*Text courtesy IANS

*Images courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images


The Olympics organisers are surely concerned about the spectators' skin, allowing them to bring sun cream inside the stadium.

"You may bring up to 200 ml of sun cream, but it must be in its original packaging and in a container with a maximum capacity of 200 ml," reads the instruction on restrictions inside a stadium.

Unlike the stadiums in India, the spectators are being allowed to carry water bottles inside provided they do not exceed 1000 ml (ten bottles of 100 ml each). Also for the parched lips the option of buying alcohol from within the venues is available with most of them selling liquor.

-x-x-x-x-

Greenest Games ever

With sustainability being at the forefront of all decisions made in the run-up to the Games, from construction of stadiums, to organising transport systems, the British government has been claiming the London Games to be the greenest ever.

The head of the Games organising committee Sebastian Coe says they had taken it as a challenge.

"London 2012's relentless pursuit of sustainability has been part of every bold and challenging decision we have made, in the development of the Olympic Park and the staging of the Games," the ex-Olympian said with much pride.

Apart from being the first to use a carbon footprint monitoring system during the entire Games, the Olympic Park, the main venue, has been built on an abandoned industrial land, using old gas pipes to construct the most light-weight stadium ever.

Being home to eight venues, the Olympic Park will host a range of exciting attractions and events during the Games.

-x-x-x-x-

Second oldest Olympian

At the ripe old age of 71 one would prefer watching the Games sitting in the comfort of home, but Japanese equestrian rider Hiroshi Hoketsu is an exception. He is using all
his experience to put up a good show as a participant in the London Games.

Hoketsu first competed in the Olympics in 1964 back home in Tokyo. Hoketsu was then 23 - in the prime of youth. In 2012, at the age of 71, Hoketsu won a berth for Japanese representation in the London Olympics in the individual dressage event.

Though Hoketsu is the oldest Olympian to ever compete for Japan, he is the second oldest Olympian to compete ever, next only to Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn who won silver medal in the 1920 Olympics at the age of 72.