11/ Athletes will produce as much as 2 million pounds of dirty laundry. It would take a family of four 264 years to go through that much laundry!

12/ In wrestling at the Stockholm Games in 1912, the light heavyweight final between a Swede, Anders Ahlgren, and a Finn, Ivar Bohling, lasted nine hours. Since neither had gained an advantage over the other, no gold medal was awarded. Each received a silver medal.

13/ In 1924 starring in the Olympic pool was young Johnny Weissmuller - forever to be remembered as Tarzan for his later film roles - who won both the 100-metres and 400-metre races, setting world records in both. In the 400 metres, Weissmuller shaved a full 20 seconds off the Olympic record.

14/ In 1932 the flagbearer for the Chinese team at the opening Olympic ceremony was sprinter Cheng Chun-liu who was the solitary participant from China.

15/ Early in the Helsinki Olympics of 1952, the Soviets didn't pay much attention to the unofficial point totals. But after the ninth day, when they saw their lead over the United States grow to 120 points, they decided to construct a large scoreboard in the dining room of their village. The scoreboard showed the daily point totals of all nations.On the last day of Olympic competition, the U.S. won several gold medals and it seemed certain the USA would overtake the USSR in the point totals. Realizing they were not going to finish ahead of the Americans, the Soviets began dismantling the scoreboard, but not before a reporter for a U.S. newspaper saw the scoreboard and sent out the story.

The headline read, "Russians caught with their points down."

After the Olympics, the Soviet newspaper Pravda, which must have juggled point values until they came out right, announced that the USSR and the USA had finished in a tie, each with 494 points.

16/ James B. Connolly (United States), winner of the hop, step, and jump (the first final event in the 1896 Olympics), was the first Olympic champion of the modern Olympic Games.

17/ Approximately 2,000 athletes participated, representing 22 countries in the 1908 games held in London. By the 1996 Games held in Atlanta this had risen to approximately 10,000 athletes participating, representing 197 countries.

18/ In order for a sport to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics it must be "widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents".

19/ During the Athens Games in 2004, 50,000 meals will be prepared daily at the Olympic Village, utilising 100 tons of food. The Olympic Village will provide accommodation and free-of charge services to 16.000 athletes and team officials.

20/ For the first time in 56 years, the Olympic flame passed through London on route to Athens 2004.