Every two yea
rs, the most talented athletes from around the world prepare to follow their dreams and take their place in history at the Olympic Games. The only documentary about the London 2012 Olympic Games supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIRST: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games follows 12 first-time Olympic athletes on their journey from their homes in different corners of the globe to meet their fate in London.
Presented by NCM Fathom Events, New Moon and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), this exclusive one-night event in select cinemas nationwide on Thursday, May 30 at 7:30 PM (local time) features the uplifting stories of 12 young warriors.
The event includes exclusive personal interviews with America’s swimming sweetheart Missy Franklin, gymnastics hero John Orozco, boxing legend Queen Underwood and Australian BMX daredevil Caroline Buchanan as they discuss how the London 2012 Olympic Games changed their lives forever.
Missy Franklin (USA) — Women’s Swimming
Nicknamed “Missy the Missile”, Missy was just 17 years old when she competed and dominated at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Missy prepared for her first Games and the obstacles ahead with plenty of role models and friends to guide her, including fellow Team USA members Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. The 6’1” high school senior competed in seven events during the Games – more than any other U.S. female swimmer in history. With four gold and one bronze Olympic medal, outstanding individual performances, a world record with her U.S. relay team, her big smile and sunny disposition, Missy Franklin won more than just medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games; she won the hearts of all Americans.
John Orozco (USA) — Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
John Orozco is a great all-around gymnast and is described as being ‘like a cat’ in the air. He’s a showman who has a passion for music, but John is also a fighter who grew up in the Bronx, New York. His Russian coach Vitaly Marinitch describes him as having more fight in him than anyone else he has ever trained.
Queen Underwood (USA) — Women’s Boxing Lightweight
Seattle’s Queen Underwood is one of the USA’s best female boxers. The rivalry between Queen and world champion Katie Taylor is well documented, but so is their respect and admiration for one another. When Queen did not initially qualify for the Games, Katie was very vocal in her support of Queen being given a ‘wildcard’ to enable them the chance to meet in competition at London 2012.
Caroline Buchanan (Australia) — Women’s BMX
Nine years ago, Caroline and her family lost everything in a bushfire, but two bikes– a BMX and a Mountain Bike – were saved. Caroline went on to win national championships in Australia and the 2012 UCI BMX World Championships in the lead up to the Games. California-based Caroline is a fearless competitor and arrived at London 2012 as one of the hot favorites for BMX, one of the newest and increasingly popular Olympic sports.
Chad le Clos (South Africa) — Men’s Swimming
With success at the FINA World Championships in the lead up to London 2012, Chad was perhaps the closest competitor to taking at least one medal from Michael Phelps during the Games. As a boy growing up, Chad had idolized Phelps, but he made it clear during his Olympic preparations that he no longer saw Michael as a hero, but now as a rival instead.
David Rudisha (Kenya) — Men’s Athletics 800m
Within one week during the summer of 2010 this Kenyan runner with Olympic competition in his blood, broke the 800m record – not once, but twice. Following in the footsteps of his father, who won silver as part of the 4 x 400m relay team in 1968, David was awarded warrior status in the Masai tribe to which he belongs as recognition of this achievement. David missed the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games because of injury but was healthy and ready to put on one of the standout performances of the Games at London 2012.
Katie Taylor (Ireland) — Women’s Boxing Lightweight
Katie Taylor is the world’s best women’s boxer. A shy, religious girl from the Irish seaside town of Bray, with a gentle demeanor, she defies all expectations when she gets into the ring. Katie is an outstanding ambassador for the sport and lobbied hard to have women’s boxing included in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Laura Trott (Great Britain) — Women’s Track Cycling
Double world champion, Laura is one of the most valuable riders on the British program specializing in the team pursuit and six-discipline Omnium. Including pre-Olympics races and the Olympics final itself, in the six times Laura and her pursuit teammates had ridden together, they broke the world record in every race. She became a double Olympic champion at her first Games in London.
Christophe Lemaitre (France) — Men’s Athletics 200m
Christophe is the French 100 m and 200 m record holder with a time of 9.92 seconds and 19.80 seconds, respectively. At the age of 20, he won the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay titles at the 2010 European Championships; making him the first French sprinter ever to triple place and the fastest man in Europe. Christophe is a talented, young sprinter amongst the 80 Olympic sprinters who know how it feels to be in Usain Bolt’s shadow.
Majlinda Kelmendi (Albania) — Women’s Judo
Majlinda walked into the Olympic stadium as part of the Albanian Olympic team, but this talented young judo player is from Kosovo. In spite of not having the opportunity to represent the country of her birth, Majlinda truly lives the spirit of being an Olympian and believes that competing at the Olympics will positively influence the choices and attitudes of the young people in her region.
Heena Sidhu (India) — Women’s Shooting 10m Air Pistol
Heena has natural talent and her uncle’s business of restoring and repairing guns gave her ample opportunity to become an elite shot. In spite of only having any formal coaching for the last 3 years, Heena committed fully to her goal of competing at London 2012 and built a shooting range at home so that she could practice her sport in between her dental medical studies.
Qiu Bo (China) — Men’s Diving 10m Platform
Top of the list of China’s many diving medal hopefuls at London 2012, Qiu said it’s the pressure of being No. 1 that motivates him to stay there – yet he said he never thinks about the gold medal. In competition in the lead up to the Games, Qiu received 25 perfect 10’s and a historic score. The London 2012 Olympic Games were to deliver a slightly different outcome, but his failure to win gold offers a poignant insight into the pressure of expectation.
Visit FathomEvents.com to find your closest participating cinema location
