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London 2012: Olympics venues stuffed - Lord Coe London 2012: Team GB wins first Olympic medal
(40 minutes later)
Olympics venues are "stuffed to the gunnels" with sports fans, London 2012 chairman Lord Coe has insisted after hundreds of seats were left empty on Saturday and Sunday morning. Cyclist Lizzie Armitstead has won Team GB's first London 2012 medal, taking silver in the women's road race.
Events affected included swimming, rowing, tennis and basketball. At around 20:18 BST, swimmer Rebecca Adlington will aim to win gold in the final of the 400m freestyle.
"I don't think you will be seeing this as an issue, long-term through the Games," he said. London 2012 chairman Lord Coe has insisted Olympics venues are "stuffed to the gunnels" with sports fans.
Meanwhile, cyclist Lizzie Armitstead has won Team GB's first medal, taking silver in the women's road race. His comments come after hundreds of seats were left empty on Saturday and Sunday morning, including swimming, rowing, tennis and basketball.
GB swimmer Rebecca Adlington has reached the 400m freestyle final, where she will defend her title at 20:18 BST. Armitstead, 23, from Otley near Leeds, was beaten to the gold at the end of the 140-kilometre race by Holland's Marianne Vos in a sprint finish on The Mall.
Elsewhere in other Olympic developments:Elsewhere in other Olympic developments:
Lord Coe spoke out as the row mounted over unfilled seats in several Olympic venues.Lord Coe spoke out as the row mounted over unfilled seats in several Olympic venues.
At some venues, seats in the accredited "Olympic family" areas - reserved for groups including officials, sports federations, athletes, journalists and sponsors - have remained unfilled. At some venues, seats in the accredited "Olympic family" areas - reserved for groups including officials, sports federations, athletes, journalists and sponsors - have remained empty.
Empty seats "in the very earliest phases" of the Olympics were part of "the nature of that accredited area", Lord Coe told a press conference.Empty seats "in the very earliest phases" of the Olympics were part of "the nature of that accredited area", Lord Coe told a press conference.
"[The ticket-holders] are trying to figure out how they're going to divide their time, what their responsibilities are, and how and when they get dragged to any number of venues," he said."[The ticket-holders] are trying to figure out how they're going to divide their time, what their responsibilities are, and how and when they get dragged to any number of venues," he said.
Organisers would fill some of the empty seats with servicemen and women, as well as local students and teachers, he added. "I don't think you will be seeing this as an issue, long-term through the Games," he added.
Organisers would fill some of the empty seats with servicemen and women, as well as local students and teachers, he said.
And they would sell more tickets - as they did with about 1,000 tickets on the London 2012 website on Saturday night.And they would sell more tickets - as they did with about 1,000 tickets on the London 2012 website on Saturday night.
He said a system had been introduced similar to the one used at Wimbledon, where people coming out of the stadium handed on their tickets so the seats could be made available to others.He said a system had been introduced similar to the one used at Wimbledon, where people coming out of the stadium handed on their tickets so the seats could be made available to others.
Locog said it would examine options to upgrade the tickets of members of the public and move them into accredited areas.
'Experience tainted''Experience tainted'
Tickets are also given to sponsors and, on Sunday, Visa, British Airways and Lloyds TSB all said they had given the majority of their ticket allocations to customers through competitions and promotions.Tickets are also given to sponsors and, on Sunday, Visa, British Airways and Lloyds TSB all said they had given the majority of their ticket allocations to customers through competitions and promotions.
Lord Coe added that sponsors "were turning up," adding that they would not be naming and shaming those who did not.Lord Coe added that sponsors "were turning up," adding that they would not be naming and shaming those who did not.
On Sunday, the BBC's Kevin Bishop, at the rowing at Eton Dorney, said the cheap seats were pretty full but opposite, next to the press seats in the main stand at the finish, there were several hundred empty seats.On Sunday, the BBC's Kevin Bishop, at the rowing at Eton Dorney, said the cheap seats were pretty full but opposite, next to the press seats in the main stand at the finish, there were several hundred empty seats.
Banks of empty seats could also be seen at Wimbledon's centre court and the Aquatics Centre on Sunday morning.Banks of empty seats could also be seen at Wimbledon's centre court and the Aquatics Centre on Sunday morning.
American Paul Fondie, who now lives in Kew, west London, said he was frustrated by the number of empty seats at the men's gymnastics at the O2 on Saturday.American Paul Fondie, who now lives in Kew, west London, said he was frustrated by the number of empty seats at the men's gymnastics at the O2 on Saturday.
He said he and his wife had not been able to take their six-year-old son because they could not get an extra ticket.He said he and his wife had not been able to take their six-year-old son because they could not get an extra ticket.
"It tainted my experience of the Olympics - it was our moment to come under the microscope and show that London can do it well.""It tainted my experience of the Olympics - it was our moment to come under the microscope and show that London can do it well."
BBC correspondent Andy Swiss said ticketing was a sensitive issue after many fans missed out and the empty seats were a problem Locog would be anxious to solve.
Meanwhile, Mansfield-born Adlington began her defence of the two gold medals she won in Beijing in the 400m freestyle heats on Sunday morning.Meanwhile, Mansfield-born Adlington began her defence of the two gold medals she won in Beijing in the 400m freestyle heats on Sunday morning.
Her battle to hold on to her 800m freestyle title will begin with heats on Thursday morning before Friday night's final.Her battle to hold on to her 800m freestyle title will begin with heats on Thursday morning before Friday night's final.
Cyclist Nicole Cooke is competing in the women's road race - the event in which she won Team GB's first gold at Beijing in 2008 - which began on The Mall at 12:00 BST and will finish there at about 16:00 BST. Andy Murray has claimed his first Olympic singles victory, beating Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-3.
But she could be forced to href="/sport/0/olympics/19035509" title="Cooke hopes to strike first gold" >sacrifice her own gold medal hopes this time to be a support rider for teammate Lizzie Armitstead. And Briton Ben Ainslie has begun his quest for a fourth Olympic gold medal, with a second place finish in the opening race in the sailing at Weymouth Bay.
Andy Murray - who was defeated with his brother Jamie in the tennis doubles on Saturday - will play Stanislas Wawrinka in the singles at Wimbledon. British teams have been competing in basketball, handball, hockey, volleyball, water polo and the football on Sunday.
And Briton Ben Ainslie has begun his quest for a fourth Olympic gold medal as the first day of Olympic sailing begins at Weymouth Bay. What are your experiences of the London 2012 Olympic Games so far? You can get in touch using the form below:
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Meanwhile, the US basketball team - the most decorated in Olympic basketball - will begin their title defence against France later. href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2780295.stm#yourpics">Read the terms and conditions