A sport invented for quadriplegic athletes in Canada in the 1970s, murderball makes ice hockey look positively timid. Contact is allowed, even tactically encouraged. If a wheelchair is damaged, the team only has 60 seconds in which to repair it, or one crucial player is out of the game. While soccer players have a tendency to collapse into the fetal position at the hint of physical contact, wheelchair rugby players relish the opportunity for full-on collisions. Getting tipped over in your chair is to be expected, as are crushed fingers and bloody noses.

(PHOTOS: Highlights from the Paralympics)

The sport is being drummed up as the main event of this Paralympics, with many British papers relishing the opportunity to play on the name: “Murderball teams prepare for slaughter” runs the headline from the Independent. The Guardian went with “It’s murder out there” following the first day of action, including an image of GB star David Anthony, sporting a striking blue mohawk roaring at teammate Aaron Phipps.

Still a relatively young sport, its popularity was fuelled by the 2005 Oscar nominated documentary Murderball, and tickets for the 2012 games sold out in just three days. Two of the U.S. players who were featured in the documentary still play for the team, the defending champions and favorites for this year’s crown along with the likes of Canada and Australia.  They proved their worth with a 56-44 win over GB in the opener.

Despite its formal name, the game itself is an amalgamation of sports such as basketball, hockey and rugby. And while the brutality of it is often played up in the press, there are many cerebral, tactical aspects the game that make it such a rewarding spectator sport.

(MORE: Richard Corliss Reviews Murderball)

Many fans, in fact, liken it to chess, and it’s easy to see why: the players are in constant dialogue with each other as they attempt to score over the four, eight minute quarters of the game. Once a team has possession, they must score by carrying the ball over the end line within 40 seconds, or hand over possession to the opponent.

What adds to the drama, and allows teams to intercept the ball, is the requirement for players to pass or dribble the ball to their teammates within ten seconds. Failure to do so again means a change of possession. And while the game features some of the most disabled athletes at the Paralympics – players must have functional impairments to both their upper and lower limbs to be eligible – their speed and agility as they zoom across the regulation size basketball court can make it hard for spectators to keep up with the action.

The specially designed wheelchairs, which can cost nearly $8,000 each, are adapted differently for offensive and defensive players. They all come with anti-tip devices, attached to the back of the chair to make sure that players do not fall over easily. Despite this, broken bones are common to the game. Great Britain’s captain Steve Brown once broke six ribs and his sternum following a tackle. But many of these players have spinal cord injuries, and as a result, many claim that it makes them fearless.

(MORE: Tracing the Paralympics’ British Roots)

Surprisingly breaking a bone is one of the lesser dangers players watch out for in the sport. Over-heating is much more of an immediate concern. One of the complications of spinal cord injuries is that the body’s ability to sweat below the level of the injury is diminished. Breaks between rounds are therefore crucial in allowing players to cool down.

Another defining feature of the sport is that it is not just for men of steel: it’s a mixed gender game. Still, despite this openness, there are only two women in the entire event across the eight teams. Kylie Grimes, of Team GB, is one of them. Speaking after the game against the U.S. to the Times of London, she said: “They treat me the same, that’s how it should be,” and then added, “it would be nice to see more women.”

Perhaps the spotlight on the game in London can attract more. Certainly the high-octane opening games from Wednesday showed the commitment from all players to put on a show. Medal hopefuls will need to have stamina though: the final takes place on Sunday and to reach it, teams will have to play – and dominate – over five consecutive days.

MORE: India’s Golden Girls: How Sports and the Olympics Can Uplift Women

Then he lost.

It was by all accounts a stunning upset: Pistorius was beaten by 0.07 seconds by another double amputee, Brazil’s Alan Oliveira. “We are not running in a fair race here,” Pistorius told the U.K.’s Channel 4 after the race, complaining about International Paralympic Committee (IPC) regulations that allowed his competitor to artificially lengthen his blades — and thus, his stride. “I’m not taking away from Alan’s performance but … his knee heights are 4 in. higher than they should be.” He later apologized for his outburst, but does “believe that there is an issue here.” In his statement, Pistorius did concede that “I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong. That was Alan’s moment, and I would like to put on record the respect I have for him.”

(PHOTOS: Oscar Pistorius’ Historic Race)

While Pistorius’ inclusion in the 2012 London Olympics was seen as a transformative moment, his defeat in the 200 m is a reminder that he’s not the only talented Paralympian out there — and that others could eventually not only qualify for the Olympics but someday go on to win. Recent developments in prosthetics have opened the door to the possibility that “Paralympic athletes could one day run faster than Usain Bolt,” as David James of the Centre for Sports Engineering Research at Sheffield Hallam University told the Associated Press.

Yet the focus on such developments neglects the historically fluid line between athletes and “disabled” athletes (a term that the IPC president, Philip Craven, has said he wishes to do away with). Athletes with disabilities have competed in the Olympics since the early days of the modern Games, and many have competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

German-born U.S. gymnast George Eyser competed in the 1904 St. Louis games with a wooden left leg, a replacement for the one he lost after being run over by a train as a child. He won gold in three events — including in the vault and the 25-ft. rope climb — as well as two silvers and a bronze.

(PHOTOS: Highlights from the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony)

Hungarian water-polo player Oliver Halassy, who also had a leg amputated, competed in three Olympic Games from 1928 through 1936.

Even after the creation of the Paralympic Games for disabled athletes in 1948, athletes with disabilities have competed in the Olympics. Partially deaf swimmer Jeff Float competed with the U.S. team in the 4 x 200-m relay in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. As he extended his team’s lead in the third leg of the race that they went on to win, the roar of the home crowd was so loud that he was able to hear it for the first time.

Marla Runyan, who is legally blind, dominated the track-and-field events at the 1992 and 1996 Paralympics, taking gold in the 100 m and long jump. She then became an Olympian, competing in the 1,500 m during the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

(MORE: Oscar Pistorius: The ‘Blade Runner’ Makes Olympic History)

South African long-distance swimmer Natalie du Toit lost her leg in a car accident at age 17, and placed 16th in the 10-km swim in 2008 in the Beijing Olympics. Natalia Partyka also competed in both the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, and is doing so again this year. The Polish table-tennis player was born without a right hand and forearm. She has yet to medal at either events, having just missed the quarterfinals in the 2012 Olympic women’s singles.

While only a handful of athletes are making this transition, the fact that there are Paralympians out there who are able to qualify and compete in the Olympics suggests the possibility for bigger changes to come in the future. Craven, the IPC president, suggested to the BBC in May that the Paralympics and Olympics could someday merge into one event.

As for Pistorius, he’ll have other chances for gold: he’s competing in the 4 x 100-m relay, the 100-m and the 400-m events later this week. But his loss on Sunday to Oliveira is a reminder that he’s not the only elite Paralympian on the track — and that there are plenty more on his heels.

MORE: Will This Be the First Paralympics to Sell Out?

(MORE: Blind Faith, Henry Wanyoike’s Triumph Over Despair)

But they may, as it turns out, be disappointed. This past weekend Jonathan Stephens, a high-ranking civil servant in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said on BBC Radio 4 that not all British Olympic gold medalists would automatically get an honor. He also said that those selecting individuals for honors would be looking for “sustained effort and contribution.”

The comments elicited a wave of response across the British media; tabloids such as the Daily Star suggested that Prime Minister David Cameron had “snubbed” the “Team GB Heroes, while the broadsheet The Telegraph played up the angle that the Olympians would be “losing out” to senior civil servants in what they deemed a “growing controversy over the quota system.”

Graham Taylor, a former England soccer manager who sits on the committee which decides on sporting honors, told the Telegraph that: “in the past people have been awarded an honor quickly and easily for their achievements and that has now changed and it is not so easy to get that kind of reward.” However London Mayor Boris Johnson is thought to be in favor of it. His spokesman said: “The Mayor believes Britain’s incredible gold medal haul at London 2012 is unquestionably worthy of official recognition.”

Former Olympic athletes who have received honors in the past have also weighed in. Sir Matthew Pinsent, who was made a knight after winning four consecutive Olympic gold medals in rowing, tweeted: “29 2012 OGM’s (olympic gold medals) for indivs who have no previous honour. Simple. MBE for each one. Years of work, perform under pressure and nation says thanks.”

Since the uproar, government officials, including the Prime Minister’s office, have stepped in to do some damage control. That included making clear that new quotas for how many honors should be awarded each year in specific industries (such as sports) would not necessarily be binding. The official line from the cabinet office is that: “Honors are awarded on merit and so naturally there will always be some flexibility. While the report sets out guidelines we don’t operate a rigid quota system.” A spokesman for the Prime Minister has said similar things.

The controversy is far from the first, or most heated, concerning the centuries’ old tradition. There have been cash for honors scandals, where politicians were seen to be exchanging the offer of honors and titles for party funding, and there has long been a question mark over awarding honors to the likes of bankers and rock-stars.

The British honor system is one of the oldest in the world, predating the Medal of Freedom in the U.S. or France’s Legion of Honor by centuries. It was set up in 1348 when Edward III decided to recognize acts of ‘chivalry’ by bestowing upon select individuals the Order of the Garter.

It was not until 1917 that ‘regular’ British folk began to be recognized through George V’s Order of the British Empire, which he introduced as a means to recognize those who served in the First World War.

The honors system has been pumping out these awards twice a year—on the Queen’s official birthday and then in the new year– at a steady rate since then. The vague principles are set out on the Directgov website, explaining each of the various types of honors and awards. They vary from the more exclusive club of Knights or Dames (for “pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity) to the Order of the British Empire, given for distinctions and services at the national level. There is also the CBE, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which goes to those who have made “a highly distinguished, innovative contribution with a wide impact” and the lesser MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, for “outstanding” achievements which stand out “as an example to others.”

Exactly how individuals are chosen continues to be a mystery. Anyone can nominate an individual for an honor, but it is a select group of individuals on sub-committees, managed through the Cabinet Office Honors and Appointments Secretariat, that decide behind closed doors who is worthy and who is not. Not much is offered by way of explanation as to how each individual meets the criteria for a certain honor. Vague rules such as providing “a pre-eminent and sustained contribution” are the only clues offered.

Back in 2004 tentative steps were taken to reform the arcane honors system, and the government set out to publish reports looking into this reform every three years. The latest in the line of these honors reports, which came out at the end of 2011 established the quota system outlining just how many individuals could receive each type of award, divided according to their industry. In sports, the committee is limited to dishing out the following: one Dame/Knight, four CBEs, 20 OBEs and 38 MBEs.

(MORE: Ten Olympians Returning to Their Day Jobs)

Given that Team GB won 65 medals, including 29 golds, at the Olympics and is hoping for almost twice that at the Paralympics, quite a few British athletes would be left out of the Queen’s honors list in the New Year if they stick to their quota.

If some or even many British athletes do get snubbed, at least they can take comfort in the knowledge that so many worthy Brits have rejected the call to be honored: Aldous Huxley, David Bowie, Vanessa Redgrave, John Lennon, Alfred Hitchock and Stephen Hawking are among the names to have either at some point cast their nose up at the offer or returned it in protest.

“It’s like the world’s going to end. You don’t know what to do with yourself after you’ve worked so hard for one thing,” British pentathlon gold-medalist Jessica Ennis told the Independent newspaper.

As the country’s star athletes begin to create new, post-gold lives for themselves their every move has been chronicled in the nation’s tabloid newspapers. The Brits can’t get enough of their Olympic heroes.

(MORE: The Best and Worst Moments of the Olympics)

Take Mo Farah. His remarkable backstory and endearing charm has turned him into a household name across Britain. The sometimes xenophobic British tabloid press fell for him heavily when, asked by a journalist after his win in the 10,000 meters if he would have wanted to run for Somalia, his country of birth, he said: “Look mate, this is my country.”

Farah more than understands how to build on this success. Rather than indulging in fast food and partying until the early hours of the morning in London nightclubs like some of his fellow Olympians, he has instead been dabbling in international policy-making. Less than 24 hours after his second gold-medal triumph in the 5,000 meters on Saturday evening, Farah attended the Hunger Summit at Downing Street. Part of the U.K. government’s legacy initiative for London 2012, the aim of the summit was to reduce the number of children affected by malnourishment worldwide by 25 million in time for Rio 2016.

Farah, whose charity the Mo Farah Foundation provides aid to people facing starvation in the Horn of Africa, has said that the issue of child hunger has “touched his heart.” Standing alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron and other sporting legends such as Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, he received a huge cheer from the crowds outside the prime minister’s residence, Number 10 Downing Street, grinning as he raised his arms over his head, forming the letter “M”—his trademark victory sign, which has been termed the “Mobot.”

Politics aside, Farah is focusing on his wife, who is nine months pregnant with twin girls. He also plans to run the Great North Run half-marathon in Newcastle on September 16 and has spoken of his desire to transition to marathon running in the future.

Cutting a different figure is the enigmatic cycling hero, Bradley Wiggins. Known to many Brits simply as Wiggo, the past week has given him an opportunity to finally let his now-famous sideburns down and party.

Speaking to journalists after winning his gold medal, the Tour de France winner said: “I’m not a celebrity. I will never be a celebrity and I don’t consider myself a celebrity.” His insistence though that he is a normal guy contrasted somewhat with his newfound celebrity friends. He was photographed, drink in hand, attending an exclusive Stone Roses concert in London with British rock stars Paul Weller, Mick Jones and Jimmy Page.

Wiggins will have to put his well-deserved drink down soon though–he has a race coming up with fellow Brits in Team Sky, the British professional cycling team, at Denmark’s equivalent of the Tour de France, the Post Danmark Rundt, on August 22.

Also spotted at the exclusive Stone Roses show was Britain’s face of the games, Ennis, who is more used to spending long, punishing and lonely hours training than hobnobbing with celebrities. Next year she plans to wed her long-term partner Andy Hill, and has also spoken of her desire to settle down and have children. She’s also fond of spending time with her chocolate Labrador Myla; last Wednesday she tweeted a picture of the dog wearing her gold medal.

Despite her air of normality, Ennis’s profile as the face of the Games has made her the most marketable of all her British team counterparts. Her annual off-track earnings are estimated to be $5.5 million.

Ennis has not cast aside track and field though. She has spoken of her desire to break the 7,000 point barrier in heptathlon that would make her one of the legends in the sport, and she has said she wants to take back the World Championship crown in 2013 and win gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

(MORE: Social Self Portraits: Olympic Athletes’ Best Photos From London 2012)

Ennis’s refusal to just sit back and cash in on her newfound fame and success is perhaps wise. In time, the British people will likely begin to lose interest in photographs of their heroes standing next to pop stars. As Rio 2016 approaches, Britain will no doubt begin to ask for more of the very thing that made stars of Ennis, Farah, Wiggins and the other British Olympians: Gold, please.

Only 43 of the British Olympic team’s 541 athletes are from Yorkshire, but with three bronzes, two silvers and six gold medals, Yorkshire athletes account for nearly a fifth of Great Britain’s medal haul. If Yorkshire were a country, it would rank above Australia and Japan in the medal table.

(VIDEO: The Sights and Sounds of the Olympics)

So why has the region done so well? Look at one of Britain’s most successful sporting families, the Brownlees, and there are clues. The brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee took gold and bronze in the Olympic triathlon on Tuesday. Both young men display lots of what’s known locally as Yorkshire “grit”–the tough-as-nails and single-minded character that people from Yorkshire say is typical of the county. Despite being given a 15-second time penalty in the triathlon—a grueling 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride and 10 km run—Jonny still managed to secure a bronze.

Simon Ward, the Brownlees’ triathlon coach when they were in their teens, explains that it’s their attitude to life: “We’re down to earth and not afraid to do the hard work, which the Brownlee boys epitomize.” To make sure the boys wouldn’t forget this, he and the Leeds and Bradford Triathlon Club gave them a leaving gift of Yorkshire things—including a Yorkshire phrasebook (“I’ve instructed them to drop in some Yorkshire phrases for their post-race interviews, you see,” says Ward).

(MORE: Olympic Highlights in Photographs)

One popular Yorkshire sport, fell-running, is evidence of the population’s typical determination. The sport is unique to northern England. It requires not just the ability to run fast, but also endurance and navigation skills. Many of the Bingley Harriers—the club the Brownlees belong to—are keen fell-runners, and Christine Oates who steers clear of it, is full of admiration: “I have no idea why they do it! You have to negotiate the rugged terrain through mist and fog. It’s like an extreme sport really.” It’s perhaps not surprising that Alistair Brownlee is a champion fell-runner.

But surely there’s more to it than romping over the hills, something more scientific? Dr. Daniella Strauss, who teaches in the sports science department at the University of Leeds, where Alistair studied, says that from a scientific point of view, a lot really is owed to the terrain. “As a biomechanist and from a locomotion perspective, having access to an environment that continuously changes is likely to influence muscular response,” she says. “If the success of the Yorkshire athletes is anything to go by, the biomechanical and physiological adaptations are extremely beneficial.”

(READ: Great Britain’s Olympic Golds Win Hope, Lift the Public Mood)

Another part of the winning-formula is that the county’s unusually young population has come of age in time for London 2012. Yorkshire has the highest proportion of people in the 20 to 24 age-band in the U.K. The vast majority of the county’s Olympians are in their twenties, and have grown up in a time when the region has experienced a wealth of funding from Britain’s national lottery, in particular for its sports facilities.

The John Charles Center for Sports in Leeds, West Yorkshire, was funded through lottery money. Its Aquatics Center opened its doors in 2007, replacing the old Leeds international pool. International teams such as the Chinese swimming team have availed themselves of its world-class facilities. Both Brownlee brothers also train there.

Leeds city councilor Adam Ogilvie explains that it is the mix of these facilities as well as the sports centers in Leeds and at Leeds Metropolitan University that have enabled local athletes to do so well.

But the future is not necessarily rosy: “A key issue is legacy. A lot of people are throwing this word around.” The challenge, he says, is securing sufficient funding in the current economic climate to keep develop the region’s sports infrastructure. In the short-term, though, Yorkshire can count on two things it now has in abundance: grit, and Olympic gold.

MORE: Give the BBC a Gold Medal: A Love Letter to Britain’s Olympic Broadcaster

Olympic nail art, featuring intricately decorated nail designs of everything from national flags to Olympic rings, can be seen adorning the fingers and toes of many female athletes. Some have opted for freely painted designs; others have gone for the quick and easy nail wrap transfers.

(PHOTOS: Olympic Beauty Statements: Bold, Beautiful and Downright Bizarre)

For those uninitiated in the trend, nail art is very different from the more commonly seen painted nail, which is typically a painted block of color. They are plugging into a trend that traces its orgins to downtown Los Angeles in the 1980s, taking its cue from hip-hop style. Nails became a canvas for any manner of pattern – from graphics to diamante embellishments. The trend crossed into the mainstream as nail bars multiplied across the U.S. and beyond, popularizing elaborate nail fashions and making them easily accessible. Stars such as Lil Kim and Beyonce have also played their part in cementing nail art’s popular appeal.

(MORE: The Strange But Beautiful Art of Synchronized Swimming)

It first Olympic exponent was Florence Griffith-Joyner in the late 1980s. Known as Flo-Jo, the American track-and-field Olympic legend boasted three-inch talons that attracted almost as much attention as her speed on the track. As a child growing up in the hardscrabble L.A. neighborhood of Watts, she would  often mix crushed crayons into her mother’s clear polish to create new shades. But not everybody applauded her creativity with her nails. In 1984, she was denied the opportunity to take part in trials for the U.S.sprint-relay team as officials felt the length of her nails would interfere with the baton hand-off.

At London 2012, such worries seem to have been consigned to the past. U.S. volleyball player Destinee Hooker sports long nails featuring stars and stripes. Richard Hall, a spokesman for FIVB, the international body for volleyball and handball, explained: “As far as we can see, if it does not cause harm to team mates and themselves, we have no issue with it! Of course, if it becomes an issue we will look into it.”

(PHOTOS: Pigments of Imagination: Colors of the Olympics)

Part of the ubiquity of the craze can be explained by the decision of sponsors P&G- for whom this is their first summer Olympics– to open up four salons catering to athletes and their families during the Games. It teamed up with nail artist Sophy Robson, herself a former hip-hop DJ, who created designs based on each competing nation’s  flag. Their freelance nail artists are painting over 150 sets of guests’ nails a day. 

The evolution of the tools of the nail art trade also help to explain its current appeal. The acrylics of the 80s have given way to gels and foil wraps that offer greater staying power and chip-resistance, so for athletes these are more wearable.

They’re all at it: weightlifters, track and field stars, archers and equestrian riders. Forty-two year-old Belgian Claudia Fassaert, who competed in the dressage last week, displayed a very simple design of blue tips featuring the Belgian flag and the Olympic torch on one nail, all painted by her friend.

Others have gone for more ostentatious designs – British gymnast Lynn Hutchison tweeted a picture of her bright gold digits, detailed with the Great Britain flag, with the words: “got to be golden for #ourgreatest team.”

(MORE: London in Full Bloom: Wildflowers Are Breakout Stars at Olympic Park)

Irish swimmer Melanie Nocher, who was sporting a sparkly green on her nails in addition to an Irish flag painted on each thumb, explained that it’s something the athletes have been indulging in in their spare time: “We’ve been doing each others nails. We’ve kind of been on lockdown, so we haven’t had much social time to do this kind of stuff.” Her mother, Muriel, who had also dabbled with some designs, says: “I saw Rebecca Adlington wear them, and I said to Melanie get your nails done! She is quite artistic-she always does something completely crazy when she’s swimming.”

The many rules and regulations on what athletes wear have helped to erase any sense of individuality, but the nail designs seem to be a popular way to inject some personality into the show. And rather than using it as a competitive tool to outdo each other with, the women seem to be enjoying the fact that everyone is taking part, “It’s great to see the flags on everyone – more and more athletes will be doing it now,” says Melanie.

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London 2012 is proving to be a family affair. Perhaps not since Barcelona 1992, when Derek Redmond, the British favorite in the 400 m, snapped his hamstring and was carried across the line, limping, by his father Jim, have parents have become such stars in their own right. So far, none of the parental drama has proven to be as heart-wrenching as that show of paternal support, though what London 2012 has lacked so far in tearjerkers, it is definitely making up for in laughs.

(MORE: Not Done Yet: Michael Phelps Becomes the Most Decorated Olympian of All Time)

The man who arguably takes gold for proudest father is Bert Le Clos, whose son Chad is a South African swimmer. Le Clos is a burly, giant of a man who, shirt unbuttoned and cheeks flushed with pride, flung his arms wildly over his head after his son beat Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, in the 200-m butterfly on Tuesday evening.

This was Chad Le Clos’s first Olympics, and coming away with a gold by beating his swimming idol was an overwhelming experience, evidenced by his teary breakdown on the podium. His father made no attempts of tempering his emotions either. Interviewed by the BBC after the win, the man was exploding with sheer joy: “UN-BE-LIEVABLE!” he bellowed in his gruff, Afrikaans-accented English. “Unbelievable, unbelievable! I have never been so happy in my life … I mean, what happened tonight is like I died and went to heaven.” As clips of his son walking around the pool with Phelps were shown to him on a monitor, he burst into full flow once again. “This is unbelievable — look at him! And he’s beautiful! Look at what a beautiful boy, look at this, look at how ugly I look!” he said laughing, and rubbing his generous belly, incredulous that he could father such a fine Olympic specimen.

Both men were in tears as they took in the immense achievement of winning a gold. “Look at him! He’s crying like me!” said Bert, before shouting at the images of his son, “I love you.” Finally, aware that he was being filmed, he turned to the BBC presenter: “Is this live?”

(MORE: Olympic Highlights in Photographs)

Away from the Aquatics Centre, other athletes’ parents are also gathering an audience. NBC’s clip of American gymnast Aly Raisman’s parents ducking, weaving and wincing as they watched her bar routine during team qualifiers has gone viral. As Raisman goes through her routine, her mother’s face contorts and twists. Her mother Lynn writhes in her seat. “Let’s go Aly! Let’s go, let’s go,” she says over and over again, her voice taut with expectation. Aly’s father Rick bites his lip in anticipation before begging his daughter to “stick it, please, stick it!” Once the 18-year-old successfully “sticks it,” the relief is palpable. Rick Raisman punches the air, and after putting his hand over his heart he looks into the camera and screams, “Aargh!”

Aly, not one to be embarrassed, tweeted after posting the video: “I love my parents.”

For some parents, the spectacle and pressure can be too much to bear. U.S. Olympic gymnast John Orozco may have had to keep his eyes wide open to make sure he made his landings, but his mother Damaris found watching to be almost unbearable. She kept her eyes firmly shut behind her perfectly manicured hands on Saturday, as her husband attempted to zoom in on their son with a pair of binoculars. Once her son’s routine was over, she opened her eyes, fanned herself with her hand, her face flush with relief.

(MORE: Royal Zara Phillips and British Eventing Team Just Miss Gold at Equestrian Eventing)

Nor have Britain’s most famous Olympic family been immune to public, if rather regally restrained, displays of affection. While Olympic equestrian Zara Phillips, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, did not cause her mother Princess Anne to jump with delight as she claimed her silver — the first ever Olympic medal won by a member of the British royal family — Princess Anne’s pride could still be glimpsed as she presented the medal to her daughter. Of the first members of the medal-winning team, Phillips was the only one to get a kiss on the cheek.

(MORE: The British Museum Gets into the Spirit of the Olympic Games)

With only 100,000 foreign visitors expected over the next few weeks, compared to the usual 300,000, the capital will offer plenty of discounts as businesses scramble to make up the lost numbers at hotels, restaurants, theaters and gyms.

Hosting the Summer Games was supposed to bring in an additional $20 billion in economic activity, but the tourist industry hasn’t seen it yet, with some areas of London resembling a ghost town. Part of the problem is that no one knew quite what to expect over these few weeks, and firms have suffered as a result. “We’re bleeding, darling,” Nica Burns, chief executive of Nimax Theatres, told the Financial Times.

Others are more interested in putting a positive spin on it. The Dutch boutique hotel chain citizenM opened its first London branch, close to the Tate Modern, in July. While the hotel’s focus on the well-traveled has meant that it has not offered any Olympic-related discounts, it has recognized the need to do something about the elephant in the room, as well as the need to capture the Olympic audience. “It would be very stupid not to do anything related with the Olympics,” says Robin Chadha, its chief marketing officer and co-founder of the brand. “London is such a dynamic city — we asked ourselves what we could do to make our hotel relevant during that period, how we can capture that.” The result, citizenM Reports, is a platform for “citizen journalists” to document collectively the goings-on in London on its microsite — “everything but sport” as its tagline goes. It’s also holding a series of talks and workshops, including one on alternative London street sports.

(MORE: London’s Loss? Why Hosting the Olympics Is Bad Business)

For citizenM, however, this is a marathon and not a sprint. The impact of the Olympics over the next fortnight is not so important as the goal to establish a base with customers likely to return, unlike, of course, the typical Olympic visitor. For the well-established hotels in London, it’s a different picture. Lastminute.com, the website offering deals and discounts on everything from hotels to spa days, has reported “Olympic fever” and described the hotel availability during the Games as “relatively healthy.” Hotel rates have been cut by up to almost a fifth, with many customers paying an average of just $131.64 for four-star London hotels.

It may only be temporary blessing, but there are many deals to be had in London’s Theatreland as well. Francis Hellyer, the managing director of londontheatredirect.com, says, “The last few days have been unique. We’re taking 50% less bookings than we were this time last year, but there are lots of last-minute deals available. Our website has the largest list of discounts we’ve had at any one time.” Even shows like Chariots of Fire, which could be expected to do well given its sporting theme, is offering discounted tickets.

Hellyer was also keen to point out theater and dinner options, with some tickets giving theatergoers a free three-course meal. Like Theatreland and the high-end hotels, restaurants too have been affected. Celebrity hangouts like The Ivy are notoriously difficult to get into, but check online, or call on the day, and getting a table for 8 p.m. is not unlikely. Caprice Holdings, which owns The Ivy and J Sheekey, are keen to portray the image of business as usual: “Our regular, loyal customers are also very much still booking and dining with us during the Olympic period,” says Jo James, director of sales and marketing for the group. Nevertheless, it’s offering nearly a 50% discount during its prime-time after-theater spot: steak frites and a glass of wine for $31.35 from 10:15 p.m. onward. Opening hours have also been extended in many of its restaurants.

(MORE: The Quirky Art of Britain’s Cultural Olympiad)

For Londoners and visitors alike, it’s a win-win situation. With museums and art galleries also reporting a 30% to 35% attendance drop during this period, London’s finest attractions can be enjoyed in relative quiet. The capital may still be abuzz with Olympic fever, but for those who’ve missed out on Olympic tickets and are wishing to take advantage of the many deals around, London is still open for business.

MORE: Five Places to Escape the Olympic Crowds

And so, the Olympics have actually started – and with women’s soccer, no less. Each of the twelve women’s soccer teams played Wednesday in the first of their three group-stage matches. The matches were scheduled before the official opening to fit in all the group games. And controversy almost immediately struck with North Korea’s players walking off the field due to their images being shown on a screen beside a South Korea flag. The game kicked off over an hour late and Games officials apologized to North Korean management.

There was also a historic first with the first ever women’s Great Britain soccer team taking part in the Olympics, who had the honors of opening the Games against New Zealand in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Steph Houghton capitalized on Great Britain’s many chances to score the opening goal in the 64th minute, which saw Great Britain win 1-0. The host side dominated the game in what was a dream start for Team GB.

(More: The Swift Kicker Behind Japan’s Women’s Soccer Rise)

The significance — the pressure! — of such a historic opener has not been lost on the British team. This is the fifth time women’s soccer has appeared in the Olympics, and Great Britain’s coach, Hope Powell, expressed her high expectations for the game prior to the match: “It puts women’s football out there, puts it on the map and hopefully will showcase the sport,” she said.

It seemed appropriate that no other sports were scheduled for Wednesday, and organizers picked the women’s games to start before the men’s tournament on Thursday. In many respects, London 2012 will go down in history as the first modern Olympics for women. With the inclusion of women’s boxing, this is the first Games in which there are no sporting events exclusive to men. It is also the first time all competing nations will have female Olympians competing. The U.S. Olympic team has taken it one step further – it’s sending 269 women compared to 261 men, and many of its most notable stars to watch for are female – including Allyson Felix, Lolo Jones and Gabby Douglas.

For women’s soccer, this is a much-needed boost. There was an estimated audience of 40,000 attending Great Britain’s match against New Zealand, not nearly enough to fill Millennium Stadium but a wider audience than is usual in the U.K. Many players in women’s soccer are also still semi-professional. Jill Scott, a midfielder for Team GB, holds down two other jobs in addition to playing soccer. That the competition could be very tight between the likes of the U.S., Brazil, Japan and France should help secure more fans and, perhaps more crucially, funding.

The U.S. team, which has already been drumming up support from fans with their Miley Cyrus spoof ‘Party in the U.S.A’ video, are hot favorites to take gold. They opened up against France, who were looking to avenge their semi-final defeat against them in the 2011 World Cup. The French, having beaten Japanese, the current World Cup holders, in a 2-0 friendly in Paris last Thursday opened well against the Americans with a 2-0 lead. However, given that the U.S. women’s team have taken three gold medals in the last four Olympic competitions, they quickly came back with four goals of their own to demolish the French.

(More: The Way We Were: 1948 London Olympians Look Back)

The first two in each of the three groups will qualify for a quarter-final place, with the top two third place teams also securing a place in the quarterfinals. Great Britain has a lot of work to do to get out of the group stage, but history could be on their side. The first time soccer appeared in the Olympics was in 1908 in London – Great Britain won it then in front of a home crowd.

(MORE: Women’s Football: Nadeshiko Japan and Homare Sawa)

Speaking with Japanese media after the 13-hour flight to Paris on Monday, Homare Sawa, the team’s captain and FIFA’s 2011 player of the year, remarked: “I guess it should have been the other way around. Even in terms of age, we are senior.” The incident has caused considerable controversy, especially considering the stature of the women’s team, one of Japan’s brightest hopes for gold medal glory this summer. Following the tsunami and nuclear crisis which devastated the nation in 2011, their 3-1 win on penalties over the U.S. in the World Cup final in July instantly rocketed them to stardom and gave the country cause for celebration.

(MORE: Japan’s Uplifting Women’s World Cup)

Sawa noted that the JFA did upgrade their flights back home to business following their World Cup victory last July, but it appears that this was an exception. As Krista Mahr writes in TIME’s Olympics special issue, Japanese women soccer players receive “far less funding, fewer sponsors and smaller fan base than their male counterparts.” This goes a long way in explaining why the men’s team, even the youth team, can afford to be professional full-time players, and the women still have to stick with being semi-pro. However the fortunes of women’s soccer took a positive turn following the national team’s spectacular World Cup win. The league, which was up until that point sponsored by Plenus Co., saw a flood of new sponsors from some of Japan’s biggest corporate names: Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., Konami Digital Entertainment Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.

How this translates into their treatment during the Olympics is unclear. The JFA President made a statement on Wednesday that the women would have to win gold for them to be considered for an upgrade once again, however the men, who are not considered medal-contenders at all, will be there whatever the result. There is also wider pressure on the Nadeshiko, as the women’s team is known, as it will not only be the JFA looking on them to do well, but the sponsors who will need encouragement to invest further into the women’s game.

(MORE: Behind Britain’s Sordid Soccer Sexism Controversy)

The double standards at play do not appear to be isolated to the Japanese team either. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported on the displeasure of Australia’s women’s basketball team at their treatment at the hands of the Australian Olympic Committee over the years. The team was flown over to London in a mix of business, premium economy and economy, while their male counterparts, who (unlike their female counterparts) have yet to medal at the Games, were all taken in business. The reasons given by a Basketball Australia spokesperson to justify the different travel arrangements was that both teams have different budgets, and factors such as the heights of the players are taken into consideration.

The governing body has now weighed in once again following the criticism it faced from national media and politicians. Scott Derwin, the Basketball Australia’s acting chief executive, noted that historically, the women’s team received more funding than the men’s, and added: “But the simple fact is when a policy results in gender inequality, it’s very clearly not the right policy going forward.” He has confirmed their aim to ensure equity in future travel arrangements.

(MORE: Olympics 2012: Britain Is Again the Centre of the Sports Universe)

The Japanese women have yet to hear a similar commitment from the JFA. Part of the reason could be that the story received limited coverage in Japan, whereas it has been widely commented on elsewhere. Nikkan Sports daily were among the few to note the incident. “The JFA perpetuated the sexist divide that has existed in the world of soccer for a long time,” it wrote.

The women’s team were set to land at Birmingham airport on Friday afternoon ahead of their July 25 opener against Canada in Coventry. It is unclear which class they have been flown over in, but the gender politics in their sport will have to wait as they focus on the task at hand. The team suffered a 2-0 defeat against France on Thursday in their last friendly before the Games; and while they are currently ranked 3^rd in the world, it will take a lot to beat the likes of the U.S. and Brazil, who are considered favorites for the gold.