In most things in life, four years is a long time, but it’s a really long time in the world of tech and social media.

At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Twitter had a fraction of the userbase, credibility and mass media absorption that it does today – both in terms of profiles and tweets it’s literally hundreds of times bigger.

Of course, this growth in importance means taking a more serious approach to world events, and that includes the Olympics. For the London Games, Twitter has put together a page providing tips and suggestions for the athletes and other participants, and, come July 27th, the official @Olympics and @London2012 accounts will be guiding you every step of the way.

Yep – it’s all getting very professional indeed.

Pic: The Flame reaches London in style with help from the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force #London2012TorchRelay twitter.com/London2012/sta…

— London 2012 (@London2012) July 20, 2012

Behind the scenes: Olympic torches inside a bus that carries torch bearers to the relay. #ramsga@ Ramsgate instagr.am/p/NQURtAGLlP/ — Olympics (@Olympics) July 19, 2012

Thanks kat!! Tell karl i say hey !!RT @katkerska: @coach_bowman @MichaelPhelps Go Team USA! #london2012 twitter.com/katkerska/stat…

— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) July 20, 2012

When i put on the New Arena Suit for London 2012, I know I am no longer alone in the water. #powerskin2012 twitter.com/KirstyCoventry… — Kirsty Coventry (@KirstyCoventry) January 25, 2012

Even some old favourites are getting in on the act.

Gold medal team!! I couldn’t be prouder of these girls… We made mistakes but we pulled thru. True team spirit. We never gave up. #goUSA

— Shawn Johnson (@ShawnJohnson) October 25, 2011

(Old, of course, being a very relative term).

We’ve looked before at why this year’s Olympics will be a very social games, but this infographic from Social Media Delivered provides a quick overview of Twitter’s role in the event, including the usernames of some of your favourite athletes – although who @Dwyane might be is anyone’s guess.

(Source: Social Media Delivered. Sports image via Shutterstock.)