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Alastair Jamieson/NBC News
Anya Starovoytov, from San Francisco, likes the music at Saturday's track events
LONDON – Organizers of the London Games on Saturday defended loud music played in the Olympic Stadium while athletes are competing.
Pop tunes with a playlist dominated by British artists were being played constantly between Friday night’s events at the 80,000-seater track and field venue, and also during longer races such as the women's 10,000-meter final.
Some commentators and ticket-holders criticized the decision via social media, calling it “intrusive” and “horribly, unforgivably misjudged.”
Jackie Brock-Doyle, director of communications at the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), said the idea had been approved by the sport's IAAF governing body.
She told reporters on Saturday: “In terms of the music, I think we have the level right, but if you are saying that people are not liking it, then, of course, we will have a look at it, but we have actually had loads of really positive feedback about the atmosphere and the music in the venue.”
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Paul Kelso, sports writer at The Daily Telegraph newspaper, wrote on Saturday that the music was “drowning out the golden moments of London 2012.”
He wrote:
Locog have made much of their use of music in venues, and for the most part it has been well-judged and discerningly selected. Who has ever heard This Charming Man by The Smiths at an athletics meeting before?
But last night, as the women’s 10,000m provided the climax of an exhilarating first day, it was horribly, unforgivably misjudged. The race is one of the great treats of the Olympics, a slowly unfolding drama of tactics and pacing, team strategy combining with individual ambition to provide a unique, always memorable event.
But instead of respecting the athletes and allowing the drama to unfold naturally, the witless gang in the stadium DJ booth decided that techno and twaddle would enhance the experience.
So as a group of four athletes, including eventual winner Tirunesh Dibaba, broke the field and gathered themselves for the finish with 2,000m to run, the commentator, Canadian Garry Hill, encouraged a Mexican Wave to track them round the stadium.
Worse, with two laps to go he dropped some house music. For what its worth it was a decent tune, but it was an unforgiveable distraction from the climax of one of the purest tests of athleticism we will see at the London Games. It might also have been a distraction to the athletes as they calibrated their pace for the final surge.
His comments were echoed by many Twitter users. Athletics Weekly editor Jason Henderson Tweeted: "Not sure about loud, thumping music in athletics stadium. Grands prix, fine. But Olympics should be more traditional, surely."
London journalist Nick Metcalfe posted: “Is the gloss being taken off the Olympic Stadium atmosphere already? Many complaints about intrusive announcements and music.”
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However, the crowd at Saturday's track events was more positive. Tom Wong, from east Yorkshire, England, said: "I really like it - they've chosen the music well and it really helps the atmosphere - it would feel very quiet otherwise."
Anya Starovoytov, from San Francisco, said: "It's getting everyone really pumped up - I can't see that it would bother anyone."
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The music was also defended at Saturday’s press conference by Teresa Edwards, chef de mission at the United States Olympic Committee. She said: “I love it. You can't hear it. In basketball it definitely goes out as soon as the player hits the floor. It entertains the crowd, and we are very used to it in the States, to be honest with you.”
Alastair Jamieson/NBC News
Tom Wong, from east Yorkshire, England, welcomed the music
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Patrick Bauman, secretary-general of the Federation of International Basketball, added: “Personally I maybe agree that it is loud but that is a personal view. The spectators really love it. It does not bother the players and the athletes, they are playing the game.
“In my venue we haven't received any complaints at all. They come in at 9 o'clock in the morning, they leave at midnight and they are all happy, so I think they have the right mix of talent on the field, at least in our sport, and of music and of loudness as well because people like to cheer, they like their kiss cam, and they like singing English songs which are known worldwide, and I think that is really good. It brings more to their experience. It has been excellent, and certainly better than what we had in the past.”
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Leave a Comment:
Venue music while competing in an Olympic event is distracting, to say the least. Watching gymnasts on the beam or bars and hearing the floor-ex music is distracting. I don't know how the gymnasts can concentrate with all the different events going on at the same time. Track is the same, but at least those events take place outside unlike the gymnasts who compete in a confined area.
As for track events-venue music (loud speaker music) played while competition is taking place is downright distracting and should not be allowed. Spectators waiting for events to start have their own entertainment; they either they have their ipods, iphones, ipads, or human co-horts to entertain them.
Music has and always will be a part of gymnastics during the routine - but you've made me wonder about how they isolate that music. I can see where interfering with the gymnast's tunes could be distracting.
old rock music they play over and over till you get sick of it.
What's the obsession with not having silence in our lives anymore? People want to intrude on our lives everywhere. If I want loud, thumping music, I'll bring a freaking iPod. Let's have some peace!!!
It really shouldn't matter what the event organizers, fans, Olympic Committee, tv stations, sponsors, or anyone else thinks about the music DURING events, except the competitors. If they don't mind, have at it. If it's a distraction, turn it off and fast. These people train for years, lifetimes for this moment, and to have an unnecessary distraction would be incredibly disrespectful to the athletes.
You can't stress "incredibly" enough. Insignificant people should be ignored (as always) so the relevant people's (athletes) concerns aren't confused with others' useless whining.
I personally dont see what the big deal is with the music, if you dont think these athletes haven't competed under the same circumstances you're mistaken. Gymnasts have always competed while music for floor exercise is going on. Also these athletes are trained for anything that could happen, and I would guess the music doenst even bother them. They are so focused on what they're doing that it doesnt even faze them
I like symphony, and rock. Good Brit music. And American music. But wrong time. There's 2 things. Music
and sporting events. How about if the Olympics were held in Ceylon and they played that (?)music(?) ?
or Pakistan. Or wow man Africa? Turn it up. Abit singular minded, doncha think?
Isn't the most annoying, distracting noise ever - the vuvuzela - from Africa? Yeah, turn it up!!! LOL
One man's music is another man's noise.
First its noise, before you know it, smell.... Give em an inch they will run a mile.
What kind of music one likes is, of course, a very personal thing; one person's music is another's headache. So, beyond the fact its disrespectful to the athletes to have a concert going on while they compete, very callous to broadcast potentially irritating vibes.
Leave the music off. The runners need to concentrate, and if one doesn't like "Call Me, Maybe," and that's what's playing, it can really ruin the event. IPods, people, or whatever you've got stuck in your ears. Let the games begin, and turn the concert off.
Times change as do the way people do things. Imagine if the tradition of the Olympics were that of the Berlin Olympics when Hitler wanted to demonstrate Aryan and Nazi supremacy. Or how about the US introducing Izzy (Whatizit) as the 1996 mascot for the Atlanta summer Olympics. This was a stupid attempt to introduce an electronically generated image as an Olympic mascot. Never done before. Whatizit was ridiculed and also nicknamed by some as "Sperm in sneakers".
Get off the hyperbole that only the US knows how to run Olympics and everyone else should pay homage to the American way. Geez... you all sound like Romney.
I liked the "bring them home" comment. To where, Greece, Britain or Greece?!?! People should learn history before they learn to use a computer - is this where the schools are failing?
I guess that they think the sport is not entertaining enough itself
At least it wasn't a horrid Black Eyed Peas or a Britney Spears show or other miserable lip sync (out of sync) and clothing malfunction acts at the Super Bowl. Gag! Talk about overdoing something to overload the hearing and visual sensories. Yep. Those Americans know how to do things superior and right at sporting venues! NOT!
Mr Ed, at least those events did not take place during the actual competition, nice try though to put down the Americans. The problem is that they are blasting this music DURING the competition. That is why the criticism is taking place. Yes, these athletes train hard and should be able to block out alot of the atmosphere surrounding them, however music tends to get into one's subconscious, thus affecting one's performance. By playing specific music, the Brits may be accused of trying to manipulate the outcome of the races.
sure glad the media didn't organize and put the olympics on for the world
Most races with international elite runners have loud music all during the event so all of the olympic runners would be quite used to music while racing. Don't know much about other sports.
I find this a large load of bull-pucky. I find it more troubling that a sports commentator for the Daily Telegraph can have such horrible grammar. He needs to brush up on tense and starting a sentence with a preposition. I know he is a "sports" commentator, but he still gets paid to write.
but then again the IAAF isn't competing and also didn't pay money traveling to London to watch athletes. This entire Olympics has been dotted with junk; mass empty seats from an incomprehensible ticketing system, building the Olympic Calderon in the middle of the track and field venue and then having to move it in the middle of the night., 1/3 of the security trained and had to use military, misfiring swimming start equipment, private traffic lanes in already crowded London for high party officials, inability to purchase tickets outside the European Union, endless. Some brain dead DJ with an empty tube of airplane glue blaring crappy music during the track and field events shouldn't surprise anyone.
What exactly is your interest in the Games, anyway? Complaining about them?
Glad I'm enjoying them!
like all big events now days these games are staged not so the sports men and women or the fans get or have got the best conditions they can hope to get from it these games are staged so that the sponsers get the best deal they can out of it
Why do the same type of MORONS whenever they have a chance, always want to blast music whether it in a store or at some other event. The worst part is no break is ever provided.
It as if the average person's head must be so empty and devoid of thought, some banal distraction must constantly be provided and its usually so loud, you can't even have a conversation with the person next to you.
And now we have it. The Olympics ain't about the athletes who have worked so hard to become the best at what they do...it's about the spectators who like the music, the booths, the souvenirs. Having some sort of techno, hip hop, hair metal, vuvuzelas, anything, booming while trying to concentrate is hopelessly distracting and unfair to the competitors, unless the Brit athletes are used to it, then it makes all the sense in the world.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183284/Gabby-Douglas-NBC-forced-apologise-ad-features-monkey-doing-gymnastics-right-AFTER-victory.html
All hail the Vevuzela!
Techno? Really?? That right there should be the reason to turn off the music. One beat thumping in your ear over and over? TECH-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Hmmm...having a moment of silence at the opening ceremony for the athletes killed in Munich was "not appropriate" because the ceremony was just not the right place to do that(huh?), but blaring loud, distracting music during track and field events IS. Can't quite figure that one out. Boy, guess having a moment of silence is just too damn inconvenient for the powers that be at the Olympics...might ruin the rah-rah party atmosphere, right???
There is too much noise everywhere. When did people get so bored with life that they have to be distracted from it constantly? Maybe if there was less noise, there would be more focus? Not just for athletes but for all of us. If your idea of fun is constant loud noise (audio and visual) then you're probably a vacuous dolt without purpose. Noise begets chaos begets violence. A little peace in the world -- of all kinds -- would be welcome. Turn down the voume on it all.