Olympics watch [Engineering Olympics]

SOME 6,000 officials will be required to adjudicate around 15,000 athletes in all events at the 2012 Olympic Games. But the largest single group at the London Olympiad will be the 20,000 broadcasters, journalists and photographers of the world's media. Without them, the readers, listeners and viewers will not share the elation of the victor, or marvel at the arc of the jumper or hear the grunts of the hammer thrower. Their importance is recognised by Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee: "Whilst the focus of the world will be on the sporting venues in 2012, the International Broadcast Centre will be a vital, yet mostly unseen part of the Games-time operations, pumping out hundreds of thousands of hours of the sporting action around the world." Accordingly, a whole section in the north west part of the Olympic Park has been devoted to the members of the media. They have their own street there, too, to cater for all their needs. Fittingly, to match their importance, they have the biggest buildings.