And it came to pass that Team GB didst look upon their works and, behold, they were good. And on the twelfth day they rested. Well, comparatively speaking anyway. Today there are only eleven gold medals available across the whole games, the fewest on any official competition day except the opening Saturday where events were barely getting started. Even on the final day of competition twelve golds are up for grabs. Just like the......

Even though we're ten days into the Games of the 29th Olympiad there are still some competitors yet to get their campaigns underway. Two such athletes are pre-Beijing Londonist interviewees Jessica Walker (above left) and Anna Hemmings who, at 11am precisely (all times BST) will have about 1 minute and 40 seconds to paddle their kayak over the 1000m course at Shunyi, recently vacated by the rowers, and qualify for Thursday morning's semi-finals. They've......

Please sit down before reading this. Great Britain is third in the Olympic medal table. There's only China and the US ahead of us at the moment. Such lofty attainment is almost certainly unique in the years since we last held the Games ourselves in 1948. It's getting to the point where hard won silver and bronze medals in particular are having to fight to be noticed amongst headlines dripping with gold. Team London,......

As we pen this latest despatch from the land of Olympia we are hunched over our table, bracing ourselves for the avalanche of must-see denouments and prospective medals set to sweep us away on this middle Saturday of the Games. So far London can lay claim only to a share in Emma Pooley's road cycling silver, but over the next few hours the medal chances come thick and fast, not least in the rowing......

But hark! Is that the sound of the William Tell Overture in the distance? It is! And with it comes a marauding horde of London track and field competitors poised to take over the Olympic show as, for a lot of casual observers, the Olympics get properly underway. We at Londonist, as you know, look to wider horizons, but it was a bit difficult yesterday as both the sailors and the oarsfolk were forced......

Our first duty today is to apologise to Bryony Shaw that we somehow neglected to mention her embarking on her quest for a medal out at Qingdao (above) in the Windsurfing event. Our slight obviously hasn't perturbed the Wandsworth native unduly as she's already manoeuvred herself into the bronze medal position after 2 races of a total of 11. Her class is listed as RS:X, but actually only one class is ever used at......

After some good old British summer weekend weather had outdoor athletes scurrying for cover (except for Nicole Cook and her fellow cyclists who somehow largely avoided skidding into brick walls fronted by ditches) our first representatives on show today are the men's hockey team led by recent Londonist interviewee Ben Hawes, who get their campaign underway at 3:30am (all times BST) against Pakistan, a traditional hockey superpower, but currently ranked only one place above......

While the capital's track and field hopefuls quietly build up to their first events next Friday, our rowers dive into action straight away, though by the time they get going at 7:50am (all times BST) boxer James DeGale could already be packing his bags. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and recent silver medallist at European Union level, known as "Chunky" to anybody who'd be comfortable sparring with him, faces 2007 African Champion Mohamed Hikal......

After yesterday's interview with men's captain Ben Hawes, today it's the turn of women's skipper Kate Walsh to talk exclusively to Londonist from the Olympic hockey squad's base in Macau. Kate has amassed multiple club and international medals across a distinguished career which has seen her win three domestic Player of the Year honours as well as being shortlisted for the World Player of the Year Award in 2003. Born in Manchester, she has......

Ben Hawes made his international debut at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and has now made more than 140 appearances for England and Great Britain. He scored in Britain's opening 3-1 win over Egypt at the Athens 2004 Olympics, but the team could only go on to finish 9th. Having tasted club hockey in the Netherlands he's now back playing for Surbiton and has fought his way back from injury to be named......

Hot on the heels of basketball and ice hockey, the third of America's big four sports has begun its landing on our shores. The advance guard for Sunday's NFL encounter between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants consists of just one man. Albeit a very big one. Pictured above is the specially commissioned twenty-six foot high animatronic statue of Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor which is touring London and the South East......

It's entirely in the nature of ducks that they can fly under the radar, but only in fairy tales do kings arrive unannounced. Nevertheless, even those who would count themselves fans of ice hockey may be surprised to learn that the O2 Arena this weekend hosts not just one, but two clashes between a pair of North American professional teams. And not just a pre-season slapabout, mind you. These are the opening fixtures of......

Finding venues for Friday and Saturday's fixtures was a piece of cake compared to this! But no nation should be left out - what with the world being in union and all that. Fiji v Canada Sunday 16, 13.00 UK time from the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Canadians! Seek the Maple Leaf. Drink Molson. Forget hockey. Fijians - listen up. We have important news for you and your Polynesian rivals below. Meet us one paragraph down.........

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too – two of them in -Ist cities. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the......

When Londonist was at college there was always this guy on a unicycle practicing tricks back and forth across the department courtyard. Come to think of it, when we later worked in a different college there was another one, just the same. Hmmm. Maybe it's like organ scholars and there are bursaries, or perhaps there is a national quota of unicyclists for tertiary educational establishments to fulfill? Whatever their pedagogical digressions, there are certainly......

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed. For LAist, strong winds attacked LA on the same day the Feds raided the Crips. Not to fear, though: the Japanese version......

If you're hiking, consider charging up your iPod, as Seattlest finds out that a man lost during a hike was found by the glow of his iPod. That cleverness seems to be devoid in cops who were using police cruiser instant messaging clients - although we imagine IMs "so are you nakie" to be included in cop shows, just for realism. If only the cops were busting the Hummer-driving jerk who made a poor......

It's a pity that Sir Ian Blair hasn't managed to breathe life into his plans to give the police Judge Dredd style powers of instant justice - with enormous green knee pads and a bloody big golden lion on their shoulder they'd stand out a mile trying to hide in the shadows waiting to hit unsuspecting teenagers with hockey sticks. It's an odd crime. Former Met PC Paul Turpin saw red when he learned......

Arsenal vs Tottenham is always good value, respective league standings don't really count, the animosity level is always high and they tend to not pass without incident. This weekends game was no exception with Spurs narrowly being beaten by the Gunners 4 - 5. Arsenal were coming into this game off of a couple of poor performances and Tottenham were still reeling from the quick exit of their newish manager, but nobody really expected an......

With just a week before London has to submit its offical bid for the 2012 Olympic games, Seb Coe and his team have unveiled their plans for the 500-acre Olympic Park. The main stadium, to be located in the Lea Valley, is designed to "communicate physical strength, sport and movement" with a roof which wraps itself around the venue in the same way "that muscles support and represent the human body". Also included in the......