The BBC has rolled out new Olympic Games pages on its sport website, featuring dedicated sections for athletes, countries, and events such as athletics and judo. The pages compile news, statistics, and schedules for key figures and activities ahead of this summer's Olympics.
According to Cait O'Riordan, Head of Product for BBC Sport and London 2012, the launch is part of a phased approach that will eventually include pages for every sport, athlete, and team at the Games. Athlete pages, like those for Victoria Pendleton and Usain Bolt, display stats, achievements, and social media links, while event pages feature a countdown to the start date.
O'Riordan acknowledged user feedback on the recent redesign of the BBC Sport website, noting that hundreds of comments have been received. Key issues raised include the prominent use of yellow in the header, which the BBC plans to reduce while retaining branding, and a bug causing the banner to flash between black and white. The BBC also intends to stop automatic video playback on live commentary pages.
Future improvements include a new Olympic schedule, bespoke mobile versions of Olympic pages, and regular updates to the sport site. O'Riordan stated that the BBC will not rush changes and will use multiple feedback sources to guide decisions. However, some users have criticised the rollout, arguing that the redesign was launched without proper testing.
