It seems the Brits still can’t get a handle on their empty-seat problem. BBC:
The empty seats scandal at these Olympics refuses to go away. The problem is not simply that each vacant place is a kick in the teeth to the millions of sports fans who have tried desperately to get hold of tickets.
The blocks of empty seating are also a reminder of the privileges available for the rich and powerful at these Games. It looks dreadful because each unused spot emphasises the special treatment afforded to officials and their business partners who then don’t turn up.
A quarter of all places are reserved for VIPs as well as the media and athletes, but even at sought-after finals, many of the reserved spots have remained unused.
The head of the British Olympic Association, Lord Moynihan, has said again this week that the empty places are “unfair” to Team GB.
“Every empty seat disappoints me because we need every seat filled to radiate the support from the British public who are passionately interested in sport,” he told reporters.
The rest here.