Yi Siling of China hailed her life-changing moment after being presented with the first gold medal of the London Olympics.
Michael Phelps suffered a scare before booking his place in a 400m medley showdown with Ryan Lochte as Japan’s Kosuke Hagino led the way.
Filmmaker Danny Boyle turned the Olympic Stadium into a jukebox, turning up world-beating rock to send the planet a message: Britain is ready to roll.
The Mail & Guardian brings you ten facts you might have or not known about the Olympic Games taking place in London.
What female athletes wear should get less attention, but sports clothing can be a barrier to competition for many women who want to cover up.
Team South Africa left in great spirits, but the road to London has been paved with controversy, writes Jason Humphries.
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula says the country is behind the SA Olympic team ahead of the official start of the 2012 London Olympic Games on Friday.
Banyana Banyana held their own in the second half of their opening match at the Olympic Games, but couldn’t close the gap in their 4-1 loss to Sweden.
The Olympics kick off on Wednesday with a women’s soccer match between Britain and New Zealand, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt vowing to win again.
The Olympic governing body says it was forced to include a horse rider in the SA contingent, two days after its lone equestrian entry was withdrawn.
They’ve been told to bring home 12 Olympic medals, but experts and athletes say the intense pressure heaped upon Team SA is unfair, "almost suicidal".
SA’s Olympic team have been set a target of 12 medals at the London Games, but their performance should be deemed a success if they return with two.
Japan and Australia are under fire after complaints that male Olympic athletes flew business class to London, while the women sat in the cheap seats.
A new report from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers suggests that technological innovation is now an integral part of sport at the highest level.
Director Danny Boyle has been forced to cut parts of the Olympic opening ceremony to make sure the show finishes on time.
Mountainbike master Burry Stander will lead the South African cycling team’s bid for podium finishes at the London Olympic Games.
He’s gearing up to shine at the London Olympics, but Oscar Pistorius has already set his sights on the Rio Games in 2016.
Caster Semenya says her controversial victory in the 2009 world championships is behind her, and she is entirely focused on Olympic gold.
The company heading Olympic security, G4S, has acknowledged the company’s failure to hire enough guards has turned into a national embarrassment.
The UK’s Olympic security plans have come under fresh scrutiny after several people on a terror watch list were waved through airport border controls.
The head of private security firm G4S said on Saturday his firm only realised just over a week ago it would not be able to supply enough venue guards.
Britain could be forced to deploy thousands of extra troops during the Olympics after a last-minute security blunder dealt an embarrassing blow.
The British government and Olympic organisers are drawing up contingency plans to deal with the inclement summer, writes Owen Gibson.
The sky is the limit for South African athletes if they make it onto the podium at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
While they have shared similar troubles, Caster Semenya will look to evade the shadow of her compatriot, Zola Budd when she toes the line in London.
Double amputee Oscar Pistorius is to make his Olympic debut after he was added to South Africa’s final team for the Games in London.
Chelsea has confirmed that Daniel Sturridge is suffering from viral meningitis but the striker could recover in time for the Olympics.
With less than three weeks to go before the Olympic Games, Anaso Jobodwana is quietly hoping for a place in the semifinals.
The national team has been lauded by Athletics South Africa for overcoming poor conditions to finish third at the African Championships in Benin.
Michael Phelps celebrated his 27th birthday by beating his great rival Ryan Lochte in their penultimate showdown before the London Olympics.
Despite the organisers’ best efforts, officials in 27 countries are likely to cash in on the black market, writes Owen Gibson.
A ticketing scandal involving countries at the Olympics will overshadow the Games as an internal investigation is unlikely to be completed in time.