Please find attached some piccies of where I was working, just in case you wonder what I have been doing for the last few weeks….. Val S
My Olympic role was to manage a team of 10 staff who had to get information on events from the sports’ organisers and venues to journalists at the Main Press centre (MPC) so that they could write about, or commentate on, Olympic events.
My desk was in the centre of the newsroom behind what were effectively 3 walls of shelves – known as ‘the press pigeon holes’. At the back of me was a wall of the building, so I was effectively penned in – but there were doors!
Also concealed behind the shelves were 5 banks of printers linked to all of the Olympic venues and sports. Each sport had submitted a plan, in advance, stating what information they would send and when so, on a daily basis, we had a timeline for the receipt of info that started at 6am – start lines, world records, athlete profiles etc – and lasted until around midnight when the final results came in. We started working two shifts daily, 6am – 3.00pm or 3pm until midnight but these were altered to 8am – 4pm and 4pm until midnight once we were up and running and had all of the starting info. Whilst receiving and copying info and distributing it to the press we also had, on a daily basis, to relabelled the shelves to reflect the wishes of the different sports and the events of the next day.
If a sport is ‘live’ that day, the pigeon hole light is switched on. The first picture shows the main newsroom with journalists either working in booths, where there is internet access, or at tables, all using the info that we provide. On a typical day for athletics, for example, we would receive entry lists, then start lists for heats, athlete profiles, current world/Olympic records etc then the results of the heats, the qualifiers, the lane draws for the semis plus any announcements on disqualifications etc. Some of this info needs to be turned around pretty sharply and when, on one day in the middle weekend, we had athletics, swimming, cycling, sailing, boxing, hockey, volleyball, handball all going on at once it was very busy!
In the picture you can also see the large TV screens hung from the ceiling in the main newsroom as journalists from different parts of the world would want to watch different events. The Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS, who are the guys with cameras in dark green shirts when you watch the TV) broadcast live on 16 channels – you can see all of these if you watch the Games via the internet, so we were watching everything, all the time!
Surprisingly there was no Wi-Fi in the Olympic Park so internet access was cabled which journalists accessed through the desks in the newsroom. All modern Olympics have also had an electronic system for managing data and info. This is called MyInfo. Until and including at Beijing in order to access this – picture included – journos had to come into the newsroom but in London this was available remotely to accredited journalists who had purchased one of three – gold, silver or bronze – internet packages. This meant that they could access the info from their hotel rooms, or in bars, but not in the park. Each venue also had its own Press Tribune where there were more pigeon holes due to the lack of WiFi.
Over the course of the Games most of the big GB names have been in to see us – Steve Cram, James Pearce, Claire Balding etc – but we were not supposed to ask for autographs or take photos. James Pearce, the BBC Olympic correspondent tweeted about his visit saying that I should let the team have half an hour outside in the sunshine. We are all trying to get #wemadethegames to trend on Twitter for the Closing Ceremony tonight!
I did bump into Gary Linacre outside, all alone so I did snap him!
So now it is all over…..and normal life resumes. I am coming home to sleep for a week.
PARWICH.ORG 
Thanks Val – a peak behind the scenes is always fascinating. It must have been an amazing experience although what a shame not to have seen any of the actual competition. Will you be volunteering for Rio ?
If all you Olympyholics are replete for a while please spare a thought for “Blake” the Tortoise an intrepid survivor of the disasterous Gallipoli campaign. He was adopted by a Tommie after emerging from a bomb crater virtually unscathed save for mild case of shellshock .Blake was brought to England in 1916 and is now roughly 100 years old,his present owner said’ Blake is not as quick on his feet and is suffering from cataracts although still maintains his virility as numerous futile overtures to various rocks in the garden and a nasty experience with a Hedgehog will testify. he is prone to forgetfulness’ but would still make someone a great companion .Blake is now up for adoption once again, ,Interested?, please Google ” The Tortoise Rescue Centre.
During the amazing Olympics closing ceremony the most hotly anticipated reunion in pop history,”The Spice Girls”, as expected triggered mass hysteria and frenzied stampedes as people scrambled for the exits.
The Governor of the Falkland Islands Mr Nigel Haywood CVO is said to be delighted that the Argentinian Olympic governing body have chosen the Falklands for their pre Rio training base .Mr Haywood said ,’It will be a welcome boost to our economy and tourism industry .Meanwhile a large contingent of logistical staff have arrived under the cover of darkness to avoid disturbing residents, Training camps are being established at strategic locations around the island and as a sign of harmony the Argentinian flag has been raised over Port Stanley. Helicopters are continually flying in with sports equipment and a 9.00pm curfew has been imposed so as to avoid injury from stray javelins etc. As a goodwill gesture the whole British garrison have gone to enjoy an all expenses paid trip to Rio.courtesy of the Argentinian Sports Council. The diving teams are busy setting up concrete Pill boxes on the beach in order to improve their techniques by observing the native Penguins, .Must dash now a huge transport ship is unloading tanks and artillery to practise for the opening ceremony no doubt .Cheers for now. Guss Green your raving reporter.