BBC Athletics commentary is dire because.......

Very true @RaraRachael they are not pleasant to listen to

I also thought it looked like the BBC team were sitting in an area that was open to the crowd so whoever thought that was a good idea needs to seriously reconsider.

@Tumblingjungleofchaos I totally agree with you about the gymnastics commentators. They just drone on with endless lists of each move the competitor is doing which mean nothing to the average viewer. Plus the woman is hypercritical. I don't think either of them has a pleasant voice to listen to.

I think what a person's voice actually sounds like should be taken into consideration. You may be a great coach or former athlete, but they don't always make the best commentators.

I noticed this background noise drowning out the presenters when watching the athletics today, and it was especially bad during the ladies 100m final.

Re sitting in the crowd, it looked like the presenters were not in a specialist studio, but in some sort of room with an open air roof/wall into the public arena. Whoever thought it up needs to think up a fix quickly, as it's not working very well.

I love watching Becky Adlington (and love her dresses) in fact all the swimming commentators are brill and really bring the sport alive. I love Christine on the gymnastics commentary…she’s great and really interesting. The one I find really painful to listen to (sorry) is Beth Tweddle, she should give up commentary and stick to talking in the studio…

I was just going to say I'm really enjoying Rebecca Adlington talking about swimming and training.

Steve Cram is a patronising arse with an awful voice but have to admit does know his stuff. But that nasally whine <shudder>

The gymnastic commentators I feel like have been around forever, I'm sure I heard that woman's voice when I was a kid and I'm in my 50's now. They don't explain anything, just throw out these long name terms as if we will all know what that move means. Just awful. Time to get new ones for this section definitely, who can actually communicate to an audience that may only watch this once every 4 years.

Gabby Logan is dead behind the eyes. I met her once. She pulled the "don't you know who I am" card and was a complete mardy awful cow. Kenny, who was the nicest chap ever, looked mortified.

I rather like Becky Adlington, she's bringing enthusiasm and background knowledge to the swimming.

Crowds too loud.

Commentary is good.

Not sure about the journalists interviewing the athletes post event.

’I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself’ immediately after losing a chance of winning an Olympic medal and shoving a microphone in their face

They don't seem to have addressed the crowd noise issues from last night

Totally agree. The quality of BBC production staff continues to nosedive as the BBC looks to cut costs. The BBC news is a total fault fest. I remember when you had to be the best of the best to get a job at the BBC. Now they take on any numpty provided they tick the right boxes. The only box they don’t tick is competence.

Errrrrm...Denise Lewis, Olympic Champion. Jess Ennis Hill....Olympic Champion. Michael Johnson, one of greatest athletes of all time. Yeah pretty mediocre.

It's the commentators talking to the athletes after they have competed I get irritated by, if I hear 'Talk us through.....' or 'sum up what this means.....' one more time I'll scream.

Are you talking about the athletics? They're all Olympic gold medalists - Michael Johnson has 4 golds and was world record holder in 3 events.

I have noticed that this year, when so many more of the men are wearing tight lycra, at least one commentator has taken to referring to high performers as having the whole "package"

Linford Christie retired years ago, but his legacy lives on !

What's a shoehorn?

Bless you!

The Swedish coverage is the same, they need to give presenters proper booths really, or pundit mics to those who are trackside etc.

I find Clare Balding really patronising & I can’t stand her faux enthusiasm about the athletes. The nonsense about Adam Peaty’s son & his comment about being “the fastest boy” drove me insane & I had to turn over.

Eurosport coverage is far better!!!

The only one I can listen to, and who has the knowledge and intelligence to know less is more, is Hazel Irvine.

As the classic song says " A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh Irigary"

I find the backstories so patronising, esp the women who have had kids and gone back into sport - they are treated with near incredulity. Life doesn’t have to stop when you have kids (admittedly it would be easier if you have an Olympic program helping you out with the childcare).

Ultimately all of the participants are elite athletes at the top of their game. Does it really make a difference whether your Nan told you to see if you could win an Olympic medal one day? No.

Oh I see, you’re a post-modern fan of verbing the noun. (Thread: passim.)

You clearly don't follow athletics very closely do you....

Are you being serious?

The other two on the gymnastics annoy me. I know they're knowledgeable but I want to switch off when I hear them.

Note to commentators- "medal" and "podium" are not verbs

Matt Baker was a competitive gymnast. Granted not at Olympic level but he doesn’t know ‘next to nothing’

i would guess Fred knows more than the average man about diving - parental support is pretty key.