BBC commentator Steve Cram issued an apology to viewers on Saturday following a caption error during the BBC's live coverage of the London Diamond League from the London Stadium.
The 11th edition of the prestigious Diamond League meeting hit an early stumbling block before the first race had even been run, when a technical issue affected the on-screen captions.
Technical Glitch at the Start
Presenter Jeanette Kwakye opened the programme by speaking trackside with Jessica Ennis-Hill. Before the first race, Jeanette introduced the event, telling viewers: "Hello and welcome along to what promises to be a very special afternoon at the London Stadium, as both Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr are not only trying to win but potentially break a world record in the process."
She added: "We're getting towards the end of the Diamond League season, and this afternoon's meeting has attracted 70 medalists from the Paris Olympics and the Tokyo World Championships, right here in London. The big names are definitely in town, ready to write their own headlines."
After setting the scene for the first race, the men's 1500m wheelchair race, Kwakye handed over to Steve Cram and Paula Radcliffe. However, it was immediately clear that something was amiss on screen.
Steve Cram's Apology
Cram picked up the baton from Kwakye before swiftly acknowledging the issue, saying: "Thank you very much, Jeanette. Hello, and we can see Marcel Hug – sorry, these captions aren't quite right. Not the best way to start, but yes. So we've actually got an extra athlete."
Once the technical issue had been resolved, Cram pressed on with a more upbeat tone: "There we go. We're back on track. Good afternoon, everybody."
Despite the shaky start, wheelchair racing favourite Marcel Hug delivered exactly what had been promised, crossing the finish line first to claim victory in the men's 1500m.
Viewer Reactions on Social Media
The caption mishap was not the only aspect of the coverage to attract attention; viewers took to X in their numbers to air their frustrations over what they felt was an imbalance between studio presentation and live sport.
One wrote: "I wish you would show more of the athletes and less of the chit chat." Another went further still, writing: "Dear @BBCSport Can I just point out that we, your long-suffering viewers, do NOT want or need 'presenters' for athletics. I mute their waffling and posing. Why can't we just have commentators and watch the action, like on normal Diamond League events?"
Not everyone shared those grievances, though. Plenty of fans were happy with what they saw, with one posting: "Love watching #DiamondLeague athletics on #BBC1 with the wonderful Jeanette Kwakye! Thanks @BBCSport."
