Athletics jams up London

That track and field is the premier sport at the Olympics is not in doubt. Everybody here in London appreciated this message Friday when athletics started.

The roads leading to the Olympic Stadium were heavy with traffic and the trains to the Tratford Station were jammed up.
Security at the Olympics has always been a priority since the Munich experience when Israeli athletes were attacked.

Cars and other vehicles are not allowed near the games venues and fans trek long distances to venues. Trekking the long distances from the train station to the venues has become a carnival of some sort and the hundreds of thousands of fans enjoy it, displaying colours of their countries and creating some funny scenes. Only designated buses like the ones that carry athletes are allowed to the venues.

For the fans it was getting to the Tradford Station that was the problem on Friday. Track and field attracted more than 80 thousand spectators for the morning event and about same number for the evening events. And there were hundreds of thousands of fans who visited the other venues within the huge Olympic Park.

The Tratford Train Station was jammed up and at a point passengers going there were told to change to other lines, stop at Westham and make the remaining journey by walking to the Olympic Park. This reporter was part of them. Track and Field has started and everybody feeling it.

IAAF President, Lamine Jack was happy that athletics is still the king of the Olympics and thanked the fans for their support and love for the the sport.

Their tremendous cheering has been a great delight to all here especially the buffs of the sport and everybody is yearning for more actions.