Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012: Schedule, Flag Bearers And More

The 2012 Summer Olympics are ready to begin. The London Games get a royal kickoff on Friday with the Opening Ceremony. The bar was set high for the pageantry at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and the world will be watching closely to see if the London games can match it.

Directing this year's ceremony is none other than British filmmaker Danny Boyle, who made the films Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire.

The ceremony starts with Queen Elizabeth II is received at the entrance of the Olympic Stadium by Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee. After that the international parade of athletes comes through the stadium. The whole thing wraps up with the torch ceremony, with the flame being passed through a line of athletes, including Pau Gasol and Maria Sharapova, before lighting the Cauldron to herald the official start of the games.

Complete details of the event can be found on the Olympic website.

American viewers can watch it on tape delay Friday night at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

Stick with SB Nation New York for information on Byers and all the local athletes in the 2012 Olympic Games. For all your Olympic coverage needs check out SB Nation's Olympics hub.