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.

The tense, testing sport of Fencing has featured at every Olympic Games of the modern era. At London 2012, the Fencing competition will be held at ExCeL. ExCeL is an existing exhibition and conference centre in London's Docklands. Its five arenas will host a range of Olympic sports during the London 2012 Games.

Football will be a major feature of the Olympic programme at London 2012. Beginning with group matches and ending with a knockout phase, the competition will offer all the drama that fans have come to expect from major international tournaments. There will be two medal events at London 2012, one for men’s teams and one for women.

Hugely popular with audiences all over the world, Artistic Gymnastics looks set to draw huge crowds to North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Artistic Gymnastics competition will be held at the state-of-the-art Arena on the River Thames.

During the London 2012 Olympic Games, grace and beauty will be on show throughout the four days of Rhythmic Gymnastics competition at Wembley Arena. As with synchronised swimming, it is open only to women and has been part of the Olympic programme since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Prepare to be dazzled by the athletes in the Trampoline competition at the London 2012 Games, the newest of the three Gymnastics disciplines to have arrived on the Olympic programme.