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Under the terms of a long-standing settlement between the British Olympic Association and the Olympic Council of Ireland, athletes from Northern Ireland can elect to represent the Republic of Ireland team (which competes as Ireland) instead of the Great Britain team. Athletes in sports organised on an all-Ireland basis tend to represent the Republic, e.g. boxing, whereas those in sports organised on a Northern Ireland or UK basis, e.g. athletics, tend to represent Great Britain.
Hosted Games
London, the United Kingdom's capital, has hosted the Games on two occasions, and is scheduled to host the 2012 Summer Olympics:
Great Britain and Ireland was one of only two nations to compete in the only Olympic cricket match, in 1900. The team won, making them the only nation to win an Olympic cricket contest and the only Olympic gold medallists in cricket.
Great Britain and Ireland - now represented separately by Team Ireland and Team Great Britain - was one of three nations to play in the inaugural football tournament, winning their only match to take the first Olympic gold medal in football. They competed in the nine Olympics in the table below.
In 1974 the FA abolished the distinction between "amateur" and "professional" footballers in England. This ended the practice of "shamateurism", where players claimed to be amateur but still got irregular payments from their clubs. At that time the Olympics were only open to amateur competitors, so the British Associations were no longer able to enter a football team. Also, the Great Britain is not a member of FIFA and its athletes participate in international football competitions as members of the national teams of the home nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), none of which have National Olympic Committees. As a result Great Britiain usually does not participate in Olympic qualifying tournaments.
Golf
Great Britain was one of four nations to play golf at the first Olympic golf events in 1900. They did not compete in the only other Olympic golf competition held in 1904.
Great Britain's first gymnastics medal came in 1908 with a silver in the men's individual all-around. Until 2008, Great Britain's last medal for gymnastics was a Bronze in the Women's all-round team event in 1928.
Great Britain's Olympic modern pentathlon debut was in 1912 when the it was first included in the Olympics. When the women's event was added in 2000 Great Britain won the gold and bronze medals.
Great Britain was one of four nations to compete in the debut of Olympic polo. Three of the five teams had British players, and those three teams took both the top two places and split the third place with the Mexican team.
Great Britain was the most successful nation in swimming in 1900, its debut in the sport. Jarvis's pair of gold medals and Kemp's bronze made Britain's first outing a successful one.
John Pius Boland dominated the 1896 tennis tournaments. Tennis in 1896 was a sport which allowed mixed teams, and both Boland and George S. Robertson joined partners from other nations to win their medals. Britain again dominated in 1900, taking all four gold medals and adding 7 other medals (3 as part of mixed teams).
Great Britain competed in the first two triathlon competitions held in 2000 and 2004. Their best finish is a 6th place in the women's triathlon in 2004.
Great Britain's Olympic tug of war debut came when the nation hosted the Games in 1908. Great Britain were then one of only 2 teams to compete in 1912 and they also won the last Tug of War competition held in the Olympics in 1920.
