Media coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London has been thorough and intense. As such, athletes have been scrutinized more than ever.
For certain media outlets to stand out from the rest, some stories and issues were more creative than others.
1) Missy Franklin's flipper feet: The Fourth-Place Medal blog said it all when American swimmer Missy Franklin claimed her size-13 feet were being talked about by other Olympians. The teenage sensation said her dad called them "built-in flippers."
2) Condom distribution at Olympic Village: The Atlantic Wire did a piece on how hard it is being a married Olympian during the Games. This year, as many as 100,000 condoms were made available to athletes at Olympic Village since there are many hookups during the Games among athletes. American swimmer Ryan Lochte estimated around 3/4 of all Olympians find some kind of mating partner during the two weeks of the games.
3) Ukranian synchronized kissing: The Ukranian duo of Daria Iushko and Kysenia Sydorenko kissed following their synchronized swimming routine. Kissing on the cheeks is a custom in that part of the world, but not a full-lipped smooch. The spontaneous gesture set the Twitter-verse abuzz soon after the routine aired.
4) Boxing gold goes to the dogs: British boxer Nicola Adams won gold for her country as women's boxing became a recognized Olympic sport this year. Among her fans was Adams' 10-month-old Doberman pinscher named Dexter. While he was boarded at a kennel 200 miles away in Leeds, ITV.com reports Dexter watched his owner win the gold on television.
5) How champions tell time: Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake lost to teammate Usain Bolt not once, but twice during the Olympics. Apparently, it could be because his watch didn't tell time fast enough. The Fourth Place Medal blog states Blake wore a custom-made $500,000 watch on his right wrist while competing. The IOC didn't laugh--rules are strict about wearing only sponsored apparel from various countries. Not everyone on the Jamaican team had such an expensive timepiece on their wrists.
6) Oldest Olympian's old gray mare: Japanese dressage competitor Hiroshi Hoketsu competed at age 71. He was the oldest Olympian in Beijing and also in London. When asked whether or not he would compete in Brazil in four years, Hoketsu responded he wouldn't because his chestnut mare would be 19 years old. His horse Whisper is 15 this year, already the oldest horse in the competition.
7) Scrunchies make a comeback: Thanks to the prowess of the U.S. women's gymnastics team, hair scrunchies are making a fashion comeback. The Stir reports fashion designer Marc Jacobs created a scrunchie available for $32 at Bloomingdales. It's all because a group of teenage girls needed to be more aerodynamic during their routines.
8) Stolen vest? No problem: Russian Ivan Ukhov won the men's high jump competition, but only after he had to borrow a T-shirt from a teammate. Ukhov's vest disappeared in between jumps. The competitor said he always puts it in his bag between tries. The switch must have worked magically--Ukhov borrowed a T-shirt from defending Olympic champion and teammate Andrei Silnov before winning the gold.
9) Justin Bieber slams Prince William's hair: Justin Bieber took Prince William to task as the royal makes several public appearances throughout the Summer Olympics. The teenage singer was interviewed in Rollercoaster magazine in the United Kingdom when Bieber said, "There are things to prevent [thinning hair] nowadays, like Propecia." Reaction was swift and strong. Not only can Propecia cause lower levels of libido, but many people have pointed out Prince William will be king someday with or without hair.
10) Social media taken to new heights: Forbes magazine touted the 2012 Summer Olympics will be the "most digitally connected in history." Social media has been a good and bad thing for the Olympics in the United States. NBC was sharply criticized over Twitter for not carrying the opening ceremony live. Yet, there are tons of Olympic athletes with Twitter accounts giving updates throughout the Games.
William Browning has been a fan of the Summer Olympics since the games of 1984 in Los Angeles.
