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The Flagbearers for the London 2012 Closing Ceremony

Out of the 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Independent Olympic Athletes participating in the XXX Games of the Olympiad, the following weightlifters were Flagbearers at the Closing Ceremony: Albania Romela BEGAJ Cook Islands Luisa PETERS Kiribati David KATOATAU Kyrgyzstan Bekzat OSMONALIEV Nauru Itte DETENAMO Papua New Guinea Steven KARI Ukraine Oleksiy TOROKHTIY Source:

Thank you London, see you in Rio

After 16 days of outstanding sporting competitions in the Olympic venues of London 2012, as well as two memorable ceremonies, the curtain has now fallen on the Games of the XXX Olympiad – London 2012. Described by IOC President Jacques Rogge, as “happy and glorious Games”, they will undoubtedly leave long-lasting and happy memories to the people of London, Great Britain, and for those who watched from around the world. The eyes of the sporting world were set firmly on Brazil when the handover of the Olympic flag took place during the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, highlighting Rio de Janeiro as the next host city. Audiences around the world were then treated to an eight minute Brazilian spectacle during Rio 2016’s portion of the show, the brainchild of creative directors Cao Hamburger and Daniela Thomas. The segment saw the Olympic Stadium transformed into a sea of green and yellow in honour of the Brazilian flag, creating a carnival atmosphere that celebrated the country’s mix of culture, music and dance, and included samba dancing from Renato Sorriso, popular Brazilian singer Marisa Monte, model Alessandra Ambrósio and an unexpected appearance from footballer Pelé. The Rio de Janeiro Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (Rio 2016) has released further details of what to expect from the Games in 2016. One of the themes for the 2016 Games is “A city leaps forward”, reflected by the organising committee’s decision to have Brazilian children present the video outlining the city's plans to build venues and infrastructure a few weeks ago at the IOC Session. Rio 2016 said in a recent statement that construction is running on time and that they are “delivering on our promises” to transform the city and its transportation network. So with London now over, the people of Brazil are looking forward to seeing you in Rio in four years time! Source:

Round-up: Weightlifting sees records tumble

Weightlifting drew to a close at London 2012 with a total of 44 Olympic and world records broken during an exhilarating competition. Men's Super Heavyweight Behdad Salimikordasiabi, from Iran, claimed the final gold of 15 medals awarded at ExCeL over 11 days. The positive reception given to Weightlifting by the crowd, as well as the smooth management and execution of the events, has left an impression on the sport's controlling body. The International Weightlifting Federation said in a statement: 'We are entirely happy and satisfied with these Olympic Games at all levels and in all respects. 'The organisation overall, in particular within ExCeL and Weightlifting, was really impeccable. The technical facilities, everything was to perfection.' Salimikordasiabi's triumph in the men's +105kg confirmed his status as 'the strongest lifter in the world' as he added the Olympic Games crown to his reigning world and Asian titles. In the heaviest women's category, the +75kg, China's Zhou Lulu took gold in a dramatic tussle with Russia's Tatiana Kashirina that saw almost all the relevant Olympic and world records smashed. DPR Korea's Om Yun Chol, competing in the men's 56kg, became the first person to claim gold from the B group and only the fifth man in history to lift triple his own body weight, while Ilya Ilyin (men's 94kg) was the only lifter at London 2012 able to retain his Olympic title. It proved to be one of four golds for Kazakhstan, who, along with DPR Korea (three) challenged China's dominance as the leading Weightlifting superpower. China's tally of five golds did not match the eight they managed at Beijing 2008, but their women shone across a range of weight categories, alongside some memorable victories for other nations. Poland's Adrian Edward Zielinski claimed the narrowest of victories at the Games after he emerged triumphant ahead of Russia's Apti Aukhadov in the men's 85kg by the virtue of just 130g in bodyweight after both tied on a total of 385kg. And it became evident afterwards by comparing the pair's food intake that gold and silver may have been separated by as little as a chocolate bar ahead of the pre-competition

SALIMIKORDASIABI Behdad (IRI)

Men’s +105kg “My first goal was to get the Gold Medal; the second was to break Records. In the future, I’ll take on the Records as

TOROKHTIY Oleksiy (UKR)

Men’s 105kg “As of the moment you start preparing yourself for the Olympics, you feel the pressure. It’s all gone when you go on stage and touch the

Behdad leads Iran one-two

Behdad Salimikordasiabi added the Olympic crown to his world and Asian titles as he triumphed in the men's +105kg and brought the curtain down on Weightlifting at London 2012. Salimikordasiabi, from Iran, was the favourite for victory and the super heavyweight rose to the occasion to confirm his title as the 'strongest lifter in the world'. The 22-year-old managed a total of 455kg, which was not enough to eclipse the mammoth 472kg world and Olympic record managed by legendary compatriot Hossein Rezazadeh in 2000, but it did clinch Iran's first Weightlifting gold since 2004. And the vast numbers of Iranian fans inside ExCeL were afforded further delight after Sajjad Anoushiravani (449kg) took silver, with Russia's Ruslan Albegov (448kg) going home with bronze. Beijing 2008 gold medallist Matthias Steiner was denied the chance to defend his crown after he was forced to withdraw following an injury. Making his second snatch attempt of 196kg, Steiner was unable to raise the weights fully and, falling back, could not help but drop the bar down on to his head and then shoulder. Steiner thankfully managed to walk off stage but forfeited his third attempt to receive treatment, and it was later announced that he would not be able to continue and headed to hospital for a routine