Britain is still holding out for its first gold medal in the 2012 games, but if it doesn't happen, it wouldn't be the first time for a host country.

The 1976 summer games in Montreal hold the embarrassing distinction of being the first in which the host country failed to win a gold medal.

The medal count wasn't the only problem for Canada. The games were also a financial disaster — after the tragedy in Munich, security costs alone had ballooned and accounted for one-third of the total cost of the event. And the games were marred by political strife, with several nations boycotting.

-Source: "Pursuit of Excellence, The Olympic Story" by The Associated Press and Grolier

___

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, and get even more AP updates from the games here: http://twitter.com/AP_Sports