Katalin Kovács, who won gold and silver in London, emerged as the greatest Hungarian sprint kayaker in history, with a total of eight Olympic medals.

Multiple-time European champion László Cseh, who won bronze in London, became one of the most successful Hungarian swimmers in history, with a total of five Olympic medals.

Meanwhile, former Olympic silver medalist Dániel Gyurta set a world record to win the gold in men's breaststroke swimming.

Éva Risztov, who retired from the pool after competing two events, became an Olympic champion in women's open water marathon.

On 7 November 2012, the International Olympic Committee stripped Uzbek wrestler Soslan Tigiev of his bronze medal after he tested positive for the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine.

Magyar Olimpiai Bizottság (MOB) selected a team of 159 athletes, 97 men and 62 women, to compete in 18 sports; it was the nation's smallest delegation since 1956.

Six Hungarian athletes made their fifth Olympic appearances: sprint canoer and multiple-time Olympic champion Zoltán Kammerer, water polo player Tamás Kásás, table tennis player Krisztina Tóth, fencers Géza Imre and Aida Mohamed, and windsurfer Áron Gádorfalvi.

Péter Biros, who led his water polo team to the gold medal in three consecutive Olympic Games, was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Other notable Hungarian athletes included swimmer and triple Olympic silver medalist László Cseh, pommel horse gymnast and two-time defending world champion Krisztián Berki, hammer thrower and multiple-time World Challenge champion Krisztián Pars, and sabre fencer Áron Szilágyi.