The
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
competed at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation. The
Russian Olympic Committee
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC; russian: Олимпийский комитет России (ОКР), Olimpiyskiy komitet Rossii (OKR); Full name: All-Russian united social union "Olympic Committee of Russia", russian: Общероссий� ...
sent a total of 436 athletes to the Games, 208 men and 228 women, to compete in 24 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, Russia was represented by more female than male athletes.
Russia left London with a total of 82 medals (24 gold, 27 silver, and 31 bronze), finishing fourth in the overall medal standings, but was later
stripped of 16 medals (6 gold, 8 silver, 2 bronze) for doping violations. The 16 stripped medals are the most ever stripped from one nation at an Olympic Games. Most of the medals won by Russia were awarded to the team in gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, and boxing. Of the twenty-four sports played by the Russian athletes, at least a single Olympic medal was won in sixteen of them. Russian athletes dominated in rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming, where they won gold medals in all the events. Nine Russian athletes won more than a single Olympic medal in London. Russia's team-sport athletes also proved successful at these games, as the men's volleyball and basketball teams won gold and bronze medals, respectively. For the first time in its history, Russia won Olympic gold medals in judo, winning three golds in the men's events. The success was attributed to an increased investment in the sport by the government and
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
's personal interest.
Among the nation's medalists were
Aliya Mustafina
Aliya Farkhatovna Mustafina (russian: Алия Фархатовна Мустафина) is a Russian former artistic gymnast. With a combined total of 45 Olympic, World and European Championship medals, she is considered one of the most successf ...
, who emerged as one of the most successful Russian gymnasts in history, with a total of four Olympic medals at a single games, and
Maria Sharapova, who won silver in the women's tennis singles against United States'
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American inactive professional tennis player. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) fo ...
.
Anastasia Davydova
Anastasia Semyonovna Davydova (russian: Анастасия Семёновна Давыдова; born 2 February 1983) is a Russian former synchronised swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist, and current coach.
Biography
Davydova won gold ...
became the most successful synchronized swimmer in Olympic history, with a total of five gold medals, while her compatriots
Natalia Ishchenko
Natalia Sergeyevna Ishchenko (russian: Наталья Серге́евна Ищенко; born 8 April 1986) is a retired Russian competitor in synchronized swimming, five-times Olympic champion and nineteen-times world champion.
Ishchenko annou ...
and
Svetlana Romashina
Svetlana Alekseyevna Romashina ( rus, Светлана Алексеевна Ромашина, , svʲɪˈtɫanə rɐˈmaʂɨnə; born 21 September 1989) is a Russian competitor in synchronised swimming that boasts 41 total gold medals from comp ...
managed to win gold medals in both duet and team events.
Olga Zabelinskaya
Olga Sergeyevna Zabelinskaya (also transliterated Zabelinskaia; russian: Ольга Серге́евна Забелинская; born 10 May 1980) is a Russian-born Uzbekistani professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's Co ...
became the first Russian female cyclist to win two Olympic medals in road events. Diver
Ilya Zakharov
Ilya Leonidovich Zakharov (russian: Илья Леонидович Захаров; born 2 May 1991) is a Russian diver and politician. He is the 2012 Olympics gold medalist in 3 metre Springboard.
Career Junior
In 2007, Zakharov debuted in inte ...
recaptured Russia's success in his sport after 12 years, as he won its first ever gold medal in men's springboard. Rhythmic gymnast
Evgeniya Kanaeva made history by becoming the first back-to-back Olympic champion in the individual all-around event, while the Russian group in rhythmic gymnastics defended their Olympic title for the fourth consecutive time in the group all-around.
Medalists
, width=78% align=left valign=top ,
, width="22%" align="left" valign="top" ,
Competitors
The
Russian Olympic Committee
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC; russian: Олимпийский комитет России (ОКР), Olimpiyskiy komitet Rossii (OKR); Full name: All-Russian united social union "Olympic Committee of Russia", russian: Общероссий� ...
selected a team of 436 athletes, 208 men and 228 women, to compete in all sports except
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...
and
football; it was the nation's third-largest team sent to the Olympics, tying its record with
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
in 2000. Athletics was the nation's largest team by sport, with a total of 104 competitors.
The Russian team featured 12 defending champions from Beijing, including pole vaulter
Yelena Isinbayeva (who competed at her fourth Olympics), synchronized swimmer
Anastasia Davydova
Anastasia Semyonovna Davydova (russian: Анастасия Семёновна Давыдова; born 2 February 1983) is a Russian former synchronised swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist, and current coach.
Biography
Davydova won gold ...
, race walkers
Olga Kaniskina and
Valeriy Borchin
Valeriy Viktorovich Borchin (russian: Вале́рий Ви́кторович Бо́рчин; born 11 September 1986) is a race walker from Russia who won the 2008 Olympic gold medal and was World champion over the 20 km distance. His World ...
, modern pentathlete
Andrey Moiseyev
Andrey Sergeyevich Moiseyev (russian: Андрей Серге́евич Моисеев, born June 3, 1979) is a Russian pentathlete, who won the gold medal in the modern pentathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics
The 20 ...
and rhythmic gymnast
Evgeniya Kanaeva. Among these champions, Isinbayeva, Davydova and Kanaeva managed to defend their Olympic titles for the second consecutive time in their events. Kanaeva became the first rhythmic gymnast to win back to back gold medal at the Olympics. Volleyballer
Yevgeniya Estes
Yevgeniya Viktorovna Estes (russian: Евге́ния Ви́кторовна Э́стес, born 17 July 1975 in Sverdlovsk), née Artamonova (Артамонова), is a Russian volleyball player who was a member of the national team and one of ...
became the first Russian athlete to compete in six Olympic games, although she first appeared as part of the Unified Team. Meanwhile, rifle shooters
Artyom Khadjibekov and
Sergei Kovalenko, and volleyballer
Sergey Tetyukhin made their fifth Olympic appearance. Equestrian show jumper Vladimir Tuganov, at age 51, was the oldest athlete of the team, while relay swimmer
Mariya Baklakova was the youngest at age 15.
Other notable Russian athletes featured
NBA basketball players
Andrei Kirilenko and
Timofey Mozgov, high jumpers
Ivan Ukhov
Ivan Sergeyevich Ukhov (russian: Иван Сергеевич Ухов; born 29 March 1986) is a Russian high jumper. He won a gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and is a two-time European Indoor champion (2009 and 2011). He ...
and
Anna Chicherova, US-based swimmers
Vladimir Morozov and
Arkady Vyatchanin
Arkady Arkadyevich Vyatchanin (russian: Аркадий Аркадьевич Вятча́нин, sr-Cyrl, Аркадиј Аркадјевич Вјатчањин; born 4 April 1984) is a retired Russian, Serbian and American backstroke swimmer. ...
, and gymnast and world individual all-around champion
Aliya Mustafina
Aliya Farkhatovna Mustafina (russian: Алия Фархатовна Мустафина) is a Russian former artistic gymnast. With a combined total of 45 Olympic, World and European Championship medals, she is considered one of the most successf ...
. World number-one female tennis player
Maria Sharapova, who competed at her first Olympics, became Russia's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
, width=78% align=left valign=top ,
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games:
Archery
Russian athletes qualified a team of 3 through
2011 World Archery Championships
The 2011 World Archery Championships was the 46th edition of the event. It was held in Turin, Italy on 2–10 July 2011 and was organized by International Archery Federation (FITA). The event was contested in two different areas. The prelimina ...
.
Athletics
Russian athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard): 26 Russian track and field athletes
failed doping tests in the aftermath of the London Olympics, and 11 medals were
rescinded. On 1 May 2013, discus thrower
Darya Pishchalnikova was stripped of her silver medal and received a 10-year ban by the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...
for a positive doping test on
oxandrolone.
On January 30, 2015 3000 m steeplechaser
Yuliya Zaripova
Yuliya Mikhailovna Zaripova ( rus, Юлия Михайловна Зарипова, née Ivanova ( rus, Иванова), divorced Zarudneva ( rus, Заруднева); born 26 April 1986 in Svetly Yar, Volgograd Oblast) is a Russian former middl ...
received a 2 years and 6 months ban from the
Russian Anti-Doping Agency after a positive doping test for
blood doping.
Afterwards, it was that said Russia "sabotaged" the 2012 Olympics by allowing athletes who should have been banned for doping violations to compete in the London Olympics, with RUSADA covering up positive tests and punishing only those athletes who would have been banned anyway.
;Key
;Men
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events –
Decathlon
;Women
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events –
Heptathlon
Badminton
Basketball
Russia's women team qualified for the event by winning the
EuroBasket Women 2011
The 2011 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 2011, was the 33rd regional championship held by FIBA Europe. The competition was held in Poland from 2011. This was the 4th time that the EuroBasket Women was ho ...
.
The men qualified through the world qualification tournament.
* Women's event – 1 team of 12 players
* Men's event – 1 team of 12 players.
Men's tournament
;Roster
;Group play
;Quarter-final
;Semifinal
;Bronze medal game
Women's tournament
;Roster
;Group play
;Quarterfinals
;Semifinals
;Bronze medal match
Boxing
Russia qualified boxers for the following events:
;Men
;Women
Canoeing
Slalom
Russia qualified boats for the following events:
Sprint
Russia qualified 15 athletes quota places through
2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships was the thirty-ninth edition of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, that took place between 17 and 21 August 2011 in Szeged, Hungary. The Southern Hungarian city welcomed the world event for th ...
held at
Szeged, Hungary.
;Men
;Women
Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Russia qualified cyclists for the following events:
Road
;Men
;Women
Track
;Sprint
;Team sprint
;Pursuit
;Keirin
;Omnium
Mountain biking
Diving
Russia qualified a maximum of 7 divers from
2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. Russia also qualified another diver in the men's 10 m platform and the men's 10 m platform synchronised team at the 2012 Diving World Cup.
;Men
;Women
Equestrian
Eventing
Show jumping
Fencing
Russia qualified 15 fencers.
;Men
;Women
Gymnastics
Artistic
;Men
;Team
;Individual finals
;Women
;Individual finals
Rhythmic
Trampoline
Handball
* Women's team event – 1 team of 14 players
Women's tournament
;Group play
;Quarterfinals
Judo
Russia qualified 7 men and 5 women for the Olympics.
;Men
;Women
Modern pentathlon
Russia qualified two men and two women.
Rowing
;Men
;Women
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
Russia qualified 1 boat for each of the following events:
;Men
;Women
M = Medal race; EL = Did not advance
;Match racing
Shooting
Russia earned 24 quotas in shooting events:
;Men
;Women
Swimming
Russian swimmers achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):
;Men
;Women
Synchronized swimming
Russia qualified 9 quota places in synchronized swimming at the 2012 Olympics.
Table tennis
Russia qualified two athletes for singles table tennis events. Based on their world ranking as of 16 May 2011
Alexey Smirnov and
Alexander Shibaev qualified for the
men's event.
Taekwondo
Russia ensured berths in the following events of taekwondo by reaching the top 3 of the 2011 WTF World Qualification Tournament.
Russia also qualified in two more events in the European Championships.
Tennis
;Men
;Women
;Mixed
Triathlon
Volleyball
Russia qualified a men's team and a women's team for the indoor tournaments.
* Men's team event – 1 team of 12 players
* Women's team event – 1 team of 12 players
Beach
Men's indoor tournament
;Team roster
;Group play
;Quarterfinal
;Semifinal
;Final
Women's indoor tournament
;Team roster
;Group play
;Quarterfinals
Water polo
* Women's team event – 1 team of 13 players
Women's tournament
;Group play
;Quarterfinals
;5–8th place semifinals
;Fifth place game
Weightlifting
Russia qualified 6 men and 4 women. Three of the medals that Russia initially won in weightlifting were stripped due to doping violations.
;Men
;Women
Wrestling
;Men's freestyle
;Men's Greco-Roman
;Women's freestyle
Russian doping scandal
Media attention began growing in December 2014 when German broadcaster
ARD reported on state-sponsored doping in Russia, comparing it to
doping in East Germany. In November 2015, the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published a report, and the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia indefinitely from world track and field events. The 335-page report, compiled following a nearly year-long investigation by a commission led by former anti-doping agency President
Dick Pound, urged the IAAF to suspend Russia from competition, including the
2016 Summer Olympics
)
, nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams)
, athletes = 11,238
, events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines)
, opening = 5 August 2016
, closing = 21 August 2016
, opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...
. The report said Russia "sabotaged" the 2012 Olympics by allowing athletes who should have been banned for doping violations to compete in the London Games. It recommended the anti-doping agency impose lifetime suspensions for 10 Russian coaches and athletes, including women's 800-meters gold medalist
Mariya Savinova
Mariya Sergeyevna Savinova (russian: Мария Сергеевна Савинова; born 13 August 1985) is a Russian former athlete who specialized in the 800-metres event. In 2017, she was found guilty of doping and was subsequently suspend ...
. The United Kingdom Anti-Doping agency later assisted WADA with testing in Russia. In June 2016, they reported that they were unable to fully carry out their work and noted intimidation by armed
Federal Security Service (FSB) agents.
After a Russian former lab director made allegations about the
2014 Winter Olympics in
Sochi, WADA commissioned an independent investigation led by
Richard McLaren. McLaren's investigation found corroborating evidence, concluding in a report published in July 2016 that the
Ministry of Sport and the FSB had operated a "state-directed failsafe system" using a "disappearing positive
estmethodology" (DPM) from "at least late 2011 to August 2015".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russia At The 2012 Summer Olympics
Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...
Doping in Russia