Sitting here in the MEN Arena in Manchester, where the numbers of media and athletes outnumbers the number of spectators, as far as the eye can tell.

I've never knowingly met anyone directly responsible for ticketing policy. I assume they live on Mars or somewhere equally as remote: best-seat tickets start at £30. Think again yon dreamers.

And given that the planning of financial forecasters has failed so badly, why is there no-one in the building reaching for flexibility of freedom: take an axe to the ticket price and have the sense to move the poor folk peering down from the gods into the largely empty bank of seats below and immediately overlooking the pool. That way, you might create a bit more intimacy and boost the atmosphere.

With a little bit of thought, a terrific lot of work that has gone into creating a fabulous venue might not go to waste.