London 2012 Diary: Offbeat snippets from around the Games - day 13

See what has caught our eye on day 13 of the Games. If you've spotted a quirky quip or a notable news nugget you can get in touch using the form below.

Gymnastic royalty

Gabby Douglas: "Kate loved our leos"

America's new sweetheart, 16-year-old gold medallist gymnast Gabby Douglas, has been swapping style tips with royalty.

"I met Kate, the duchess, that was a cool experience for me. She loved our leos [leotards]," she told a news conference on Thursday.

"I love London. We toured around and went on the London Eye and saw the Buckingham Palace and visited all the cool marks of London," she enthused, also commenting favourably on the food, security and bedlinen at the athletes' village.

Asked about her newfound stardom and her role as the first African American to reach such a high level in the sport she said: "I think more coloured people are going to start coming into the gymnastics and say 'anything is possible, if Gabby did it I can do it'.

"I've always wanted to inspire people, and the thing about the Olympics, this quote 'inspire a generation' - so, you know, I can check that off my bucket list."

Swans make way for swimming

Swans have been moved to a "holiday camp" in Berkshire while Olympic events take place on London's Serpentine lake.

Swan Lifeline said putting the swans back in the Serpentine would be "challenging"

Three families of the Royal Swans have been taken from Hyde Park, venue for the triathlon and open water marathon.

Team GB swimmer Keri-Anne Payne said: "The swans are on holiday at a holiday camp. They take their families."

Kay Webb, of Swan Lifeline, said the move could avoid "a swan being sliced in half by a boat in front of an international audience".

Golden sands

There were thousands present but Kerri Walsh Jennings only had eyes for the two smallest spectators after her beach volleyball victory - her sons.

She threw her arms around Sundance and Joey who were waiting in the crowd as she capped her third straight Olympic gold in the final.

Alongside Misty May-Treanor, in their final competition together, they beat fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross to extend their Olympic record to 21-0.

By 'eck

Were it an independent country, Yorkshire would be in the top 10 of the Olympic medal table, with six golds won by five athletes born within its boundaries, and tourism chiefs have produced a map to celebrate.

The guide pinpoints all 43 of the county's Olympic athletes, including heptathlete Jessica Ennis, triathlon's Brownlee brothers, double track cycling gold medallist Ed Clancy and Olympic champion rowers Andy Triggs Hodge and Katherine Copeland.

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, who won gold and bronze respectively in Hyde Park on Tuesday, regularly opt to train near their home in Leeds rather than travelling to warmer climes overseas.

Of course, if the Brownlee family were an independent nation they would be on a par with Lithuania.

The Join In UK website has mapped success by county around the UK, pointing out that Hampshire is closest to Yorkshire's count, with five Olympic champions.

Yorkshire is also bidding against Barcelona, Venice, Berlin and Scotland to host the first two stages of the 2016 Tour de France with sprint cyclist Mark Cavendish, whose mother comes from the county, an enthusiastic supporter.

Hair raising

"I'm glad I dyed my hair before the competition because I would have gone grey."

Australian sprint track cycling gold medallist Anna Meares admits there was intense pressure from home fans in the velodrome for her rival Victoria Pendleton.

Pendleton lost her Olympic sprint title to Australia's Meares on Tuesday.

Pendleton lost her title to Meares

Pendleton won race one of the three-leg final by 0.001 seconds but was disqualified for riding out of the sprinting lane.

She tried to hit back in race two but Meares' finish gave her a 2-0 win and left Pendleton with silver.