How Social Media Will Change the Olympics [INFOGRAPHIC]

For me to say that I am excited for the Olympics is an understatement; I mean I am all over this event. I’m reading the sports section (a rare activity on my part), following my favorite athletes on Twitter, and liked them on Facebook. I’m obsessively following them in hopes of getting that much closer to being at the live event.

Thanks to social media, the 2012 Olympics have exploded. It’s on television, internet, and cereal boxes. It’s emotionally charged on every commercial I see. It’s everywhere I look! All the hype makes me more excited for the games each day. And with the opening ceremonies less than 10 days away, social media is pulling out its after burners, and promoting the Olympics with all of its might. Even though the latest coverage only seems to be on the negative side (London coming up short on security, Ralph Lauren manufacturing the Olympic uniforms in China), everyone will at least tune in to see if London will pull through.

This year’s Olympics are being branded by organizers as the world’s “first social Games,” and it’s not hard to see why. Social media has narrowed the divide between athlete and fan over the past few years, with new and unexpected connections happening every day.

That’s why the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched an online hub this week.

Sixteen years after the Olympics first launched a dedicated website, the portal will offer a directory of verified accounts, gamification rewards for active fans and exclusive content.

It may not seem like a huge step for the organization, but consider these stats. When the last Summer Olympics began in 2008, Facebook was a relative baby, at just 100 million users. When the 2012 Games kick off in London this summer, Mark Zuckerberg’s empire will boast more than 845 million members.

Likewise, Twitter had 6 million users in 2008; today the network is more than 20 times larger, at 140 million users.

Of course, it’s not all positive news — the Olympic organization has also seen branding-related troubles that have been denounced by some observers. Still, that controversy will only increase the level of social media chatter around the games.

Check out this IOC-produced infographic illustrates how social media has contributed to the changes in the Summer Olympics experience for fans and athletes. Check it out to see how coverage has evolved since the first modern Games in 1896, and find out the most popular athletes on Facebook and Twitter.

Today’s infographic shows the evolution of Olympic coverage. Coverage of the Olympic Games has evolved from standard print to a booming business called social media. Thanks to social media, we can cover the Olympics at any time of any day. How will you cover the 2012 London Olympics? [via]

What role will social media play in your Olympics experience this summer? Let us know in the comments.