Just how good will the Olympics be?

[Woodsey]

It was over 200; more than the UN!

Nicole Cooke did it for us 4 years ago, so every faith in Cav.

#goteamgb

Anyone know what time the cycling starts and what time the climax is likely to be?

[redarmi]

Think it starts at 10am but not sure how long it is....couple of hours at a guess.

[AndrewT]

Think it starts at 10am but not sure how long it is....couple of hours at a guess.

6 hours

[Jon MW]

Laura Robson and Heather Watson are comfortably beating the number 7 seeds in the Womens Doubles (they just won the first set 6-1) - not quite sure what's going on as there's no video coverage, but would be nice if they kept it up  

[Jon MW]

Laura Robson and Heather Watson are comfortably beating the number 7 seeds in the Womens Doubles (they just won the first set 6-1) - not quite sure what's going on as there's no video coverage, but would be nice if they kept it up  

never mind 

They broke in the second and got broken back, then broke again - but then lost it all. They didn't collapse but after losing the second break they were never in it. Pretty close.

[Jon MW]

Went to the BT London Live event in Hyde Park - I can highly recommend it - 5 big screens of sport, a music stage and a few sporting activities all supported by places selling burgers, fish and chips, noodles, chocolate etc. etc. - including a number of bars for the alcohol inclined.

All done with a ridiculously pleasant atmosphere amongst the crowd (which seemed to extend over the whole of Hyde Park) 


Not many Olympics comments apart from the whinge thread and the opening ceremony thread - have people given up already?

[TightEnd]

Olympic Handball today, well over half the VIP seats empty

Similar at other events, corporate and "Olympic family" no shows

this is a scandal isn't it?

Loads of families would go if they could turn up and take returns for <£10 per head

[Graham C]

Not many Olympics comments apart from the whinge thread and the opening ceremony thread - have people given up already?

I'm really enjoying the Olympics so far but we've not really had much to sing home about yet, we'll kick more off next week and have a few more medal chances.   Was there cheering on Rebecca tonight and the others in the pool.   

Do they sell cancellation tickets on the door?  I've the day off tomorrow with my daughter and was half thinking of turning up and seeing if we can get to see anything.  I'm not sure I cba really but if tickets are an option I may get tempted depending on what time she wakes up.  The only ones on sale on the website don't really appeal.  Looking at Tighty's picture above I'm guessing no resales on the door.

[Jon MW]

I think there's a scheme to re-sell returned tickets - but obviously Olympic Family tickets don't get returned, they just get thrown away.

Apparently the sponsors have been good at returning the (few) tickets they've ended up not using.

It's a bit risky - I would probably only think it was worth trying to get one of those tickets if I was there for one event and it would be a way of trying to get another one for the other half of the day to the one I already had

[Graham C]

Would like a high % chance of getting in if I turned up but I'm going on the 10th anyway so will wait until then.   

[redarmi]

Unless they announce something i would say you have a pretty low chance tbh.

[AndrewT]

One explanation I've seen is that since the Bribery Act came into force, corporate sponsors are actually finding it difficult to give tickets away to clients, who won't accept them for fear of breaking the law. If they'd realised this earlier they would have bitten the bullet and just given them away to their own employees instead.

Also, what exactly are the sponsors paying all that money for - there's no advertising at the venues. At least when companies sponsor the Champions League you can't get away from all the logos round the pitch or behind players getting interviewed. Surely the people attending aren't going to drink that much Coke.

[TightEnd]

One explanation I've seen is that since the Bribery Act came into force, corporate sponsors are actually finding it difficult to give tickets away to clients, who won't accept them for fear of breaking the law. If they'd realised this earlier they would have bitten the bullet and just given them away to their own employees instead.

Also, what exactly are the sponsors paying all that money for - there's no advertising at the venues. At least when companies sponsor the Champions League you can't get away from all the logos round the pitch or behind players getting interviewed. Surely the people attending aren't going to drink that much Coke.

When you go to the Olympic Park the signs say

"We are proud you can only use Visa on the Olympic Park"

that's one example of advertising round the place

[Jon MW]

One explanation I've seen is that since the Bribery Act came into force, corporate sponsors are actually finding it difficult to give tickets away to clients, who won't accept them for fear of breaking the law. If they'd realised this earlier they would have bitten the bullet and just given them away to their own employees instead.

Also, what exactly are the sponsors paying all that money for - there's no advertising at the venues. At least when companies sponsor the Champions League you can't get away from all the logos round the pitch or behind players getting interviewed. Surely the people attending aren't going to drink that much Coke.

The corporate sponsors are giving some of them to employees, plus competition prize winners. The corporate sponsors are all saying they're not to blame for empty seats and their is verisimilitude about their claims, including I think at least one who have said they didn't use all their tickets so they've already returned them for re-selling.

It's true there is a weird lack of advertising, walking around London I saw lots of sponsor mentions near anywhere Olympic-y but it hasn't come across on TV - which is surely the aim?

[Graham C]

Was the Thorpedo a bit emotional there on the tele?  Seemed to have a tear in his eye when I flicked it over and he was talking about Becca.