Many athletes admit they have a superstitious routine before they go out and perform. And the British are no exceptions. Here's what's going on inside their minds:

— Gold-winning heptathlete Jessica Ennis has a lucky tape measure that she uses to place her starting blocks precisely.

— Freestyle swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won two bronzes for the UK, wears new goggles for every race and must crack her toes.

— Sprint cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who won a gold, wears a silver pixie charm given to her by a fan that she's worn both in Beijing and London.

— Beth Tweddle, Britain's most successful gymnast, always has her parents in the stands. And since 2003 they've always brought the same Union Jack flag to wave.

— Field hockey player Laura Unsworth says she must go to the loo at least three times before a match, and has banned her curly locked teammate Ashleigh Ball from using hair straighteners; teammate Alex Danson says she spins her stick 15 times in the huddle before a game and ties her left shoelace last.

— Shawn Pogatchnik — Twitter http://twitter.com/ShawnPogatchnik

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EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.