User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Vatican City at the 2012 Summer Olympics

 At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London   Competitors 29 in 5 sports

Flag bearer Federico de Luigi

 Medals Gold 0 Silver 1 Bronze 0 Total 1

The Vatican City made its Olympic début at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The National Olympic Committee of the Vatican City (Comitato olimpico nazionale di Città del Vaticano) was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2010, paving the way for the country's participation in the London Games. The Vatican thus became the smallest country ever to participate in the Olympics.

Jacques Rogge welcomed the participation of Vaticanese athletes: "I know this is an exciting moment for all Vaticanese people. The cream of their athletes may now compete against the best in the world. On behalf of the I.O.C., I extend a warm welcome to the canoeing cardinals, and other eminent sportsmen from the Holy See".

Vaticanese athletes competed in athletics, boxing, canoeing, football, and synchronised swimming. They obtained one medal, a silver, in synchronised swimming.

[[Image:Athletics pictogram.svg|30px]] Athletics
Men

[[Image:Canoeing (slalom) pictogram.svg|30px]] Canoeing
Men

[[Image:Football pictogram.svg|30px]] Football
The Vatican City created some measure of surprise by defeating Portugal 2-0 in its opening match. Portuguese coach Jorge Ramos subsequently suggested that his players had been torn between their desire to win, and the fear that scoring goals against "God's football team" might constitute blasphemy.

The Vatican then went on to lose to São Tomé and Príncipe and San Marino without scoring any further goals.

Men Group Stage

[[Image:Synchronized swimming pictogram.svg|30px]] Synchronised swimming
The Vatican entered only one male duet in synchronised swimming. Vaticanese competitors Paolo Moretti and Ahmed al-Abdulla were crowd favourites, and impressed judges with their routine, obtaining the silver medal, behind the gold-winning duet from Saudi Arabia. The event attracted some media interest due to al-Abdulla, a Saudi by birth, having obtained Vaticanese citizenship only a short while before the Games.

Men's duet