London Olympics diary: Quirky moments around the Games

Wednesday shapes up for more sporting action, from the decathlon to the Greco-Roman wrestling. But what else is going on in the world of all things Olympic?

See what has caught our eye on day 12 and if you've spotted a quirky quip or a notable news nugget you can get in touch using the form below.

Hulking hurdler 'sleeps in station'

Discus thrower Robert Harting ripped off his shirt after he won Germany's first athletics gold in 12 years but he lost the rest of his kit - including his Olympic accreditation - while out celebrating on Tuesday evening.

Hulking Harting, who delighted fans at the Stadium by leaping hurdles after his victory, claimed he couldn't even get back into the Olympic Village and had to sleep in a train station.

He tweeted on Wednesday morning: "Puuh I just got robbed while I did some work to please athletic fans! I lost all my accredit ion for Olympic village! - no entrance ;("

However, the claims surprised London 2012 head of media Jackie Brock-Doyle, who said, "We can't find anybody that could tell us that he tried to get in to the village last night and was not allowed in.

"There have been incidents where people may have mislaid their accreditation, for whatever reason.

"Normally we talk to the National Olympic Committee of that country and they verify who they are and work with them to get them back to their bed for the night.

Thankfully Harting did not lose his gold medal in the incident. He is due to be presented with it on Wednesday evening, having been given new accreditation to enter the Stadium.

Pole fault

Some days you wish you could just start again. Cuban pole vaulter Lazaro Borges may have had high hopes but fell to Earth with a bump when his pole broke in two places as he took a vault on Wednesday morning.

He was thankfully unhurt but failed to qualify for Friday's final.

Postboxes get second coats

The Royal Mail has had to work double-time on postbox painting and while some of that is for the right reasons, two have come about because of vandalism.

A second postbox has been painted gold in Edinburgh to mark Sir Chris Hoy's track cycling success, with a box in Hunter Square celebrating Hoy's keirin victory on Tuesday, following last week's team sprint win.

However, tennis star Andy Murray's memorial postbox in Dunblane will have to be repainted after fans picked away much of the gold covering.

Just two days after the first coat was applied on Monday, the Royal Mail said "substantial amounts of the gold paint are no longer there". A new paint job is expected shortly.

Staff in Sheffield have already repainted a box in honour of local girl Jessica Ennis after a vandal scrawled "Go Jess" across it.

Neigh bother

"Oh wee" [oh dear] as the Dutch would say. The Daily Express and Mirror printed a photograph of the gold medal winning British dressage team of Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer, to commemorate their momentous Olympic win.

Only one problem - the picture was actually of the Netherlands bronze medallists Anky Van Grunsven, Edward Gal and Adelinde Cornelissen.

The real deal: Team GB's Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer

Cue a flurry on Twitter with Daily Express soon trending.

It seems the root cause may be a mislabelled agency picture which was distributed to journalists.

The images were removed for later editions.

Red, or should that be orange, faces all round.

Transatlantic hero

No, it's not another national mix-up, British decathlete Daniel Awde really has been a running body double for Captain America, performing in scenes for actor Chris Evans in last year's film The First Avenger.

Athletics Weekly editor Jason Henderson tweeted: "Superhero performance to win 100m too," as Awde crossed the line on Wednesday morning.

Unfortunately later in the morning he had to pull out after aggravating a knee injury.

Strewth!

Australia's sports minister is set to don a Team GB shirt and take to the water after resigning herself to losing a wager with her UK counterpart about who would win more gold medals.

Kate Lundy said she had "cheerfully conceded" defeat and would row a length at Eton Dorney next month.

Had Australia won more golds, Hugh Robertson would have had to dribble a hockey ball in central London.

The UK has won 22 gold medals so far compared with Australia's four.

Golden slumbers

Like a baby in a pram, it seems that Sir Chris Hoy needed soothing motion to help him sleep after his record sixth gold medal win.

He told BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans: "I fell asleep in the taxi on the way home… and as soon as I put my head down I couldn't sleep… I'm shattered but the adrenaline carries you through."

Upside down you turn me

GB sprint kayaker Rachel Cawthorn has revealed the secret of her success: she does pilates headstands before she competes.

"It switches on my core and prepares me to go out," she says.

The 23-year-old won her heat in the K1 500m and then came second in her semi-final, raising the prospect of a medal for Team GB on Thursday.

Cawthorn was in fifth at the half-way stage of her semi-final but with the home support behind her managed to paddle up the field and qualify automatically.