Watching 100m sprint freak Usain Bolt defend his top berth is probably on most people’s wishlist, but who’s to say that a showdown between two bulging-eyed wrestlers won’t be as memorable?
Here’s how to get a piece of the action.
Where to start
Organisers have avoided a stampede by throwing all applications for tickets in a ballot. Apply online at tickets.london 2012.com or by filling in a form available from Lloyds TSB banks. Tickets are priced from £20 to £725 and one of the best seats at the opening ceremony is a blowout at £2012.
You may think it’s wise to apply for as many events as possible on the assumption that you’ll get only a fraction of what you ask for – but be careful you don’t get everything you wish for, and end up paying for them all as well.
Londoner Sachin Nakrani is hoping to secure tickets to the early 100m and 400m sprint heats.
He says: “I wanted those tickets because I want to visit the Olympic Stadium.
“Considering I was raised here, it would be a shame to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
If Olympic fever doesn’t grab you before the deadline, resale and remaining tickets will be sold at box offices throughout the games. Applications for Paralympic Games tickets open on September 9 and will follow the same process.
Choose your events
“Take your time, figure out your budget and figure out what you want to see.”
This is the advice of London 2012 chief organiser Sebastian Coe. Easier said than done, though.
To use an example, it’s a fair assumption that millions will be pitching for tickets to the men’s 100m final on Sunday August 5.
You’ll also be able to see the men’s steeplechase and the women’s triple jump and the 400m finals in Stratford’s Olympic Stadium, therefore landing one of these tickets is highly unlikely.
But there will be more than 60,000 tickets on sale at this venue, compared to, any day of cycling at the velodrome, in Stratford, where there are only about 3000. Therefore, you could apply for every session in the velodrome, assuming you’ll get into one or two of them.
You might also assume that with tickets priced between £50 and £725 for the 100m day, more people will try for a £50 ticket than what’s available.
In this case, the seats are balloted so, to up your chances, indicate when you’re ordering your tickets that you would like to be considered for higher or lower-priced seats, though it’s unconfirmed whether ballots will start with these categories, so you could end up with two tickets at £295 each. Eek! At least you get public transport included in the price.
Bargain hunters
The Olympics is for the skint, too.
More than 2.5 million tickets will be available for just £20, and you can also see events such as the marathon and cycling road race, along the route, for free.
For £20 or less you can see the opening ceremony on July 27, Brit swimmer Rebecca Adlington in the 200m freestyle, plus Michael Phelps in his signature 200m butterfly on July 30, or South African Caster Semenya in the first round of the women’s 800m on August 8.
But you’d better get your skates on, the clock’s ticking.
