Who would have thought 15 years ago that not only would the BBC still be spending money on radio coverage of the London Olympics but that there’d also be a dedicated digital station? High definition TV, with its crystal-clear images of every pimple, tattoo and six-pack, should by rights have seen off its poor sound-only relation, with only words, words, words on offer, no pictures, no flashbacks, no sweaty post-triumph interviews. But on Wednesday, Radio 5 Live Olympics Extra came on air (and online), broadcasting to the world nothing but coverage of the Games, throughout the day but also on catch-up all night long.
Radio 5 Live’s controller, Adrian Van Klaveren promises that we’ll hear ‘radio as you’ve never heard it before’. It’ll certainly be different as former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis heads up the commentary team, alongside former Olympians, the rower James Cracknell, sprinter Darren Campbell, javelin champion Steve Backley and hurdler Kriss Akabusi. (Not a single woman behind the microphone. How very 1948.)
Will they succeed in capturing the atmosphere at Eton Dorney for the lightweight double-scull, or at the extraordinary submarine-looking venue for the 10m air rifle? Even more of a challenge will be tempting listeners to tune in to those eerily prescient seconds of stillness before the gun in the 100-metres final. It’ll be almost as Olympian a task as the one they faced in their sporting careers. When all you have is words, you have to pick them carefully. There’ll be endless moments of filling-in while waiting for the athletes to line up and then no time at all for word selection once that gun goes off. So how about sending in your favourite heat-of-the-moment bloomers, those never-to-be-forgotten Spoonerisms and Colemanballs? There’ll be gold, silver and bronze awards for the best three.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in