China at the 2012 Summer Olympics

China at the 2012 Summer Olympics
IOC code	CHN
NOC	Chinese Olympic Committee
Website	Olympic.cn (in Chinese and English)
in London
Competitors	396 in 23 sports
Flag bearers	Yi Jianlian (opening) Xu Lijia (closing)
Medals Ranked 2nd	Gold 39 Silver 31 Bronze 22 Total 92
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1952 1956–1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
Republic of China (1924–1948)

The People's Republic of China, the previous host of the 2008 Olympics at Beijing, competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the United Kingdom, between 27 July and 12 August 2012. This was the nation's ninth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1952. A total of 396 Chinese athletes, 171 men and 225 women, were selected by the Chinese Olympic Committee to compete in 23 sports.^[1] For the fourth time in its Olympic history, China was represented by more female than male athletes.

China left London with a total of 88 medals – 38 gold, 27 silver, and 23 bronze – finishing second only to the United States in the global medal standings.^[2][3] The Chinese delegation proved particularly successful in several sports, winning twelve medals in gymnastics, ten in diving and swimming, eight in badminton, seven in weightlifting and shooting, and six in table tennis. Chinese athletes dominated in badminton and table tennis, where they each won gold medals in all sporting events.^[4][5] Eleven Chinese athletes managed to defend their titles from the 2008 Olympics, which China hosted; 18 of them won more than one Olympic medal in London. China also won its first ever Olympic medal in modern pentathlon.

Among the nation's medalists were Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, who emerged as China's first swimmers to win two gold medals in their events; Sun and Ye broke a world record and an Olympic record, respectively.^[6] Sun also dominated the nation's Olympic medal standings, winning four medals. Gymnast Zou Kai, who won two golds and one bronze in London, became the most successful Chinese athlete in history with a total of six Olympic medals. Springboard diver Wu Minxia became the first Chinese athlete to win a gold medal in a single event at three consecutive Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Chen Ruolin became the second diver in Chinese history to defend two Olympic titles at a single games, after Guo Jingjing did so in two springboard events in 2008.^[7]

In the years after the Olympics, Russian track and field athlete Darya Pishchalnikova was disqualified for doping, bronze medalist Li Yanfeng was upgraded to silver. Fellow Russian Sergey Kirdyapkin was also disqualified for doping in the 50 kilometres walk, bronze medalist Si Tianfeng was promoted to silver; as well as another Russians Elena Lashmanova and Olga Kaniskina, Qieyang Shenjie and Liu Hong were promoted to gold and silver at the 20 kilometres walk, respectively, sixth placer Lü Xiuzhi was also promoted to bronze. Another Russian, silver medalist in the shot put, Yevgeniya Kolodko, was also found guilty for doping, Gong Lijao was promoted to silver and Li Ling to bronze, and Zhang Wenxiu was also promoted to bronze after the original winner in the hammer throw, Tatyana Lysenko was also disqualified.