This Sporting Weekend – Our favourite pictures from London 2012

A general view during the men's beach volleyball preliminary round on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Horse Guards Parade. Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

Cyclists compete in a BMX cycling men's quarter-final run. Matt Rourke / AP Photo

Jamaica's Usain Bolt competes in a men's 200-metre heat. Matt Dunham / AP? Photo

The sky turns black before a heavy rain shower as Germany's Hannes Aigner competes in the heats of the K-1 men's canoe slalom at Lee Valley Whitewater Center. Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo

A diver plunges in the pool during a session at the Aquatics Centre. Daniel Ochoa De Olza / AP Photo

United States' Allyson Felix, second from right, crosses the finish line to win gold ahead of Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, right, in the women's 200-metre final. Matt Dunham / AP? Photo

An athlete runs past the Olympic flame in the women's 400m semi-finals at the athletics. Jewel Samad / AFP

A gymnast performs during a presentation before the start of an Artistic Gymnastics men's qualification round. Julie Jacobson / AP Photo

Italy's Valentina Vezzali celebrates defeating South Korea's Nam Hyun Hee during their women's Individual Foil bronze medal fencing competition. Damir Sagolj / Reuters

South Korea's Hwang Woojin loses control of his horse Shearwater Oscar during the Show Jumping event of the Modern Pentathlon. John MacDougall / AFP Photo

The Olympic rings are lit with pyrotechnics during the Opening Ceremony. David Goldman / AP Photo

An image of a swimmer is displayed on the wall of the Houses of Parliament as part of the festivities for the closing ceremony Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP

Each Monday National View brings you the best sporting pictures from around the world.

This weekend marked the end of the Games of the XXX Olympiad, otherwise known as London 2012. What a games they were as well, to celebrate we have selected just some of our favourite images from the past 17 days of action.