Olympic Monday morning

I could have spent Monday morning in the office. But this was Olympic week, so instead I was at the start of a three consecutive mornings stint at the Olympic stadium for heats and qualifiers for Olympic athletics events.

Being the obedient chap I am, I heeded all the advice about getting to the Park early because of travel and security issues. And of course both were swift and trouble free, so I had masses of time to wander round aimlessly. Which suited me just fine, as you can see



BBC studios





Live screenings




Basketball arena with velodrome in the background





Olympic village in the background, multinational fans to the fore





The Olympic rings are placed on a mound as a photo-opportunity spot overlooking the velodrome.



That Usain Bolt has a lot to answer for





Hockey arena




And the stunning velodrome, home of an almost uninterrupted run of success. If we weren't disqualified we tended to collect gold.



 Well, eventually I actually went in. What is so amazing compared to the many World and European Championships I have attended is that even first thing in the morning for the heats alone, the stadium is absolutely full. In A world Championships there would be a scattering of keen souls in an echoing stadium - here it was just crammed and rocking from the off.