3,000 fans to miss out after Olympics ticket error
Olympics organisers admit to Channel 4 News that human error was to blame for the fact that 10,000 more tickets were sold for some events than are actually available.
The error came to light after officials reconciled ticket inventories and updates to the amount of available seating at the Olympics Aquatics Centre. It emerged 3,000 people had been allocated 10,000 tickets which are now no longer available for synchronised swimming events.
One of those who will now have to change their plans is Channel 4 News producer Victoria James. She said: “I bought my synchronised swimming tickets as a treat for my 9-year-old niece – I planned to give her her ticket as a Christmas present.
I’ve got to keep my fingers crossed they can sort it out or I’ll have a very disappointed little girl who’ll be left out of the Olympic excitement. Victoria James
“So for me to receive an email on 21 December saying that – if you read between the lines – our tickets maybe don’t exist, was a very unwelcome shock.
“The message offered swaps for a couple of sports we might enjoy, like diving or athletics, but several more we have no interest in at all, like basketball, and beach volleyball.”
In June 2011 it was revealed nearly two-thirds of the 1.9 million people who had applied for tickets for the games had lost out in the first round of sales. At that time, synchronised swimming was one of the events which still had tickets available.
Alternative events
In a statement, London 2012 organisers told Channel 4 News: “As a result of finalising the seating configurations in our venues and reconciling the millions of Olympic and Paralympic ticket orders against the seating plans for around 1,000 sporting sessions, we have discovered an error in seats available in four Synchronised Swimming sessions.
“In December we contacted around 3,000 customers who had applied for tickets in the four sessions during the second round sales process. We are exchanging their synchronised swimming tickets for tickets in other sports that they originally applied for.”
Olympics organisers have so far not apologised for the blunder but instead told unlucky sports fans: “Reconciliation of ticket inventory and updates to the seating configuration at the Aquatics Centre mean we can now offer you a chance to exchange your tickets to synchronised swimming for tickets to one of the following sports you originally applied for in the initial Olympic ticket application phase”.
But Victoria James now faces an anxious wait: “I’ve told the ticketing team that I want to keep my synchro tickets. Now I’ve got to keep my fingers crossed they can sort it out otherwise I’ll have one very disappointed little girl who’ll be left out of all the Olympic excitement.”
The mistake is the latest PR clanger in the run-up to the games following a row late in 2011 over sponsorship of the global event by Dow Chemicals Country owners of Union Carbide the company responsible for the Bhopal gas leak.
