Dunno if this has been mentioned (a search didn't bring anything up) but they have started taking registrations for the chance to buy tickets for the 2012 Olympics:
https://www.tickets.london2012.com/member/registration
Have you registered, and if so, what sports did you choose?
I was going to do football, hockey, tennis, swimming and beach volleyball, but I object to the fact that they make you say which team you support. I consider myself a neutral, yet there is no option for that, so people like me are effectively banned from buying tickets. Which hardly seems fair. Grrr.
Comments
I want to see the cycling.
Is there beach volleyball?
I think it's on horse guards parade.
Yep, although I expect the beach volleyball will be heavily oversubscribed, not just because of blokes wanting to ogle the women's version, but because it's taking place on Horse Guard's Parade. Cue thousands of Americans turning up expecting to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty the Queen.
Was vaguely interested in the mountain biking, but it's taking place somewhere in darkest Essex, so balls to that.
What I *really* wanted to see most of all was the baseball, but that's now been dropped as an Olympic sport. Real shame as there were plans in place to build a 10,000 seater baseball stadium in Regent's Park for it.
PS I have formally complained to them about the lack of a None/Neutral option, so let's see if anything happens.
Olympic Park Tour
No, I just don't support a national team in any particular sport. I like watching sport though, and think it's a bit out of order that I'm not allowed to (effectively) attend any Olympics events as a neutral
Sexist mates have suggested I should put down Brazil in case they seat you with other fans of the same country (apparently Brazilian female fans samba dance in bikinis at Olympic events), but it's the principle of the matter.
I support Charlton Athletic and the Boston Red Sox and would happily put either of them as who I support, but there isn't those options. Not only does it discrimate against neutrals, but what about people who support multiple countries (because their parents are from different countries, or their husband/wife is, or whatever)? Forcing them to just pick just ONE country otherwise they aren't allowed to buy tickets strikes me as really discriminatory. Even, it could be argued, racialist.
People should don't support their country should be banned from attending the Olypics.
Sod wasting tickets on neutrals, give them to those who wish to follow their team!
Yeah. There's a list of all different sports - 34 for olympics, 20 for paralympics, plus the Opening & Closing ceremonies and you pick which ones you're interested in, and then they contact you when tickets are going to go on sale (which won't be til 2011 though). People are registering early in case it's first come first served, ie the earlier you register the more chance you have of getting a ticket when they go on sale.
I know a lot of people who live in London are registering for everything as they want to rent out their homes (complete with tickets) to visitors during Olympics month. Potentially a big earner, apaparently.
That website is simply to register to receive ticketing news directly into your inbox, rather than checking back weekly to see when tickets are going to go on how sell, how, where etc.
The choice of sports & country I'd assume is more to do with gauging interest that's all.
You have not signed up to buy tickets, simply a news service. When tickets go on sale in 2011 you may not have to declare what country you support at all.
Still a bit puzzled that if you're watching a sport in the Olympics you wouldn't be cheering on the Brit (or whatever country you may hail from)
My only concern was that if you put down British, you'd have less chance of getting to things as there would be more demand from Brits.
Do what?
Swap the word should, for who.
I changed my mind about how I was going to word my post, clearly didn't delete back very well
& the rest will predominantly go to those who mark themselves down as an ethnic minority so that the whole world can see what a happy multi-cultural family we all are cheering on all countries from the stands with an array of international flags on display.
I plan on hitting the sunbeds quite heavily at the start of 2011 so I can tick the box British Indian or something and guarantee myself a ticket.
We requested tickets for ALL athletic ( or Track & Field as the Americans call it) events ie both morning & afternoon/evening schedules and obtained all we asked for. I think we only missed a couple of morning sessions ( starting around 8.30am) when heats took place, due to sheer exhaustion on the kids' part from not getting back until midnight to the college in Long Beach where we stayed . We were bussed in to the Coliseum at first but then met up with a young couple who had hired a Rent a Wreck against advice from the BOA reps we met on site , who we car shared with for the remainder of the time. It was felt that traffic would be horrendous between Long Beach and the stadium and parking, a nightmare . However, loads of people had taken their holidays for the duration of the Games and hence left the city making travel less of a chore and we used to park in the very dodgy area around the Coliseum in the front yards of locals who touted daily for our business. No probs whatsoever were encountered.
We obviously met lots of sports fans of differing nationalities whilst there but the majority of Americans weren't interested at all in T & F....luckily for us. However, the " Mary Decker" evening , as they called it, attracted many , purely to see their heroine defeat the upstart, Zola Budd.....And we all know how that turned out !
What I'd say is that coming from "abroad", we appeared to have little trouble in purchasing our tickets compared to those who lived in the US. There were tales of people queuing for days for certain events and still coming away empty handed. And I have a feeling that this might be the case for us in 2012......
Another thought...We also travelled to Stuttgart in '86 for the European Athletic Champs and to Rome in '87 for the World Champs - both with a company called Centresport. We did keep in touch with the guys there for a few further years & met up with some fellow Olympians at Crystal Palace & Birmingham based events . However, we then resumed our love affair with football & started spending our hard earned in SE7 once more and the rest is history. I'll see whether Centresport is still in business and whether they will be involved in ticketing for 2012 , then post on here if there's any news .