Canada, represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the United States-led boycott. Canada sent a total of 281 athletes to the Games to compete in 24 sports. The COC set a goal of finishing in the top 12 for total medals; but the nation failed to achieve this, finishing with a total of 18 medals. Canada matched its total medal count from Beijing 2008.

However, Canada won only a single gold medal in London, its lowest count of golds in a Summer Olympic games since 1976; it was awarded to trampoline gymnast Rosannagh MacLennan in the women's event. In addition to the gold medal, Canada left London with 5 silver and 12 bronze medals. Diving pair Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel won the nation's first medal in the women's synchronized springboard event. Heymans, became the first Canadian athlete to win Olympic medals in four consecutive games. Canada also won the bronze medal match in the women's soccer tournament, the first for the nation since 1904, and the first in a traditional team sport since 1936. Among the countries having one gold medal in previous Olympics, Canada's performance at these Games broke the record for the highest total medals. This was despite several Canadian athletes just missing out of the medal finishes including the men's 4 x 100 m sprint relay team who were disqualified after finishing in third.

Several Canadian athletes, considered as strong medal contenders, missed out of the podium during their final events. The men's sprint relay team, led by Jared Connaughton, held the third fastest time in the finals, but were later disqualified for a lane violation. Trampoline gymnasts Jason Burnett and Karen Cockburn missed out of winning another Olympic medal for the first time. Triathlete and two-time Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield was forced to withdraw from the men's event after suffering minor injuries from a bike crash. Springboard diver and medal favourite Alexander Despatie made a disappointing performance in the men's final event, finishing only in eleventh place. Track cyclist Tara Whitten finished fourth in a grueling two-day women's omnium event, when she was a former two time world champion in the event. Other medal failures included the female badminton team's defeat in the bronze medal match, defending champion Eric Lamaze, who failed to advance into the finals in the individual jumping event, and fourth-place finishes in swimming, specifically in the women's 4x200 freestyle relay event, and in synchronized swimming.

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