a set of Olympic Rings floating on the River Thames. The security operation is led by the police, with 10,000 officers, supported by 13,500 members of the armed forces.
Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during a rehearsal. London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.
An Afghanistan Olympic official look on during a welcome ceremony at the Olympic Village.
A member of the US military poses for a photo next to the Olympic torch, prior to the flag raising ceremony for Team America at the Olympic village in London.
An Olympic rings tattoo is seen on the shoulder of Illya Kvasha of Ukraine during a diving practice session at the Aquatics Center at the Olympic Park.
Britain(***)s Dai Greene receives treatment to his right hip during a an athletics training session ahead of the Olympics at the Monte Gordo Stadium.
A woman looks at a shop display, which pokes fun at the London 2012 Olympics licensing rules in south London. The word "Olympic" and the rings logo are protected by strict copyright laws.
Competitors take aim during the Archery Ranking Round on Olympics Opening Day as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Lord(***)s Cricket Ground.
British fans stand in front of a flag before the team(***)s group A men(***)s soccer match against Senegal at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester.
Olympic tourist Vivianne Robinson from Santa Monica, California, parades in Piccadilly Circus during her fifth Olympic Games.
The Queen(***)s House, a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1619, stands in the background as Lucinda Fredericks of Australia trains with her horse Flying Finish.
Workers clean the seats at the main arena at Greenwich Park, the site for the equestrian and modern pentathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Venus Williams of the US serves as she practices at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, London. The Tennis competition is scheduled to begin Saturday, July 28.
A worker helps put the finishing touches on the House of Flags display at Parliament Square in preparation for the Olympics. More than 200 panels represent the countries participating in the London Games.
