British Olympic Association Chairman Colin Moynihan told reporters it was “wrong and unacceptable” that more than 50 percent of the country’s medallists in Beijing in 2008 came from elite independent schools.

The vast bulk of British children attend state schools.

He said a wealth of talent was going untapped and undeveloped in the state system.

The trend seemed to be continuing at London 2012 where rowing pair Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who won Britain’s first gold medal, both attended private schools.

One of its greatest cyclists Chris Hoy, who won a gold in the team sprint on Thursday, was also educated at an independent school.

“It tells you that 50 percent of the medals came from 7 per cent of the population,” Moynihan said. “It’s one of the worst statistics in British sport.

“It is wholly unacceptable that over 50 percent of our medallists in Beijing came from the independent sector.”

He said it should be a priority of future governments to make sport less exclusive.

“There is so much talent out there in the 93 percent that should be identified and developed and given equal opportunity through a sports policy that reaches out to able bodied and disabled people whatever their background,” he said.

Professional football is the opposite, and acts as a perfect mirror to society, where just 7 percent of players are from the independent sector.

Pierre de Coubertin, credited with reviving the Olympics with the first modern Games in 1896, was impressed by the role organised sport had in schooling when he visited the independent school Rugby in 1883.

Independent schools tend to have the financial resources to fund such sports in which Britain excels, including rowing and sailing.

School sport has also been neglected by a succession of British governments, and suffered from a policy of selling off school playing fields in the 1980s.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Ossian Shine)

British Olympic Association Chairman Colin Moynihan told
reporters it was “wrong and unacceptable” that more than 50
percent of the country’s medallists in Beijing in 2008 came from
elite independent schools.

The vast bulk of British children attend state schools.

He said a wealth of talent was going untapped and
undeveloped in the state system.

The trend seemed to be continuing at London 2012 where
rowing pair Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who won Britain’s
first gold medal, both attended private schools.

One of its greatest cyclists Chris Hoy, who won a gold in
the team sprint on Thursday, was also educated at an independent
school.

“It tells you that 50 percent of the medals came from 7 per
cent of the population,” Moynihan said. “It’s one of the worst
statistics in British sport.

“It is wholly unacceptable that over 50 percent of our
medallists in Beijing came from the independent sector.”

He said it should be a priority of future governments to
make sport less exclusive.

“There is so much talent out there in the 93 percent that
should be identified and developed and given equal opportunity
through a sports policy that reaches out to able bodied and
disabled people whatever their background,” he said.

Professional soccer is the opposite, and acts as a perfect
mirror to society, where just 7 percent of players are from the
independent sector.

Pierre de Coubertin, credited with reviving the Olympics
with the first modern Games in 1896, was impressed by the role
organised sport had in schooling when he visited the independent
school Rugby in 1883.

Independent schools tend to have the financial resources to
fund such sports in which Britain excels, including rowing and
sailing.

School sport has also been neglected by a succession of
British governments, and suffered from a policy of selling off
school playing fields in the 1980s.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Ossian Shine)

The issue of unfilled stadiums has proved to be a headache for London Olympic organizers (LOCOG) who embarked on a complex ticketing system more than a year ago in an attempt to avoid the gaps in the stands seen at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Yet despite an apparent insatiable appetite among the British public and tickets selling out within minutes of going online, empty seats can still be seen at events, including some finals.

About 3.8 million spectators have turned out, but the attendee rate was as low as 85 percent on Tuesday, with even bigger swathes of empty seats in accredited areas where Olympic officials, sports federations, national Olympic committees, athletes and the media have seats.

“I don’t feel any more relaxed today than I did two days ago,” BOA Chairman Colin Moynihan told reporters.

“There’s some initiatives that LOCOG have tried to take, (Culture and Sport Secretary) Jeremy Hunt is still looking into this, but it is a subject which has got to tax the minds of those who are responsible for the ticketing each and every day between now and the end of the Games.”

But a spokeswoman for LOCOG hit back saying “Colin should come and talk to us if he has got other ideas”.

LOCOG has already asked those with accredited seats to give up any unwanted seats, and sold the 9,000 tickets which were subsequently made available within hours, helping reach an 80 percent attendance rate in this area on Wednesday.

Other measures adopted have included doubling the number of teachers and students allowed to take up empty accredited seats, and encouraging off-duty volunteers and the military, on security duties, to sit in the area.

Culture and Sport Secretary Hunt has asked for a 30-minute rule, where anyone not taking up their seat within half an hour of the start of competition will see their seat resold to others.

‘HANG IN THERE’

“We actually think that we are moving through this quite successfully, to have 80 percent of the accredited seating filled yesterday, which was a very, very different situation to what it looked like on Monday,” the LOCOG spokeswoman said.

LOCOG is still coming under fire from sports fans who find the recycling ticket system confusing and for its continued use of an online system that cannot cope with demand, and its refusal to open box offices at Olympic Park.

LOCOG has put another 275,000 tickets on sale, mainly for soccer, which became available after logistics such as TV camera positions were sorted out.

LOCOG’s spokeswoman urged fans to “hang in there, be patient, persevere”.

The problem with empty accredited seats is expected to ease when sports move into the finals, but LOCOG has had detailed talks with the IAAF about avoiding a repeat of the situation when track and field events begin on Friday.

About 75 percent of the available 8.8 million tickets went to the British public, with the rest set aside for international sales, IOC officials, sponsors and media.

Moynihan said he wanted as many seats filled to give TeamGB full home advantage.

“This has to be sorted. It is unfair on TeamGB not to have maximum support from as many people sitting in seats as possible,” he said.

“Every empty seat disappoints me because we need every seat filled to radiate the support from the British public who are passionately interested in sport and are absolutely 100 percent behind TeamGB.”

He has already called on the International Olympic Committee to take control of Olympic ticketing and create a new platform.

“This is an issue that seriously concerns me, not just for this Olympic Games, but for all Olympic Games in the future,” he added, calling it a “major take-away” issue for the IOC.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; editing by Jason Neely)

The issue of unfilled stadiums has proved to be a headache
for London Olympic organisers (LOCOG) who embarked on a complex
ticketing system more than a year ago in an attempt to avoid the
gaps in the stands seen at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Yet despite an apparent insatiable appetite among the
British public and tickets selling out within minutes of going
online, empty seats can still be seen at events, including some
finals.

About 3.8 million spectators have turned out, but the
attendee rate was as low as 85 percent on Tuesday, with even
bigger swathes of empty seats in accredited areas where Olympic
officials, sports federations, national Olympic committees,
athletes and the media have seats.

“I don’t feel any more relaxed today than I did two days
ago,” BOA Chairman Colin Moynihan told reporters.

“There’s some initiatives that LOCOG have tried to take,
(Culture and Sport Secretary) Jeremy Hunt is still looking into
this, but it is a subject which has got to tax the minds of
those who are responsible for the ticketing each and every day
between now and the end of the Games.”

But a spokeswoman for LOCOG hit back saying “Colin should
come and talk to us if he has got other ideas”.

LOCOG has already asked those with accredited seats to give
up any unwanted seats, and sold the 9,000 tickets which were
subsequently made available within hours, he lping reach an 80
percent attendance rate in this area on Wednesday.

Other measures adopted have included doubling the number of
teachers and students allowed to take up empty accredited seats,
and encouraging off-duty volunteers and the military, on
security duties, to sit in the area.

Culture and Sport Secretary Hunt has asked for a 30-minute
rule, where anyone not taking up their seat within half an hour
of the start of competition will see their seat resold to
others.

‘HANG IN THERE’

“We actually think that we are moving through this quite
successfully, to have 80 percent of the accredited seating
filled yesterday, which was a very, very different situation to
what it looked like on Monday,” the LOCOG spokeswoman said.

LOCOG is still coming under fire from sports fans who find
the recycling ticket system confusing and for its continued use
of an online system that cannot cope with demand, and its
refusal to open box offices at Olympic Park.

LOCOG has put another 275,000 tickets on sale, mainly for
soccer, which became available after logistics such as TV camera
positions were sorted out.

LOCOG’s spokeswoman urged fans to “hang in there, be
patient, persevere”.

The problem with empty accredited seats is expected to ease
when sports move into the finals, but LOCOG has had detailed
talks with the IAAF about avoiding a repeat of the situation
when track and field events begin on Friday.

About 75 percent of the available 8.8 million tickets went
to the British public, with the rest set aside for international
sales, IOC officials, sponsors and media.

Moynihan said he wanted as many seats filled to give TeamGB
full home advantage.

“This has to be sorted. It is unfair on TeamGB not to have
maximum support from as many people sitting in seats as
possible,” he said.

“Every empty seat disappoints me because we need every seat
filled to radiate the support from the British public who are
passionately interested in sport and are absolutely 100 percent
behind TeamGB.”

He has already called on the International Olympic Committee
to take control of Olympic ticketing and create a new platform.

“This is an issue that seriously concerns me, not just for
this Olympic Games, but for all Olympic Games in the future,” he
added, calling it a “major take-away” issue for the IOC.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; editing by Jason Neely)

The 16-year-old has been the focus of some unwelcome attention since her world record performance in the 400 medley, with a few critics questioning how she could have swum her final freestyle length faster than Ryan Lochte did in the men’s event, also knocking 5 seconds off her personal best in that race.

Australian swimmer Alicia Coutts, who trailed behind her in second place in the 200 meters individual medley a few days later, also said she believed athletes should be treated as “innocent until proven guilty”.

“It’s not the first time teenagers have broken world records or won Olympic titles,” Coe, a former middle-distance double gold medalist on the track, told reporters on Wednesday.

“You’ve got to be very careful when you suddenly assume that a massive and unexpected breakthrough in an event or a particular discipline is based on anything other than great coaching, extraordinary talent and all the other things.”

He looked back to his late teens when, he said, he took 4.5 seconds off his best time in the 800 meters.

“So it’s really not that unthinkable,” he said.

The youngster’s supporters have accused her detractors of racism, pointing out that far from appearing out of the blue, Ye, a world champion over the 200 medley last year, had been very much on the sport’s radar for years.

Asked directly if she had ever used performance-enhancing drugs, Ye has answered through an interpreter: “Absolutely not.”

She said the accusations were “a bit unfair”, and put her success down to her hard work.

Coe, chair of the London Olympic organizing committee (LOCOG), said he would prefer to give the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

“So my inkling is to celebrate what was an extraordinary performance,” he said.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

The 16-year-old has been the focus of some unwelcome
attention since her world record performance in the 400 medley,
with a few critics questioning how she could have swum her final
freestyle length faster than Ryan Lochte did in the men’s event,
also knocking 5 seconds off her personal best in that race.

Australian swimmer Alicia Coutts, who trailed behind her in
second place in the 200 metres individual medley a few days
later, also said she believed athletes should be treated as
“innocent until proven guilty”.

“It’s not the first time teenagers have broken world records
or won Olympic titles,” Coe, a former middle-distance double
gold medallist on the track, told reporters on Wednesday.

“You’ve got to be very careful when you suddenly assume that
a massive and unexpected breakthrough in an event or a
particular discipline is based on anything other than great
coaching, extraordinary talent and all the other things.”

He looked back to his late teens when, he said, he took 4.5
seconds off his best time in the 800 metres.

“So it’s really not that unthinkable,” he said.

The youngster’s supporters have accused her detractors of
racism, pointing out that far from appearing out of the blue,
Ye, a world champion over the 200 medley last year, had been
very much on the sport’s radar for years.

Asked directly if she had ever used performance-enhancing
drugs, Ye has answered through an interpreter: “Absolutely not.”

She said the accusations were “a bit unfair”, and put her
success down to her hard work.

Coe, chair of the London Olympic organising committee
(LOCOG), said he would prefer to give the benefit of the doubt
until proven otherwise.

“So my inkling is to celebrate what was an extraordinary
performance,” he said.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

The tickets are mainly so-called contingency tickets – those that have become available after logistics such as camera positions have been worked out, LOCOG said.

“We are getting to the point now where the last one or two percent in every stadium, which is difficult with any seating activity, you hold them back to make sure the seats work and the views are not restricted,” LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton told reporters.

“So as we are seeing how every venue works, we are now just releasing the final tickets. They really come out of that pool.”

It may come as a surprise to many sports fans who have been used to seeing “sold out” signs go up during the various tranches of ticket sales that began more than a year ago.

The tickets are across a variety of sports, and should go on sale in the next 48 hours, with a further undisclosed number to come.

An extra 200,000 soccer tickets will also be made available.

The athletics tickets have been worked out after last Friday’s opening ceremony in the main stadium.

Tickets sales have been a contentious issue among Britons, who have become frustrated with a complex and obscure online lottery process that seemed to be skewed in favor of those prepared to spend hundreds of pounds, and that seemed unable to cope with the huge demand.

The anger was then compounded when swathes of empty seats could be seen among the so-called Olympic family accredited areas – those reserved for the national Olympic committees, sports federations, athletes and the media.

LOCOG began reclaiming some of these seats in an attempt to appease fans, and a further 3,000 will go on sale for sessions up to Monday.

This was down on the previous two days, as demand from the Olympic family picks up as more events move towards their climax and because the area has been trimmed.

On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would look into how it distributes its tickets to national Olympic committees.

LOCOG has also looked to recycle tickets, but some fans have given up, complaining that guides gave conflicting information about where to buy them and what was available.

LOCOG was unable to say how many tickets had been recycled.

Despite LOCOG’s efforts to get soldiers and students to help fill the empty seats, the percentage of those attending was at its lowest on Tuesday.

About 500,000 spectators rolled up to venues, about 85 percent capacity – marginally lower than Saturday, but seven percentage points down on Sunday.

Soccer was being blamed for the drop, despite some of the best attendances having been seen for the sport at an Olympics.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby. Editing by Patrick Johnston; patrick.johnston@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: patrick.johnston.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; +442075427933; Reuters Messaging: For all the latest Olympic news go to here)

The tickets are mainly so-called contingency tickets – those
that have become available after logistics such as camera
positions have been worked out, LOCOG said.

“We are getting to the point now where the last one or two
percent in every stadium, which is difficult with any seating
activity, you hold them back to make sure the seats work and the
views are not restricted,” LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton
told reporters.

“So as we are seeing how every venue works, we are now just
releasing the final tickets. They really come out of that pool.”

It may come as a surprise to many sports fans who have been
used to seeing “sold out” signs go up during the various
tranches of ticket sales that began more than a year ago.

The tickets are across a variety of sports, and should go on
sale in the next 48 hours, with a further undisclosed number to
come.

An extra 200,000 soccer tickets will also be made available.

The athletics tickets have been worked out after last
Friday’s opening ceremony in the main stadium.

Tickets sales have been a contentious issue among Britons,
who have become frustrated with a complex and obscure online
lottery process that seemed to be skewed in favour of those
prepared to spend hundreds of pounds, and that seemed unable to
cope with the huge demand.

The anger was then compounded when swathes of empty seats
could be seen among the so-called Olympic family accredited
areas – those reserved for the national Olympic committees,
sports federations, athletes and the media.

LOCOG began reclaiming some of these seats in an attempt to
appease fans, and a further 3,000 will go on sale for sessions
up to Monday.

This was down on the previous two days, as demand from the
Olympic family picks up as more events move towards their climax
and because the area has been trimmed.

On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said
it would look into how it distributes its tickets to national
Olympic committees.

LOCOG has also looked to recycle tickets, but some fans have
given up, complaining that guides gave conflicting information
about where to buy them and what was available.

LOCOG was unable to say how many tickets had been recycled.

Despite LOCOG’s efforts to get soldiers and students to help
fill the empty seats, the percentage of those attending was at
its lowest on Tuesday.

About 500,000 spectators rolled up to venues, about 85
percent capacity – marginally lower than Saturday, but seven
percentage points down on Sunday.

Soccer was being blamed for the drop, despite some of the
best attendances having been seen for the sport at an Olympics.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby. Editing by Patrick Johnston;
patrick.johnston@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:
patrick.johnston.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; +442075427933;
Reuters Messaging: For all the latest Olympic news go to here)

The Mayor of London, who was first spotted on the world stage, hand in pocket, taking the Olympic flag from the host city Beijing four years ago, is attempting to schmooze international businesses and persuade them to invest in the capital.

“This is the summer to be in London,” Johnson told Reuters in an interview. “It’s all getting better and better. It’s just a great crescendo of excitement.

“There will be, and there are already significant benefits, from hosting the Olympics but the trick is going to be to keep up the momentum.”

The mayor’s infectious ebullience has already persuaded private companies to sponsor some of his ideas, including a cable car over the River Thames, a self-service bicycles for hire scheme and an orbital tower in the Olympic Park that partly resembles a helter skelter.

Now Johnson hopes that about 100 new foreign companies will come to London, creating an initial 3,000 jobs and 350 million pounds ($548.38 million) of economic benefit.

London & Partners, partly funded by the mayor, is hosting a series of business events during the Games based around creative industries, finance, environmental companies and technology firms.

It is particularly focusing on companies based in China, India and the United States who currently do not have a large presence in the capital city.

KICKING DOWN DOORS

The mayor told a meeting of creative business leaders at the Design Museum, on the River Thames, on Tuesday evening: “We hope to attract more and more people from around the world to invest here and to build up their businesses here, your enterprises.

“We are here to kick down doors for you, help with visas, get things moving.”

Johnson told Reuters that investment in the city’s infrastructure, including transport, would continue to deliver long-term returns and that there was an “optimism and a confidence now that is fantastic”.

About 40,000 jobs have been created on the back of the Games, he said, and a previously neglected part of east London where the Games is being staged has been regenerated.

“We think the long-term benefits to be secured from the Olympics and the Olympic investments will be delivering jobs and growth for London for a long time to come,” said the mayor.

Some local politicians criticized Johnson on Tuesday for having invited News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch to an Olympic swimming event despite one of its News International newspapers, the News of the World, being at the centre of a phone-hacking scandal.

“I have a big program of engagements and it is the right thing to do,” the mayor said.

“It’s harder to think of anybody who’s done more to sponsor and support British sport by the way.”

BSkyB sponsors Britain’s highly successful cycling team, Team Sky.

Johnson, whose ruffled blond hair, apparent disrespect for the politically banal, and, some say, affected bumbling manner, has made him a household name in Britain and a much touted future British prime minister.

He is so well known that people and the media refer to him simply as Boris.

His profile, and that of London, has risen during the past 12 months after the royal wedding involving Prince William and Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee to mark her 60 years on the throne.

When asked if Londoners can expect a Boris premiership in the future, he said: “No, no, no, that is never going to happen”.

($1 = 0.6382 British pounds)

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

The Mayor of London, who was first spotted on the world
stage, hand in pocket, taking the Olympic flag from the host
city Beijing four years ago, is attempting to schmooze
international businesses and persuade them to invest in the
capital.

“This is the summer to be in London,” Johnson told Reuters
in an interview. “It’s all getting better and better. It’s just
a great crescendo of excitement.

“There will be, and there are already significant benefits,
from hosting the Olympics but the trick is going to be to keep
up the momentum.”

The mayor’s infectious ebullience has already persuaded
private companies to sponsor some of his ideas, including a
cable car over the River Thames, a self-service bicycles for
hire scheme and an orbital tower in the Olympic Park that partly
resembles a helter skelter.

Now Johnson hopes that about 100 new foreign companies will
come to London, creating an initial 3,000 jobs and 350 million
pounds ($548.38 million) of economic benefit.

London & Partners, partly funded by the mayor, is hosting a
series of business events during the Games based around creative
industries, finance, environmental companies and technology
firms.

It is particularly focusing on companies based in China,
India and the United States who currently do not have a large
presence in the capital city.

KICKING DOWN DOORS

The mayor told a meeting of creative business leaders at the
Design Museum, on the River Thames, on Tuesday evening: “We hope
to attract more and more people from around the world to invest
here and to build up their businesses here, your enterprises.

“We are here to kick down doors for you, help with visas,
get things moving.”

Johnson told Reuters that investment in the city’s
infrastructure, including transport, would continue to deliver
long-term returns and that there was an “optimism and a
confidence now that is fantastic”.

About 40,000 jobs have been created on the back of the
Games, he said, and a previously neglected part of east London
where the Games is being staged has been regenerated.

“We think the long-term benefits to be secured from the
Olympics and the Olympic investments will be delivering jobs and
growth for London for a long time to come,” said the mayor.

Some local politicians criticised Johnson on Tuesday for
having invited News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch to an
Olympic swimming event despite one of its News International
newspapers, the News of the World, being at the centre of a
phone-hacking scandal.

“I have a big programme of engagements and it is the right
thing to do,” the mayor said.

“It’s harder to think of anybody who’s done more to sponsor
and support British sport by the way.”

BSkyB sponsors Britain’s highly successful cycling team,
Team Sky.

Johnson, whose ruffled blond hair, apparent disrespect for
the politically banal, and, some say, affected bumbling manner,
has made him a household name in Britain and a much touted
future British prime minister.

He is so well known that people and the media refer to him
simply as Boris.

His profile, and that of London, has risen during the past
12 months after the royal wedding involving Prince William and
Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee to mark her
60 years on the throne.

When asked if Londoners can expect a Boris premiership in
the future, he said: “No, no, no, that is never going to
happen”.

($1 = 0.6382 British pounds)

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)