Five apps to help you get the most out of the London 2012 Olympic Games

Need to follow the Olympics on the go? There are apps for that

With the London 2012 Olympics kicking off in grand style today, we begin three weeks of gold-medal wins, shocking underdog stories and heartbreaking losses that we'll remember for years to come. And while not everyone is interested in the world's biggest sporting event (don't worry, I hear there's still other stuff on TV), those of us watching eagerly are looking for a way to get all the latest Olympic updates.

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you follow along with the latest Olympic news when you're away from your television or computer. Whether you're using iOS, Android, BlackBerry or Windows 7, we've got you covered:

London 2012: Official Results App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Here it is, the official app of this year's Olympic Games. This colourful and highly-graphic interface gives you access to live and calendar schedules, medal counts and detailed information on sports and athletes. You can also select your favourite country and get all the latest news on how they're performing. If you want even more behind-the-scenes info on the Games, check out the companion app, London 2012: Join In. Available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

London 2012 — Official Mobile Game

You can't have the Olympic Games without an official Olympics game to go along with it (actually, you could, but it wouldn't be nearly as interesting). Compete in nine different Olympic events ranging from track and field events to kayaking. Customize what your athlete looks like and improve your athlete with in-app purchases, or just have fun trying to master the various sports. These things take training, you know. Available for iPad, iPhone and Android.

Yahoo! Sports Beyond Gold 2012

I couldn't do a roundup of Olympic apps without mentioning one of Yahoo!'s own. Beyond Gold is a collection of everything you'd want to have in a hurry when it comes to the Olympics: medal counts, schedules and breaking news from the Games. There's also access to Yahoo! exclusives with experts on the various events, and everything is packaged in an easy-to-use format. Available for iPhone and iPad.

London Olympics 2012 Ultimate

Android users can keep all the latest Olympic news and chatter at their fingertips with this clean and easy-to-use app. Follow your favourite country and get notified whenever they win a medal. Test your knowledge of the sports and athletes by predicting who will win events. You can also read Olympic news, follow medal counts and chat with other users about the events. Available for Android.

2012 Olympic News

Keep up-to-date on your Windows Phone with live news from Twitter, Facebook and major news outlets at the games, as well as the latest images from the Games. This app takes advantage of the Windows 7 interface, operating on the unique tile interface. Available for Windows Phone devices.