There were more than 20 million applications for the 6.6m 2012 Olympic tickets available, Games chiefs have said.

Some 1.8m users submitted requests for tickets — 95 per cent of them from the UK — with applications received for every session, at every price point.

More than half the 650 sessions — including track cycling, triathlon, the equestrian cross country events and both the opening and closing ceremonies — sold out.

Tickets for these events will be allocated via a ballot.

Money will be taken from accounts on May 10 — around a month before customers receive confirmation of the events they have secured tickets for.

Those who were unsuccessful will have a final chance to snap up tickets later this year, while those who are unable to use their tickets will be able to exchange them via an official website launching in 2012.

LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe said: “We are thrilled with the response right across the board, in all sports and all sessions.

“Certain events have seen massive demand – for example the opening ceremony, which is more than 10 times oversubscribed, so there will understandably be disappointment and we will find a way to go back to those people with other tickets.

“What is most encouraging is that the majority of applications are for multiple tickets and for several sports, which shows that friends and family are planning to go to the Games together.”

Applications for 2012 tickets opened on March 15. The deadline for requests was originally 11.59pm yesterday, but it was extended by an hour due to performance issues with the organisers’ website.