10 animated gifs from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games
If the Olympics reinforced anything, it’s our addiction to the animated gif — everyone from journalists to pop culture enthusiasts created them to add a little drama and pizazz in reporting the Games this year. Elspeth Reeve from The Atlantic provided a gif guide to “how the U.S. Team crushed the Russians,” meanwhile Buzzfeed highlighted the “most absurd moments of the Olympic Opening Ceremony” and Mashable presented “the most painful moments of the Olympics” via gifs.
Here’s a gif rundown from the Neiman Journalism Lab, a Storify of Olympics gifs, and a gif need to know guide for journalists from Ann Friedman.
We claim to be no pros, but here we add our own to the Olympics animated gif mix from the hurdles to weightlifting and even a First Lady Michelle Obama reaction, using photos and the power of layers and animation in Photoshop.
- This animated image shows boxers being hit in the face during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Athletes shown are Zambia’s Gilbert Choombe, Mongolia’s Tuvshinbat Byamba, Japan’s Satoshi Shimizu, Cuba’s Erislandy Savon Cotilla, Afghanistan’s Ajmal Faisal and Ireland’s John Joe Nevin. Pictures taken on various dates since the start of the Games. (Staff/Reuters)
- A combination photo shows the pole of Cuba’s Lazaro Borges as it breaks while he competes in the men’s pole vault qualification at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 8, 2012. Borges’ pole snapped in two places as he rose towards the bar, but he escaped unharmed. (Joseph Lukach/Reuters)
- This animated image shows close-ups of divers’ faces during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Athletes shown are China’s He Chong, Ukraine’s Illya Kvasha, Mexico’s Yahel Castillo Huerta, China’s Qin Kai and Germany’s Patrick Hausding. Pictures taken on various dates since the start of the Games. (Staff/Reuters)
- A combination of pictures shows Chinese athlete Liu Xiang as he falls while competing in the men’s 110m hurdles heats at the athletics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 7, 2012. (AFP/Getty Images)
- A combination of five pictures shows South Korea’s Kim Hyun-sung (down, L) fighting for the ball with Brazil’s defender Rafael during the London 2012 Olympic Games men’s semi final football match between Brazil and South Korea at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on August 7, 2012. (Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
- This animated image shows different athletes sticking their tongues out during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Athletes shown are tennis player John Isner from the U.S., weightlifter Natasha Perdue of Great Britain, weightlifter Meline Daluzyan of Armenia, hurdler David Greene of Great Britain, weightlifter Junior Sanchez Rivero of Venezuela and swimmer Michael Phelps from the U.S. Pictures taken on various dates since the start of the Games. (Staff/Reuters)
- A combination photo shows Australia’s Liz Cambage dunking the ball during their women’s basketball preliminary round, Group B match at the Basketball Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. (Mike Segar/Reuters)
- A combination of six pictures shows New Zealand’s Jason Saunders and Paul Snow-Hansen struggling with the waves as they compete during the second race of the men’s 470 sailing class at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth and Portland, southern England, August 2, 2012. (Pascal Lauener/Reuters)
- liftersThis animated image combines pictures taken in July and August 2012 showing weightlifters as they compete during the London Olympic Games. (AFP/Getty Images)
- The animated image shows U.S. first lady Michelle Obama reacting while watching a men’s preliminary round basketball match between the U.S. and France at the London 2012 Olympic Games July 29, 2012. (Luke MacGregor/Reuters)