pension333: London 2012: bells and whistles must add to action not detract from it

The Olympic organisers face a fine balancing act between explaining the subtleties of a sport and pleasing the purists. They must also draw in the crowds without diluting the drama

Strange as it seems now, given the problems caused since by huge over demand, when the first batch of London 2012 tickets went on sale organisers were understandably concerned about how potential purchasers would take to sports rarely, if ever, watched by crowds of any note in this country.

As it turned out, they needn't have worried as handball, shooting, archery, rhythmic gymnastics and the rest were hugely oversubscribed. Destined to become a Trivial Pursuit answer in years to come is the fact that synchronised swimming was the first sport to sell out entirely (albeit thanks to a snafu that saw too many tickets being sold).

But the fact that all those unheralded sports sold out so quickly has meant that the London organising committee has not had to spend as much time and energy as it expected marketing them to the British public.

All of which ensures that there will be even more pressure to do so at Games-time. As such, much of the debate among the team headed by the Locog director of sport Debbie Jevans as they head towards the final and arguably most crucial batch of test events is about how to best present those sports at Games-time.

Given that many of those present will have paid hundreds of pounds to watch a sport that they've never seen before, it is incumbent on Locog to strike a delicate balance between explaining the subtleties and pleasing the purists. Even at established sports where Team GB is expected to do well ? swimming and cycling for example ? enthusiasts will be balanced by those who would struggle to place the four strokes in the medley or remain unsure of the disciplines in the omnium.

Locog must also draw the crowd in with MCs, music and video screens while taking nothing away from the drama of the sport. During the test events that have already taken place, the policy of using loud music and excitable MCs to work the crowd succeeded wonderfully well at the beach volleyball and the basketball, but felt less appropriate between games at the table tennis.

A mainly middle-aged crowd were transfixed by the speed and precision of the Chinese players, but bemused by the blasts of Rihanna and Tinie Tempah that punctuated the action.

A cookie-cutter approach won't work and what is appropriate for beach volleyball is unlikely to go down so well at the dressage. At the same time, Locog wants to ensure a consistent "look and feel" across all the Olympic disciplines.

Any bells and whistles must add to the action rather than taking away from it. An example of what not to do is provided weekly at football grounds including the Riverside and the DW Stadium where artificial bursts of music greet every goal.

The best example of how to manage the delicate balance was probably the electric atmosphere generated at the cycling test events, where the big screens were used to good effect to explain the nuances and a knowledgeable but not over excitable MC described the fast and furious action.

Twitter was also used to relay the comments of those watching in real time to the big screen and Jevans is believed to be in talks with the International Olympic Committee about the extent to which that can be replicated during the Games. It would be an opportunity missed if not.

In contrast, at the diving test event many of those watching could be seen frantically leafing through the programme in an attempt to discern the scoring system and qualification criteria.

As diver after diver tumbled off the high board, there was a widespread feeling of frustration given the absence of any explanation on the big screens or over the tannoy. That will be multiplied several fold if it is repeated at Games-time when people will have paid many times more for their tickets.

Every single sport, from handball to badminton, is viewing the Games as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to give itself a huge boost in profile and improve its standing among the British public. Their cause will be helped by the fact the BBC this week confirmed that live streams of every single sport will be available through 24 separate channels on Sky and Virgin Media as well as online ? though it will be interesting to see if that boosts the exposure of less well known sports or has a diluting effect.

A lucky handful will cut through, either because they provide homegrown medallists or because they gain the sort of cult momentum that ski cross did during the last Winter Games. Others will be crowded out by the noise. But it will be up to Locog to give everyone the opportunity to put their best face forward.

A SIGNAL TO THE WORLD

Touring the Athletes Village recently, a representative of BT ? the 2012 sponsor that is providing super-fast broadband and IPTV to every apartment ? confirmed that the British press pack may face mobile phone connection issues during the Games.

While the four major mobile networks have been working together to boost capacity in the Park for the public, within the main press centre it is only O2 that will be able to guarantee a signal to the world's media having signed a partnership deal with BT.

That means that journalists on any other network will have to sign up for a second phone on the O2 network as part of their contract with the organisers if they want to be guaranteed a signal in the cavernous main press centre. That may seem like a localised whinge (it is) but when the Guardian first raised it last year, Locog assured us that it would be resolved by the time of the opening ceremony. It now doesn't look as though that will be the case ? cue raised voices and a juggling of handsets at Games-time in a building that is supposed to become a hi-tech hub following the Olympics.

SOME LIKE IT HOT

The National Lottery fun run for 5,000 participants in the Park on Saturday confirmed three things. One, excitement levels among a proportion of the public are beginning to punch through the gloom over the cost of the Games and logistical concerns ? the excitement of seeing the venues up close was very real.

Two, that the Meccano-style Olympic Stadium may lack the wow factor of a Bird's Nest or a Wembley but possesses a certain stark beauty and will provide an intimate, blank canvas for the crowds that will make or break the Games-time atmosphere.

And three, that very minimalist design will leave organisers even more desperate for good weather at Games-time. A roof that covers only two-thirds of the stadium, an "inside-out" design with toilets, food and hospitality dotted around the stadium rather than in the undercroft, and an exposed position on a man-made island all conspired to ensure the wind chill factor for those watching friends and family cross the finish line in the stadium was several degrees colder than outside. As such organisers will be hoping for warm days and balmy evenings to encourage a buoyant atmosphere.

Owen Gibson

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/london-2012-olympics-blog/2012/apr/03/london-2012-bells-whistles

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