Belarus at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Belarus at the
2012 Summer Olympics
IOC codeBLR
NOCBelarus Olympic Committee
Websitewww.noc.by (in Russian and English)
in London
Competitors166 in 20 sports
Flag bearers Max Mirnyi[1] (opening)
Raman Piatrushenka (closing)
Medals
Ranked 28th
Gold
2
Silver
5
Bronze
3
Total
10
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
 Russian Empire (1900–1912)
 Poland (1924–1936)
 Soviet Union (1952–1988)
 Unified Team (1992)
 Individual Neutral Athletes (2024)

Belarus competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The Belarus Olympic Committee sent a total of 166 athletes to the Games, 90 men and 76 women, to compete in 20 sports.

Belarus left London with a total of 10 medals (2 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze), their lowest in Summer Olympic history. Most of these medals were awarded to athletes in sprint canoeing. Sergei Martynov, who won gold for the first time, became the most successful Belarusian shooter in history, with a total of three Olympic medals. Three Belarusian athletes set the nation's historical record to win Olympic medals for the first time in their sporting events, including swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia, who took two silver in women's freestyle events. Tennis players and Grand Slam titleholders Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka, who also won the bronze in women's singles, became Belarus's first ever Olympic champions in the mixed doubles event, after beating Great Britain's Andy Murray and Laura Robson.[2] For the first time in its history, Belarus, however, did not win an Olympic medal in athletics and wrestling.

Originally, Belarus had won three gold medals in the nation's total medal count. On 13 August 2012, the International Olympic Committee stripped shot putter Nadzeya Astapchuk of her gold medal after testing positive for the anabolic steroid metenolone, and the gold medal was subsequently awarded to silver medalist Valerie Adams from New Zealand.[3]

  1. ^ Staff (28 June 2012). "Karsten Nominated as Belarus' Olympic Team Captain, Mirnyi as Flag-Bearer" Archived November 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Belarusian Telegraph Agency. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Mirnyi, Azarenka win mixed gold for Belarus". The Star Online Malaysia. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  3. ^ "IOC withdraws gold medal from shot put athlete Nadzeya Ostapchuk". IOC. Retrieved 13 August 2012.