Anticipation builds for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on Friday, July 27, at the Olympic Stadium in London. The 2012 Games will run through August 12. 
The sun sets behind the Tower Bridge in London hours before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games on Friday. 
South Korean archer Im Dong Hyun celebrates breaking the first world record of the London Olympics on Friday. The two-time gold medalist, who is classified as legally blind and can't see out of his right eye, bettered his own 72-arrow mark in the qualification competition. 
Kaori Kawanaka of Japan, Pia Lionetti of Italy and Tetyana Dorokhova of Ukraine retrieve their arrows Friday during the archery ranking round on opening day of the Olympics in London. 
Brady Ellison of the United States prepares for the archery ranking round on Olympics opening day in London. 
A Belgian cyclist rides during a track cycling practice session ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games on Friday in London. 
Competitors inspect targets Friday during the Archery Ranking Round at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. 
Slovenia's Klemen Strajhar gets ready to arch during the Archery Ranking Round at the Lord's Cricket Ground as part of the Olympics' opening day Friday. 
The royal barge Gloriana carries the Olympic flame along the River Thames from Hampton Court to Tower Bridge on Friday, the final day of the Olympic torch relay. The grand finale will see the torch enter the Olympic Stadium, the last stage in a 70-day relay around the United Kingdom, and set the Olympic cauldron aflame Friday, symbolizing the beginning of the Games. 
Sadio Mane of Senegal leaps over goalkeeper Jack Butland of Great Britain during the first-round men's soccer match between Great Britain and Senegal at Old Trafford on Thursday, July 26, in Manchester, England. 
Marvin Sordell of Great Britain battles with Moussa Konate of Senegal during the first-round match between Great Britain and Senegal. 
Japanese fans show support for their team during the men's first-round match between Spain and Japan at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday. 
Great Britain's Craig Bellamy celebrates a goal during the first round Group A Match between Great Britain and Senegal on Thursday, July 26, in Manchester, England. 
Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani, right, slips a pass under United Arab Emirates defender Abdelaziz Sanqour, left, in Manchester on Thursday. Uruguay defeated the UAE, 2-1. 
Great Britain fans attend the Group A Match between Great Britain and Senegal on Thursday in Manchester. 
Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the men's soccer match against Switzerland on Thursday in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. 
An open double-deck bus carries the Olympic torch down Oxford Street on Thursday in London. 
Morocco's Houssine Kharja, right, controls the ball against Honduras' Roger Espinoza during a first-round Group D match Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland. 
Ismail Matar, center, of the United Arab Emirates celebrates with his teammates after scoring in a first-round Group A match against Uruguay on Thursday in Manchester, England. 
Spain's Juan Mata, left, challenges Hotaru Yamaguchi of Japan during a group D soccer match Thursday in Glasgow. 
The ExCeL exhibition center, one of the Olympic venues, is gearing up Thursday on the eve of the Games' opening ceremony. 
A Mexican fan watches the men's soccer match Thursday between Mexico and South Korea in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
Spain's Inigo Martinez, left, fouls Kensuke Nagai of Japan during the match Thursday. 
Spain's Martinez gets a red card and is ejected during Thursday's match against Japan. 
Spectators take pictures Thursday at the Olympic Village in London. 
Abdelaziz Barrada of Morocco celebrates after scoring during a Group D soccer match against Honduras on Thursday in Glasgow. 
Security personnel patrol in front of Olympic Park in London on Thursday, a day ahead of the opening ceremony. Security concerns surfaced when a private contractor failed to provide enough staff. As a result, the government is deploying 18,200 troops to remedy the shortfall. 
The Honduras men's soccer team celebrates after scoring a goal against Morocco during a first-round match Thursday. 
Honduras' Jose Velasquez, left, gets challenged by Zakaria Labyad of Morocco during Thursday's match. 
Police patrol Westfield Stratford City shopping mall near London Olympic Park on Thursday. 
Spectators gather as the Olympic torch is carried from Islington Town Hall on Thursday. London cheered on the torch as it made its way past the city's historic landmarks. 
Amanda Clark of the U.S. sailing team chats with reporters Thursday during a press conference in Weymouth, England. 
Kim Song Hui of North Korea executes a bicycle kick while challenged by Natalia Ariza of Colombia during the first-round women's football competition at Hampden Park on Wednesday, July 25, in Glasgow, Scotland. 
Tower Bridge, adorned with the Olympic rings, is seen late Wednesday, two days before the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. 
Hazleydi Rincon of Colombia and Kim Song Hui of North Korea chase the ball in a first-round women's football match. 
Brazil's Marta is in action with Cameroon's goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom during the first-round women's football competition at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday. 
North Korea's Kim Song Hui, in white, vies with Colombia's Natalia Ariza on July 25. 
North Korea's Jon Myong Hwa, in white, vies with Colombia's Sandra Sepulveda, in green, and Orianica Velasquez , in yellow, during first-round women's soccer play at Hampden Park on July 25. 
South African footballers hold a pennant as they line up before their first-round women's soccer match against Sweden on July 25 at The City of Coventry Stadium in Coventry, England. 
North Korean soccer coach Gun Sin Ui, at center in red shirt, waits for his team's match to begin at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday, July 25. The first-round match against Colombia was delayed. 
North Korean official Son Kwang-ho waits for the match against Colombia to begin. 
Brazil's Marta, No. 10, is tackled by Christine Manie of Cameroon during the first-round women's soccer match on July 25. 
U.S. player Megan Rapinoe jumps on teammate Alex Morgan, No. 13, after Morgan scored during their Group G Olympic women's soccer match against France at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday, July 25. 
American Carli Lloyd celebrates with teammate Amy Le Peilbet after scoring her team's third goal. 
Katie Hoyle, left, of New Zealand and teammate Betsy Hassett challenge Karen Carney of Great Britain during their match in the first round of women's soccer in the London 2012 Olympic Games at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday, July 25, in Cardiff, Wales. 
Sarah Gregorius of New Zealand reacts after Karen Bardsley of Great Britain saves the ball, barring her from scoring a goal. 
Britain's Stephanie Houghton celebrates a goal, adding the first point to the scoreboard, with teammate Ifeoma Diek. 
An Olympic lane at the Embankment in London. 
France's Louisa Necib, left, is challenged by American Carli Lloyd. 
Amber Hearn of New Zealand shoots for a goal. 
Casey Stoney of Great Britain goes up against Katie Hoyle of New Zealand. 
Britain's Anita Asante kicks off the match with Kelly Smith between Great Britain and New Zealand. 
A fan shows his support during the soccer match between Great Britain and New Zealand on Wednesday. 
Fans have their choice of Great Britain merchandise before the soccer games begin. 
The London Olympics logo in the equestrian arena in Greenwich, London, is seen behind a worker on a lift. 
A South Korean news crew reports from in front of the Tower Bridge where Olympics Rings hang. 
Badminton player Nathan Robertson poses during the handover of the Olympic Torch at Wembley Stadium two days before the Opening Ceremony. 
- The Summer Olympics have been held in London twice before, in 1908 and 1948
- Much has changed over the years, including the composition of the gold medals
- American swimmer Michael Phelps is two medals away from the all-time Olympic record
(CNN) -- The Olympic Games have grown dramatically since 1908 when they were first held in London.
Then just a little more than 2,000 athletes -- nearly all of them men -- competed for 110 gold medals.
But this summer, more than five times that many athletes, 10,500, are expected to compete for 302 gold medals.
All gold medals, however, are not alike.
The ones that will be awarded over the next two weeks contain just 6 grams of gold. They're mostly silver.
London builds to Games thriller 
Olympic trends through the years 
A look back: London Games in 1948 
British soldiers find tennis boring, await return to Falkland Islands. 
Dejected Russian athletes fall short in the Olympic bellhop race. 
Australia's secret weapon brings extra punch to the cycling competition. 
Brazilian volleyball team member attempts to honor Loverboy on 31st anniversary of "Get Lucky" album. 
Olympic swimming pools are kept near freezing temperatures to wake up divers. 
The D-Day invasion concluded, Olympic vessels return home. 
In a traditional pre-race practice, an Italian swimmer is checked for signs of static electricity. 
London's oldest amusement park ride, the Iron Lion, makes its way through the city at an average speed of 2 mph. 
Olympians will compete over anything. Here, two divers have an exhaling contest. 
Moussa Konate of Senegal practices for the Olympic limbo competition. 
The demonstration of the new quick-dry towel method drew praise from experts. 
First Lady Michelle Obama reacts to Motorhead's "Killed by Death." 
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