The first week of Olympic play in London has come to a close with swimming and gymnastics making way to track & field. The United States had a huge week winning several Gold medals. Michael Phelps was dominant in his final Olympic games while Missy Franklin and Gabby Douglas took the torch as the new crop of Olympic heros to became household names. We compiled some of the most interesting, inspiring and beautiful high quality photos from the first week of the London games that properly display the roller coaster of emotions an Olympic athlete can face.
A fireworks display at Olympic Stadium closes out the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games at Olympic Park. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth declares the Olympic Games open during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium. (Toby Melville/Reuters)
Fireworks explode from Tower Bridge during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 in London, England. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The moon rises between the Olympic Rings below the Tower Bridge in London.
Runners pass the Olympic flame on the first day of competition in the Olympic Stadium, Aug. 3, 2012. (Daniel Ochoa De Olza/Associated Press)
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women’s individual all-around competition at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2.
Gabrielle Douglas is hugged by team coordinator Martha Karolyi after winning a gold medal in the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final during the London 2012 Olympic Games, Aug. 2, 2012.
France’s Jerome Bortoluzzi competes during Group B of the men’s hammer throw qualifications, Aug. 3, 2012. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Austria’s Ivona Dadic reacts after clearing the bar in the women’s heptathlon high jump Group A event in the Olympic Stadium, Aug. 3, 2012. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
Serena Williams celebrates victory over Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka during their women’s singles semifinal round match at the 2012 London Olympic Games at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on August 3, 2012. (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/GettyImages)
Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt competes with Byungchul Choi of Korea in the Men’s Foil Individual Semifinal on Day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games, July 31, 2012. (Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)
A detailed view of Hyleas Fountain of the United States’s tattoo and painted nails during the Women’s Heptathlon High Jump on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 3, 2012 in London, England. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
United States’ Missy Franklin competes in a women’s 200-meter backstroke swimming heat at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2012. (Daniel Ochoa De Olza/Associated Press)
U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin, left, is congratulated by compatriot Elizabeth Beisel after winning gold and breaking the world record in the women’s 200m backstroke Friday, Aug. 3, 2012
The enthusiasm of Missy Franklin and the U.S. women’s swim team have contrasted with the more serious tone taken by male stars Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, says Doug Lesmerises. (Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press)
United States forward Anthony Davis stretches during a men’s team basketball practice at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Kyla Ross of the U.S. performs on the balance beam during the women’s gymnastics team final, July 31, 2012. (Dylan Martinez/Reuters)
Lord Coe, Chairman of Locog, the ticketing issuing company chatting to some free loaders.
Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates his 4-6, 7-6, 19-17 win over Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in the Semifinal of Men’s Singles Tennis on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Wimbledon on Aug. 3, in London, England.
It’s hard to imagine why NBC spends so much time covering peripheral sports like women’s beach volleyball.
Athletes compete in the men’s 3000m steeplechase round 1 heat at the Olympic Stadium, Aug. 3, 2012. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius walks on the track prior to his 400 meter heat. (REUTERS/David Gray)
Sebastian Stoss of Austria and Derya Buyukuncu of Turkey compete in heat 1 of the Men’s 200m backstroke on Day 5 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre, August 1, 2012. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Michael Phelps, top, and Ryan Lochte of the United States compete in the men’s 200-meter individual medley swimming final on Aug. 2.
Debbie Phelps, center, the mother of Michael Phelps and his sisters Hilary Phelps, left, and Whitney Phelps, cheer him on during the men’s 200-meter individual medley swimming final on Aug. 2.
Kazuhito Tanaka of Japan competes on the rings in the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Individual All-Around final on Day 5 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena, Aug. 1, 2012. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
U.S. gymnasts, left to right, Gabrielle Douglas, Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney and Jordyn Wieber celebrate as they look at the score of a teammate’s performance during the Artistic Gymnastics women’s team final on July 31.
Khalil Mahmoud K Abir Abdelrahman of Egypt fails to complete a lift during the women’s 75kg weightlifting final.
United States’ Lebron James looks up the court during the first half of a preliminary men’s basketball game against France at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 29, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Miles Chamley-Watson of the U.S. reacts as he competes against Egypt’s Alaaeldin Abouelkassem during their men’s individual foil round of 32 fencing competition, July 31, 2012. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
U.S. rowers of the women’s eight team celebrate after winning the women’s rowing eight gold medal in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, England, Aug. 2, 2012. (Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press)
The tattooed and taped legs of Canada’s James Steacy during the Group A men’s hammer throw qualification, Aug. 3, 2012. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Sophie Van Gestel of Norway digs out a ball during a beach volleyball match against Brazil, Aug. 3, 2012. (Dave Martin/Associated Press)
Angola’s Luisa Kiala jumps to shoot during the women’s preliminaries Group B handball match, August 1, 2012, at the Copper Box hall. (Javier Soriano/AFP/GettyImages)
Britain’s gold medalist Bradley Wiggins competes in the London 2012 Olympic Games men’s individual time trial road cycling event, Aug. 1, 2012. (Christophe Ena/AFP/GettyImages)
Russia’s Aliya Mustafina weeps as she watches the results at the women’s gymnastics team final, July 31, 2012. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Katie Ledecky, 15, makes big splash with Olympic gold medal in 800 meters.
A gymnast performs during a presentation before the start of an Artistic Gymnastics men’s qualification round at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Michael Phelps of the U.S. points to the crowd following the podium presentation where he was presented with the gold medal in the men’s 100m butterfly final.
US fencer Nzingha Prescod prepares to fight against South Korea’s Jung Gil Ok during the women’s foil team session as part of the fencing event, Aug. 2, 2012 at the ExCel centre in London.(Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/GettyImages)
US’ Sanya Richards-Ross competes in the women’s 400m heats, Aug. 3, 2012. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP/GettyImages)
U.S. swimmer Tyler Clary is seen behind flags with the London Olympic Games logo before the men’s 200m backstroke heats swimming event, Aug. 1, 2012. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP/GettyImages)
Russia’s Aliya Mustafina warms up before competing in the balance beam during the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena, Aug. 2, 2012. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Muhamad Hasabi of Indonesia competes during the mens 62-kg weightlifting competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Kinesio tape is seen on Germany’s Katrin Holtwick during their women’s beach volleyball preliminary match against Czech Republic’s Hana Klapalova and Lenka Hajeckova at the Horse Guards Parade, July 28, 2012. Athletic tape made in every colour under the sun seems to be the latest must-have sports injury treatment at London 2012, where athletes may have been influenced by other big name tape fans such as Serena Williams and David Beckham. (Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters)
Great Britain’s Alan Campbell cries as he poses on the podium with his bronze medal won for the men’s single sculls final A of the rowing event, at Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Eton, west of London, Aug. 3, 2012. (Damien Meyer/AFP/GettyImages)
Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend of Great Britain react after finishing outside of the medal positions in the Men’s Double Sculls final on Day 6 at Eton Dorney, Aug. 2, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Denmark’s Lotte Friis starts in a women’s 800-meter freestyle swimming heat at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, Aug. 2, 2012. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)
Yin Alvarez, stepfather and coach of Danell Leyva of the U.S., embraces him after he competed in the horizontal bar during the men’s individual all-around gymnastics final, Aug. 1, 2012. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Spectators enjoy the atmosphere during the Men’s Beach Volleyball preliminary match between Great Britain and Norway at Horse Guards Parade, Aug.1, 2012. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
United States’ Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Michael Phelps win Gold in the men’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, on July 31.
Great Britain’s Anna Watkins displays the gold medal she won in the women’s rowing double sculls in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, England, Aug. 3, 2012. (Chris Carlson/Associated Press)
China’s Wang Hao serves against Japan’s Seiya Kishikawa during a men’s quarterfinals table tennis match, Aug. 1, 2012. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Jiyeon Kim of Korea celebrates after beating Vassiliki Vougiouka of Greece in the Women’s Sabre Individual quarterfinal match, Aug. 1, 2012. (Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)
Ryan Lochte poses on the podium with the gold medal after winning the men’s 400-meter individual medley. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/GettyImages)
To close out the first week of competition Michael Phelps swan the men’s 4x100m medley relay It was the last race of his Olympic career. We don;t want to spoil the results to tune into NBC tonight to see what happens.
at 3:45 pm
Bunch of photos of USA athletes, what a surprise. Chest-thumping jerks.
at 10:48 am
Hiya – the photo of Wiggins – the bike says Froome on the frame, just thought I’d let you know