What happened to London Olympics' seven promising young athletes who lit torch

The London 2012 Olympics saw seven promising athletes light the torch, but what have they accomplished since then? It's a common practice for host nations to bestow the honour of lighting the Olympic torch on celebrities, athletes and royalty - with boxing legend Muhammad Ali setting the flame alight at the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway performing the duty at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.

However, Great Britain took a different approach twelve years ago. Instead of a single athlete lighting the flame, seven up-and-coming hopefuls were chosen by veteran British Olympians to perform the honour.

Renowned figures such as Shirley Robertson, Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Kelly Holmes and Daley Thompson each selected a representative to carry the torch and ignite the beacon at the opening ceremony - with four young track and field athletes, a sailor, a rower and a young ambassador all chosen. But did these torchbearers go on to win their own gold medals or even compete at the Olympic Games? Here The Express explains.

Katie Kirk

Chosen by 1972 pentathlon champion Dame Mary Peters, middle-distance runner Katie Kirk carried the torch at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. While Kirk never made an Olympic appearance for Ireland or Team GB, she did represent Northern Ireland at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Today, according to her social media profile, Kirk is an intern at RTE, chairs the Athletes' Commission and works as a sports nutritionist.

Desiree Henry

Champion sprinter Desiree Henry was chosen to light the Olympic torch by Daley Thompson, a two-time decathlon gold medallist. Now 28, Henry has since won a bronze medal in the 4x100 metres relay at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and a silver medal in the same event at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

She has also clinched gold twice in the 4x100m relay at the European Championships, including this year's competition in Rome. Outside of her athletic career, Henry works as a manager for sports agency Gateway Sports.

Aidan Reynolds

Javelin star Aidan Reynolds was selected to light the cauldron by long jump champion Lynn Davies. After his torch-bearing duties, Reynolds secured a place at Oxford University and has represented the institution in numerous BUCS Championships, British Athletics League Premierships, and highly-anticipated Varsity matches against Cambridge University. His personal best throw is 68.77m, achieved at the Loughborough British Athletics Hammer Circle Winter Throws Trials in 2013.

Adelle Tracey

Born in America, Adelle Tracey was personally chosen to light the torch by Dame Kelly Holmes, a double gold medallist from the 2004 Olympics. Now 31, Tracey chose to represent Team GB in the 800m middle distance discipline, winning silver medals at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2018 World Cup.

However, in 2022, Tracey switched her allegiance and became eligible to compete for Jamaica. She secured a bronze in the 800m and a silver in the 1500m events at the NACAC Championships in 2022. Despite representing Jamaica in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, she has yet to break into the top five.

Callum Airlie

Two-time Olympic gold sailing champion Shirley Robertson selected Callum Airlie for the 2012 opening ceremony, which coincidentally fell on his 17th birthday. After progressing through the Optimists in Scotland, and later the 420s and 470s, Airlie earned a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh before taking up a doctoral role with NHS Scotland.

Jordan Duckitt

Duncan Goodhew, a gold-medal-winning swimmer, was responsible for Jordan Duckitt's selection in 2012 - and he was the only non-athlete among the torch-lighting group. Duckitt was chosen due to his leadership and volunteering efforts, having chaired the London 2012 Young Ambassador Steering Group for two years.

He reportedly went on to study medicine in Edinburgh, beginning his first clinical year in 2015.

Cameron MacRitchie

Cameron MacRitchie, who was recommended by five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave to light the flame, was chosen to compete in the 2013 World Rowing U23 Championships. However, a reported back injury during his first year studying biology at Durham University forced him to take a break from rowing.

After graduating with a 2:1 in 2015, he is now reportedly working as a corporate broking and PLC advisor at Investec, according to his LinkedIn profile.