The management of the London Olympics has promised to find out why so many places at the events have remained empty and to put in place a system to fill them, even if it is for free.
The promise comes in response to criticism that spread on the first day of competition, when the seats were largely empty in events such as tennis, gymnastics and swimming.
On the other hand, an estimated XNUMX million spectators flocked to watch the road bike race, a free and ticketless event.
The president of the Organizing Committee of the Games, Sebastian Coe, and the British culture minister, Jeremy Hunt, expressed the belief that most of those seats belonged to the sponsor's guests.
Kou said that the committee could publicly release the names of those responsible if they did not correct the omission and bring in real fans of the Games.
"We believe that these are accredited venues that belong to the sponsors. But if they won't show up, we want their tickets to be available to the public because that's how the best atmosphere is created. That's why we take it as an urgent problem," Hunt said.
British Swimming Federation chief executive David Sparks said there were far more spectators at the Olympic Aquatics Center in the evening than in the morning.
However, he suggested establishing a system that would allow ticket holders who don't want to use them to donate them so they can be resold.
The organizing committee of the Games announced to the Associated Press agency via email that it is investigating "who should have sat in those places and why he did not attend."
Hunt said the London organizers had learned from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where there were problems filling some places due to high ticket prices.
"One of the lessons we learned is that full stadiums create the best atmosphere, that they are the best for athletes, more interesting for spectators, and that was our absolute priority."
He also said that at the London Games there is a system by which fans can hand over their tickets after leaving the stadium and leave them to those waiting for their turn, but that other systems for redistributing tickets will be considered.
"We want this to be an Olympics that people will remember for the best atmosphere," he said.
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