BBC olympic coverage

gracesmum; that's what we've been saying for a couple of days. Reckon it's one of two things [or a combination of both]. That Gary Lineker isn't the nice chap off screen that he is on and that Ian Thorpe really wants to be at the swimming pool. Gary Lineker didn't do the golf coverage for very long because he didn't get on with Peter Alliss et al. This is only stuff that I've heard third hand so I'm not saying I'm right, though, but the Thorpegate stuff has reinforced it. Although, as Thorpe seems to be on the telly 24/7 he's perhaps a bit tired and grouchy. I do love him, though, and will miss him when the Games are over. Thorpe, Foster [sigh] and Clare won the Independant 'vote' for the best presenters so far. they scored [I think] 9. Matt Baker, who was covering the gymnastics got [get this ] 6.5.

Buty why do some of them continue to use the word 'medal' as a verb!! Such as 'he's medaling'. The first time I heard it I wondered what he was meddling in!

..... and continuing on from my original comment... why do really interesting facts about previous athletes, races, records etc etc, have to be presented with accompanying music and graphics? They are unnecessary, inappropriate, distracting and thoroughly irritating.

I agree with Barrow. What particularly annoys me is that when the News & weather is finally allowed its slot (often at some peculiar non-usual time)they show all the same coverage of the Olympics! The terrible events in Syria and the mind-blowing achievements on Mars get pushed right down the running order and then often get minimal coverage! I'm also concerned about some of the disturbing home news which is being nicely lost because of the games coverage, very convenient for the government. I can't even remember some of these because they have barely been mentioned, but I know that the government's decision to allow non-qualified teaching staff in the schools which have become Academies is one such, and the fact that the much criticised Atos has been granted the contract for assessing the PIPs! I see troubled times ahead when all the Olympic hoo-haa is finally over.

also.... falseeconomy.org.uk/cuts/sectors/type/sport

Not only those, trishs, but the news that local councils will be able to fix their own criteria for council tax benefit is going to cause some controversy and annoyance.

Ah! I didn't know that

I am surprised how much I have enjoyed the olympics and the questions it has brought up like the sale of sports fields, which affected my children. My grandchildren have been luckier.

I remember how when I was young we never won anything and I used to get so depressed. But as I never had any intention of doing anything myself in the sporty line I can't think why... but winning things has been lovely.

Did anyone else get infuriated by the commentary and camera work on the modern pentathlon? there were Brits in it, but we only got shown the leader, and eventual second, Mr Chou (sp??) running through the park all on his own. Called Uncle Chou by the rest of the Chinese team - as the commentators repeatedly told us, instead of telling us anything about anyone else - because he was all of 30 . Poor old sod. His legs weren't up to it.

I was away in Austria last week and although we had Satellite TV, I watched the Austrian commentary. They had hardly anybody anywhere near a gold medal(Being used to winning Winter gold medals)- and they were laid back but knowledgable about the athletes. One let out a few ironic jokes about 'Team GB' and there was a lot who felt that athletes from other countries - which is what the Olympic Games is all about, were ignored and had to fight against the roars of the crowd. I preferred the Austrian commentary to the BBC, and got more of a feeling that it was a world event.

i put my name forward to be a volunteer but didn't have enough leave from work left and family weddings taking precedence, so had to withdraw my offer (not sure if I would have been accepted anyway). I too felt a bit cheated at missing out on most of the action when I was at work all day, thank goodness for twitter feeds!

Can anyone explain why the Paralympics have to be so long after the Olympics, surely it would be more logical to have them running straight after the main events. They seem to be looked on as "second best"