Australia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era. The Australian Olympic Committee sent a total of 410 athletes to the Games to compete in 23 sports.
Australia left London with a total of 35 medals (7 gold, 16 silver, and 12 bronze), the lowest in Summer Olympics since 1992. Ten of these medals were awarded to the athletes in swimming, including the gold from the women's freestyle relay team; six in cycling, five in rowing, and four in sailing. Nine Australian athletes won more than a single Olympic medal in London, while 11 of them managed to claim their Olympic titles for the first time. From the twenty-three sports played by the athletes, fourteen of them contained at least a single Olympic medal. With the absence of baseball and softball at the Olympics, Australia's team-based athletes proved successful in London, as the field hockey teams and the women's basketball team each won bronze medals. For the first time since 2000, Australia did not win an Olympic gold medal in rowing.
Among the nation's medalists were sailor Malcolm Page, who successfully defended his Olympic title in the men's 470 class, and hurdler Sally Pearson, who became the first Australian female athlete to win gold in athletics after 12 years. Anna Meares, who won gold and bronze in London, became one of the most successful track cyclists in history, with a total of five Olympic medals. Meanwhile, Leisel Jones, who competed at her fourth Olympics, emerged as the greatest Australian female swimmer in history, with a total of nine Olympic medals, including one from London.
On 17 June 2016, the eighth gold medalist was awarded to Jared Tallent in the 50 kilometres walk, after the disqualification of Russian Sergey Kirdyapkin due to doping.
Medalists
| width="78%" align="left" valign="top" |
Medal Name Sport Event Date Alicia CouttsBrittany ElmslieYolane Kukla*Melanie SchlangerEmily Seebohm*Lisbeth Trickett* Swimming Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay Sailing Laser class Cycling Women's sprint Athletics Women's 100 m hurdles Iain JensenNathan Outteridge Sailing 49er class Jacob ClearDavid SmithTate SmithMurray Stewart Canoeing Men's K-4 1000 m Malcolm PageMathew Belcher Sailing Men's 470 class Athletics Men's 50 km walk Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley Sarah Tait Rowing Women's coxless pair Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle *Bronte BarrattAlicia CouttsBrittany Elmslie*Blair Evans*Jade Neilsen*Kylie PalmerMelanie Schlanger Swimming Women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay Jessica Fox Canoeing Women's slalom K-1 Brooke Pratley Rowing Women's double sculls Jack BobridgeRohan DennisMichael HepburnGlenn O'Shea Cycling Men's team pursuit James ChapmanDrew Ginn Josh Dunkley-SmithWill Lockwood Rowing Men's coxless four Alicia CouttsBrittany Elmslie*Leisel JonesMelanie SchlangerEmily Seebohm Swimming Women's 4 × 100 m medley relay Athletics Men's long jump Diving Women's 10 m platform Cycling Men's BMX Nina CurtisLucinda Whitty Sailing Elliott 6m Swimming Women's 100 m butterfly Swimming Women's 200 m freestyle Anna Meares Cycling Women's team sprint James McRaeChris MorganDaniel Noonan Rowing Men's quadruple sculls Triathlon Women's triathlon Rowing Women's single sculls Tommaso D'Orsogna*James MagnussenBrenton Rickard*Christian SprengerHayden StoeckelMatt Targett Swimming Men's 4 × 100 m medley relay Cycling Men's sprint Cycling Women's omnium Water polo Women's tournament Field hockey Men's tournament Basketball Women's tournament
|style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top"|
Medals by sportSport TotalSailing3104Athletics2103Swimming16310Cycling1236Canoeing1102Rowing0325Diving0101Triathlon0011Water polo0011Field hockey0011Basketball0011Total8151235
+ Medals by genderGenderTotalFemale39820Male56415Mixed0000Total8151235
Medals by dateDate Total28 July100129 July011230 July010131 July01121 August03032 August01123 August02134 August03365 August00006 August10127 August20138 August10019 August1113110211240000Total8151235
* – Indicates the athlete competed in preliminaries but not the final relay.
Delegation The Australian Olympic Committee selected a team of 410 athletes, 224 men and 186 women, to compete in 23 sports; it was the nation's fifth largest team sent to the Olympics, but the smallest since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. 227 Australian athletes had competed at their first Games, including freestyle swimmer and pre-Olympic favorite James Magnussen, and slalom kayaker Jessica Fox.
The Australian team featured twelve defending Olympic champions, including swimmer Stephanie Rice, who won a total of three Olympic gold medals, pole vaulter Steve Hooker, who broke an Olympic record in Beijing, and diver Matthew Mitcham, who won a gold medal for the first time in men's platform. Equestrian eventing rider Andrew Hoy became the first Australian athlete in history to participate in seven Olympic Games. Three athletes made their sixth Olympic appearance: road cyclist Stuart O'Grady, and trap shooters Michael Diamond and Russell Mark. Beach volleyballer and two-time Olympic medalist Natalie Cook became the first Australian female athlete to compete at five Olympic Games. Dressage rider Mary Hanna, at age 57, was the oldest athlete of the team, while diver Brittany Broben was the youngest at age 16.
Former Olympic rowing champion Nick Green served as Australia's chef de mission. Basketball player Lauren Jackson, who led her team by winning the silver medal in her three consecutive Olympics, became Australia's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1992.
Australia did not qualify teams in football, women's indoor volleyball, handball and fencing. There was only a single competitor in men's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics, and wrestling. Athletics was the nation's largest team by sport, with a total of 52 competitors.
| width=78% align=left valign=top | The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves in fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes: SportMenWomenTotalArchery 112Athletics 341852Badminton 235Basketball 121224Boxing 10111Canoeing 13720Cycling 171229Diving 3710Equestrian 6612Field hockey 161632Gymnastics 268Judo 516Modern pentathlon 112Rowing 271946Sailing 6713Shooting 10717Swimming 232447Synchronized swimming 099Table tennis 336Taekwondo 112Tennis 246Triathlon 336Volleyball 12416Water polo 131326Weightlifting 112Wrestling 101 Total 224 186410
Archery
Australia qualified two archers.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankTaylor WorthMen's individual66823 (42)W 6–5 W 7–1 L 5–6Did not advanceElisa BarnardWomen's individual60158 (7)L 3–7Did not advance
Athletics
Australia sent its second largest team from the track and field to the Olympics outside the host nation. A total of 52 track and field athletes were selected to the team, after having achieved the required qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of three athletes in each event at the "A" standard, and one at the "B" standard). Pole vaulter, defending Olympic champion, and current Olympic record holder Steve Hooker was appointed as the team captain; however, he missed out of the medal standings and lost his Olympic record to France's Renaud Lavillenie, after failing to clear the height in the finals.
Australia left London with a total of three track and field medals at the Olympics. Sprint hurdler and pre-Olympic favorite Sally Pearson became the first woman to win the nation's gold medal in the track and field since Cathy Freeman in 2000. Long jumper Mitchell Watt, competing at his first Olympics, became the fourth man to claim the silver medal in that event. Jared Tallent was initially presented with the silver medal for the men's 50 km race walk, matching the silver medal he won four years earlier in Beijing, but he was subsequently awarded the gold medal for the London event after Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin was stripped of his first-place finish after being found guilty of doping. Tallent was presented with his gold medal for the London race at a ceremony held in Melbourne on 17 June 2016.
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankYoucef Abdi3000 m steeplechase8:29.816colspan=2 Did not advanceLuke Adams50 km walkcolspan=4 3:53:4126Collis Birmingham5000 m13:50.3916colspan=2 Did not advanceBrendan Cole400 m hurdles49.242 Q49.555Did not advanceNathan Deakes50 km walkcolspan=4 3:48:4522Martin DentMarathoncolspan=4 2:14:1028Chris Erickson20 km walkcolspan=4 1:24:1938Ryan Gregson1500 m3:38.549 q3:51.8612Did not advanceJeffrey HuntMarathoncolspan=4 2:22:5963David McNeill5000 m13:45.8812colspan=2 Did not advanceCraig Mottram13:40.2416colspan=2 Did not advanceJeff Riseley800 m1:46.995Did not advanceAdam Rutter20 km walkcolspan=4 Michael ShelleyMarathoncolspan=4 2:14:1016Steven Solomon400 m45.181 Q44.973 q45.148Ben St. Lawrence10000 mcolspan=4 28:32.6720Jared Tallent20 km walkcolspan=4 1:20:02750 km walkcolspan=4 3:36:53Tristan Thomas400 m hurdles49.134 q50.557Did not advanceAnthony AlozieAndrew McCabeIsaac NtiamoahJosh Ross4 × 100 m relay38.175 qcolspan=2 38.437Brendan ColeBen OffereinsSteven SolomonJohn Steffensen4 × 400 m relay3:03.175colspan=2 Did not advance Note: Tim Leathart was selected in the team for the men's 4 × 100 metres relay, but did not compete.
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionJarrod BannisterJavelin throw77.3813Did not advanceHenry FrayneLong jump7.9511 Q7.859Triple jump16.4017Did not advanceBenn HarradineDiscus throw64.009 q63.599Steve HookerPole vault5.50=9 q—Scott MartinDiscus throw62.1419Did not advanceDale StevensonShot put19.1726Did not advanceMitchell WattLong jump7.999 Q8.16Julian WruckDiscus throw60.0828Did not advance
Women Track & road events
AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankLauren Boden400 m hurdles56.275 qcolspan=2 56.668Did not advanceMelissa Breen100 mcolspan=2 11.346Did not advanceZoe Buckman1500 m4:07.838 qcolspan=2 4:05.0310Did not advanceGenevieve LaCaze3000 m steeplechase9:37.909colspan=4 Did not advanceRegan Lamble20 km walkcolspan=6 1:30:0817Beki Leecolspan=6 1:32:1428Kaila McKnight1500 m4:13.805 Qcolspan=2 4:08.4412Did not advanceSally Pearson100 m hurdles12.571 Qcolspan=2 12.391 Q12.35 Claire Tallent20 km walkcolspan=6 Jessica TrengoveMarathoncolspan=6 2:31:1739Lisa Weightmancolspan=6 2:27:3217Eloise Wellings10000 mcolspan=6 align=center 32:25.4321Benita WillisMarathoncolspan=6 2:49:38100
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionAlana BoydPole vault4.5511 Q4.3011Kim MickleJavelin throw59.2317Did not advanceKathryn Mitchell60.1112 q59.469Liz ParnovPole vault—Did not advanceDani SamuelsDiscus throw63.977 Q60.4012
Badminton
AthleteEventGroup StageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankRoss SmithGlenn WarfeMen's doublesL 11–21, 17–21L 14–21, 13–21L 13–21, 14–214Did not advanceVictoria NaWomen's singlesL 10–21, 7–21W 21–12, 21–182Did not advanceLeanne ChooRenuga VeeranWomen's doublesL 11–21, 22–20, 7–21W 21–9, 21–7L 21–7, 21–193 Q*L 9–21, 21–18, 18–21Did not advance * Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii initially qualified in the quarterfinal round, but they were disqualified after being found guilty of "not using best efforts" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" by playing to lose matches in order to manipulate the draw for the knockout stage.
Basketball