The debacle has prompted wide debate on social media, with opinion divided on whether the players were exercising tactical nous within a poorly designed system or were guilty of failing the Olympic spirit and bringing the game into disrepute.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The architectural diversity makes for an east meets west meets north meets south type of feel, epitomizing the Olympic spirit.

FORBES: Connect

His aim is to show that he is the one who can make the slogan "we're all in it together" meaningful by pledging to use the power of government to stand up to vested interests - banks, energy, pension and rail companies - as well as harnessing the Olympic spirit of working together to repair Britain.

BBC: Ed Miliband's test: To be seen as a possible PM

The Olympic Games celebrate majesty of the human body as a perfectly tuned machine, and the spirit that pushes that machine to its limits.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Today the country will take one last gulp of Olympic spirit.

BBC: Boris and the Olympic legacy made flesh

Every caption tells a story of an ordinary person being touched by the Olympic gods, or at least their spirit.

BBC: The Road to 2012 in portraiture