Top presenters?

[Mooserp]

Who have been your favourites?

For me it's been...

Presenter :
Claire Balding

Pundits:
Lutalo
MJ
Chris Hoy

Commentators:
Andy and Adrian (swimming)

Adore Michael Johnson. Been a massive fan for many years and I'm glued to his every word.

Also really enjoy Steve Cram and Claire balding. So knowledgable and easy to listen to.

All of them. I’ve loved the coverage although wish it had been more - I refused to pay discovery for their coverage.

Shame that this time next week it will all be back to the bloody football and who is playing whom at the weekend.

I agree about swimming team Adrian Moorhouse and Andy Jameson.

Greg Rutherford was excellent too - much better at trackside (or poolside) interviews than Sharron Davies or Jeanette Kwakje, both of whom I find massively irritating and ask gormless questions when athletes are out of breath and still processing a good, indifferent, or poor race. Greg puts some thought into his questions.

Mara Yamauchi is good too - puts some effort into understanding race walking, unlike some of the others.

Shame that this time next week it will all be back to the bloody football and who is playing whom at the weekend Yes :( and back to sportswomen being lucky to get 1/2 a page in the Sunday Times 24 page sports section...

Presenters - Clare Balding & Hazel Irvine

Plus Sam Quek not bad for a newcomer

Commentators - Simon Brotherton & Chris Boardman (cycling)
Andrew Cotter - can he just do everything in future?
Steve Cram

Pundits - the sublime Sir Chris Hoy
Michael Johnson
Lutalo - get him to do Book at Bedtime!
Kath Grainger

Interviewers at the events - Jill Douglas & Matthew Pinsent

On the radio - Steve Bunce (even tho I have no interest in boxing; he is just so enthusiastic)

Sam Quek has been a revelation, very professional and great relationship with Dan Walker in the mornings. Balders can do no wrong in my eyes and Alex Scott will be on The One Show before you can say “Winnin Medaws” 😉

That's so funny @VanCleefArpels as I thought Sam and Dan were so dire in the mornings that I switched them off (despite watching avidly the rest of the time!).

Whoever did the gymnastics, she was excellent

Lucinda Green in the eventing discovery plus

All the BBC athletics commentators who kept mentioning the female athletes expressions and whether they were smiley enough can fuck off

But tbh I found the BBC pundits beyond annoying and loved the full coverage on Discovery plus

Clare Balding absolutely excellent

Michael Johnson always really knowledgeable and interesting

Michael Johnson is always amazing.

Nile Wilson seems lovely.

Loved Claire and Alex in the evenings.

The FiveLive breakfast show has been incredible every morning.

@SunSeaSurfGin

Oooo good question Presenters Claire Balding Hazel Irvine Dan Walker

Pundits
Chris Hoy
Mark Foster
Becky Adlington
Micheal Johnson
Lutalo - hope we haven't seen the last of him

Commentators
Chris Boardman
Matt Baker & the lady called Chris
Andy & Adrian
Andrew Cotter
The Geordie guy who does marathons

Also like Jill in cycling
The lady who did the interviews in the rugby 7s
Jason Mohammad

The Jill who does the cycling and the lady who asks the rugby questions is the same person: Jill Douglas. She's absolutely fabulous.

As are:
Claire Balding
Hazel Irvine
Andrew Cotter
Gabby Logan
Jess Ennis-Hill
Chris Hoy
Chris Boardman
Simon Brotherton
Andy and Adrian
Becky Adlington
Leon Taylor
Kat Downes
Lutalo Mohammed
Christine Still
Katherine Grainger
Matthew Pinsent
Samantha Murray
Annie Emerson

Alex Scott and Sam Quek have been awful. Their questions have sounded so scripted and false and they sound like they don't know what they are talking about and are also patronising to viewers. Kat Downes completely outshone Sam Quek on presenting duties this morning.

Oh I completely forgot Michael Johnson. A hero of mine who is brilliant and extremely knowledgeable (and I don't think the athletics is complete without him saying ba-TON). I also like Steve Backley. The BBC have finally started to take field events seriously (although need a big lead out of Eurosport's book) and I like the way he talks about them technically.

I also can't stand Mark Foster as a swimming pundit. Adds nothing.

Claire and Hazel are brilliant - knowledgeable, professional, funny and do not make everything about them. I've felt so sorry for Claire having to co-present with Alex this time - the complete opposite of everything that Claire is.

This ^
I also like Steve Cram and Michael Johnson
I like Dan Walker and Sam (Querk ?)

Trouble is with Andrew Cotter, is I loved the commentaries he did during lockdown, with his dogs, and it no longer seems as good when he is "just" doing sport

Yes, I like this question!

Presenters: Claire & Hazel (I didn’t watch breakfast but my mum liked Dan & Sam).

I really like Alex Scott but it was uncomfortable to watch at times. I think maybe a mix of presenters on ‘Today’ might have worked better; every night for more than two weeks must have been challenging and she said herself that she found live TV high pressure.

Pundits: Lutalo was incredibly insightful on taekwondo, both the sport and the team. Chris Hoy - just lovely. MJ - I’m always incredibly grateful that the BBC must pay him more than the American networks. Matthew Pinsent. Beth Tweddle much better this time and Nile Wilson was great.

Chris Mears (Diving) seemed a bit all over the place. I’m also looking forward to when someone replaces the tiresome Mark Foster. I also think there’s no need for two heptathletes to be doing punditry at the same time. Triathlon needs a Brownlee next time (Ali was in Tokyo but it would have been good to hear more of his viewpoint).

Commentary: Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Steve Cram, Paula Radcliffe, Christine Still, Annie Emerson, Leon Taylor, Kat Downes, the woman who commentates on dressage, Chris Boardman & Steve Brotherton. Adrian Moorhouse is brilliant at the swimming.

I struggle with Andy Jamieson (Swimming) for a number of reasons but mainly his gloating on being ‘lead’ commentator and the constant ‘oooh, that takeover was very tight’ and then no one is disqualified. But there’s at least 15 years of resentment around that building up in me so I don’t think he’d ever be on my good list!

Jill Douglas wonderfully calm with good questions as ever.

I enjoyed all the presenters in their different ways. It's not on really to compare Claire Balding (with her years of experience) with 'newcomers' Alex Scott and Sam Quek.

No-one's mentioned JJ Chalmers who did a lot of the night-time (our time) presenting. I thought he did a great job.

Do love Michael Johnson. Having an 'outsider' (not a Brit) commentating adds some broader objectivity. And I agree he must be being paid more than he would do in the US to present for the BBC.

@Seeline

Claire and Hazel are brilliant - knowledgeable, professional, funny and do not make everything about them. I've felt so sorry for Claire having to co-present with Alex this time - the complete opposite of everything that Claire is.

Lutalo was lovely - great at explaining something that I knew nothing about so that it was clear.

I'm not normally keen on Beth Tweddle but she seemed much more relaxed this time.

Chris Hoy is great.

Was waiting for a comment like this and suspect this is what the thread is really set up for.

I think Alex and Sam will settle into their roles as they develop more knowledge across the different sporting disciplines. How long has Claire Balding been a sports presenter for? It seems like forever. Hardly a fair comparison really!

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

I think Alex and Sam will settle into their roles as they develop more knowledge across the different sporting disciplines. How long has Claire Balding been a sports presenter for? It seems like forever. Hardly a fair comparison really!

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 totally agree

I was pleased to see HQ remove the disgusting thread about Alex Scott and her pronunciation, together with the deletion message.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the Olympics.

Jj Chalmers doing the middle of the night shift was excellent.

Michael Johnson is always good, really knows what he’s talking about and can talk in depth, analysing properly rather than just a surface level rehash of what happened.

Andrew Cotter and Steve Cram also excellent.

Having seen the green-screen studio, and just how odd and unnatural it looks, I'm prepared to give Alex a lot more credit than I originally did!

I still think she raced through the autocue a bit, but I can forgive her looking not very relaxed when standing up and moving around because I suspect I'd feel like an idiot if I was in a bright green box and had no idea what my surroundings were supposed to look like!

I know right? Alex sounds a lot more like the actual Olympians than a 60 year old bloke who could barely run for the bus!

I liked Alex Scott and I liked her speaking voice.
Claire B is boring ditto Michael Johnson imo, but that might be because I had him as my couch to 5k voice and he sounded so bored and not at all impressed with my running lol

I liked Clare Balding, Dan Walker, Hazel Irvine.

Loved Michael Johnson and Chris Hoy.

I loved all of it. Feeling a bit bereft today!

I really enjoyed the diving commentary from Leon Taylor.