Olympic moments of 2012

On July 27, 2012, more than 200 nations gathered in Olympic Stadium in London for the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. For 17 days we watched as the world's top athletes competed in more than 30 sports -- running, swimming, rowing, tumbling, and fighting their way to gold. And if this year's Games showed us anything, it's that Yahoo! users couldn't get enough of the incredible stories that came out of the 2012 London Olympics.

Some of the most dramatic Olympic moments came from track & field events. We cheered on Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who proved he is the fastest man in the world, winning back-to-back gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter dash and setting three world records while in London. We celebrated Allyson Felix's long-coveted win in the 200-meter dash, after two disappointing losses in 2004 and 2008. We were awed by Britain's "Golden Girl" Jessica Ennis, who took home gold in the heptathlon, to the elation of the London crowds. And we were inspired by Oscar Pistorius, aka "Blade Runner," the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic finals.
Women's gymnastics also held some of the most exciting Olympic moments for Yahoo! users this summer. For the first time in 16 years, the U.S. women's team, dubbed the "Fierce Five," took home the gold -- beating Russia decisively 183.596 to 178.530 in the team competition. And in a dramatic win, 16-year-old Gabrielle Douglas of the U.S. edged out Russia's Victoria Komova by only .259 points to win the women's all-around competition.
Besides incredible moments, the 2012 Olympics gave us something else: the most decorated athlete in the history of the Games. We held our breath as swimming great Michael Phelps missed the podium with his first race, the 400 individual medley. But Phelps proved he would live up to the moniker of "Greatest Olympian of All Time," winning four gold medals and two silvers in his subsequent races. His final tally? Twenty-two Olympic medals overall, the most in the history of the Games.