Offbeat Facts on London Olympics 2012

has begun for the

, as all the 205 countries gear up for the most prestigious sporting event. Here is a compilation of the off beat facts that interests everyone about the Summer Olympics 2012.

* Hiroshi Hoketsu, Japan (equestrian) is the oldest athlete participating in this year's Olympics at a tender age of 70.

* One of the mascots of London 2012 Olympics is called Wenlock, in recognition of the Much Wenlock Olympian Games.

* The 27th July 2012 is the opening day of the London 2012 Olympic Games but exactly 100 years earlier it was the last day of the Stockholm Olympics in 1912. It is precisely 2 days earlier than it was the last time it was held in London in 1948.

* London hosted the Olympic games in 1908 and 1948.

* London becomes the first city to officially stage the event for the third time. Though Athens shares this honour, the fact being the 1902 Athens Intercalated Olympic Games not considered as an official event, which gives London the honour of hosting the Games for the third time.

* Great Britain only won 3 gold medals at the 1948 London Olympics and finished 12th in the medal tables. In total team GB won 23 medals. Subtract the Gold medals and put the numbers together and you get 2012. Amazingly, 3 nations won exactly twenty medals and the 6th and 7th won 20 and 12 consecutively. In 1948, the USA came first in the medal tables with 84 medals. Add 48 and 84 and you get 'London' 132, which can be written as London Won 20+12.

* We expect 205 nations to take part in 300 events at the Olympic Games in 2012. 147 nations will take part in the Paralympic Games.

* After a tendering process with the clarity of mud and a £537m price tag, the Olympic Stadium is under pressure to impress when the athletes start in earnest. Though gloominess won't be a feature (hopefully), as the Stratford beast boasts 14 lighting towers at 70m high, supporting 532 lights.

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