Lithuania at the 2012 Summer Olympics | |
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IOC code | LTU |
NOC | Lithuanian National Olympic Committee |
Website | www |
in London | |
Competitors | 62 in 14 sports |
Flag bearers | Virgilijus Alekna[1] (opening) Jevgenijus Šuklinas (closing) |
Medals Ranked 35th |
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Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Other related appearances | |
Russian Empire (1908–1912) Soviet Union (1952–1988) |
Lithuania competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's eighth appearance at the Summer Olympics. The National Olympic Committee of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos tautinis olimpinis komitetas, LTOK) sent a total of 62 athletes to the Games, 39 men and 23 women, to compete in 14 sports. Men's basketball was the only team-based sport in which Lithuania had its representation in these Olympic games.
The Lithuanian team featured past Olympic medalists, including Laser Radial sailor and world champion Gintarė Scheidt, who previously won the silver in Beijing. Trap shooter Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, and discus thrower and two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna, who became Lithuania's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, made their fifth Olympic appearance as the oldest and most experienced team members. Basketball player Šarūnas Jasikevičius and heptathlete Austra Skujytė, on the other hand, were among the Lithuanian athletes to compete in four Olympic games. Other notable athletes featured swimmer and world bronze medalist Giedrius Titenis, and NBA basketball stars Linas Kleiza and Jonas Valančiūnas (both played for the Toronto Raptors).
Lithuania left London with a total of six Olympic medals (two gold, one silver, and three bronze). Four of these medals were awarded for the first time in boxing, canoeing and swimming, including all gold medals won by women. Among the nation's medalists were 15-year-old breaststroke swimmer Rūta Meilutytė, the youngest athlete of the team, who surprisingly won Lithuania's first ever gold medal in her sport,[2] and Laura Asadauskaitė, who became the final Olympic champion in London, after winning the women's modern pentathlon. The men's national basketball team failed to advance into the semi-finals for the first time, after losing out to Russia.