Archery had its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics and has been contested in 13 Olympiads. Eighty three different nations have appeared in the Olympic archery competitions, with France appearing the most often at 11 times. It is governed by the International Archery Federation. Recurve archery is the only discipline of archery featured at the Olympic Games.

One of the most popular sports that will feature at the London 2012 Olympic Games is also the biggest: Athletics features 2,000 athletes running, walking, jumping and throwing for gold in 47 events.

Since 1992, badminton has been an Olympic sport with five events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair consists of a man and a woman. At high levels of play, especially in singles, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, explosive strength, speed and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, one of the world’s most popular and fastest-growing team sports will be showcased at the Basketball Arena and the North Greenwich Arena.

Beach Volleyball made its Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996. Since then it has become one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games. The London 2012 competition will be held at a special temporary arena on Horse Guards Parade, just steps from Trafalgar Square, which will be covered in 3,000 tonnes of sand. Teams of two will serve, bump and spike their way towards gold in the heart of the capital.

At the London 2012 Games, the ever-popular men’s Boxing events will be joined on the Olympic programme by a women’s competition for the first time. Boxing has featured in every Olympics since 1904, apart from the 1912 Stockholm Games, when Swedish law banned it. Many Olympic boxers have gone on to scale the heights in the professional sport, with Cassius Clay - later, of course, Muhammad Ali - the most notable.

Canoe slalom is a competitive sport where the aim is to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. Modeled on slalom skiing, the first Canoe Slalom competition was held in Switzerland in 1932. The sport was staged on flat water during its early days, but was later switched to white water rapids.

Canoeing and kayaking has been featured as a competition sport in the Summer Olympic Games since the 1936 Games in Berlin although it was a demonstration sport at the 1924 Games in Paris. Requiring sustained bursts of speed and power, Canoe Sprint at the London 2012 Games will offer thrilling, down-to-the-wire finishes.

The fast and furious sport of BMX will be making only its second Olympic appearance at the London 2012 Games. BMX (Bicycle Motocross) began to take off in the late 1960s in California, around the time that motocross became popular in the US. The motorised sport was the inspiration for the pedal-powered version, a breathtaking spectacle that’s since become popular all over the world.

At London 2012, a quartet of challenging, exciting Road Cycling events will energise the streets of London and Surrey. After the opening ceremony road cycling will be the first event to take place. Axed for three games after debuting in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the sport has become a permanent fixture since 1912.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, there will be 10 gold medals up for grabs over six action-packed days in the Track Cycling competition. Currently enjoying a boom in popularity, the action-packed sport of Track Cycling has featured at every Games but one since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

At the London 2012 Games, Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below. The Diving competition will take place at the dazzling new Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, designed by acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid and built especially for the Games.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Dressage events will test the ability of horse and rider to display both athletic prowess and supreme elegance. Along with the other Equestrian events at London 2012, the Dressage competition takes place over four days in the temporary Arena. There will be 50 competitors in team and individual events.

Featuring dressage, cross-country and a dramatic jumping finale, the Eventing competition at the London 2012 Games will offer an all-encompassing test of Equestrian skill.There are three distinct parts to the Eventing competition: dressage, which illustrates the harmony between horse and rider; cross-country riding, which requires speed, power and nerve; and jumping, which calls for precision, agility and impeccable technique. The combination tests every element of horsemanship, and offers the spectator plenty of excitement along the way.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Jumping competition will require horse and rider to navigate a short course with precision, speed and perfect technique. Entry to the various Olympic Equestrian competitions was originally limited to members of the military. However, at the Helsinki Games of 1952, the competition was broadened to include civilian riders.