NO MATES: A lone spectator sits in an empty section of seats during the finals session on the first day of swimming at action in London.
London-based New Zealanders says it is "galling" to see empty seats at supposedly sold out Olympic venues.
A ticket controversy has rocked the Games with seats at sought after events like the swimming unoccupied. Games organisers yesterday admitted they'd called in troops to sit in vacant seats they thought they had sold.
Sergeant Marc Robson, from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, was ordered to send his troops to the gymnastics' arena to fill the seats in rotation because they still had carry out their security tasks.
"I was told to let the boys come in and enjoy the show," he said. "Look at them, they seem to be liking it just fine."
Geraint Thomas, a British team pursuit cyclist and a gold medal-winner in Beijing, said: "I think it is quite sad to see all the empty seats. There are plenty of people who wanted to be here to watch. The demand is there, so it is sad not to see them being used."
Kiwis yesterday echoed Thomas' thoughts.
Many flocked to Kiwi House in Kings Cross on a wet Sunday afternoon to watch the Games on large screens because they either could not afford tickets or were unsuccessful in ballots.
One employee of Kiwi House Rebecca Wardell, a retired athlete, sold hers to the the parents of Olympians, heptathlete Sarah Cowley and Andrea Hewitt, a gold medallist prospect in the triathlon.
"They are scarce and that seemed the right thing to do."
Others said they were "gutted" and found it "galling" to see empty seats at events they would give their right arm to attend.
Fairfax Media has a team of 10 journalists and photographers at the Games and empty seats were evident at several venues yesterday.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: "Let's put this in perspective, those venues are stuffed to the gunwales and the public are in there. I went to three or four venues yesterday and they were full of people, and we broke records on numbers of people watching the road race.
"In the earliest stages of the Games that is the nature of the accredited area. There are tens of thousands people in those venues, but there are hundreds of people [in the Olympic family] working out how to spend their time, to arrange their days, and I am sure that this is not going to be an issue throughout the Games"
- © Fairfax NZ News
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