BBC Olympic commentators were forced to apologise after an athlete dropped the F-bomb at breakfast time on Tuesday.
The broadcaster’s coverage was following the events at the velodrome at the Tokyo 2020 Games, as Team GB competed in the men’s cycling team pursuit.
There were dramatic scenes as Danish rider Frederik Madsen crashed into Great Britain’s Charlie Tanfield during their semi-final race.
Madsen could be heard loudly screaming “Fuck this!” after he and Tanfiled crashed from their bikes onto the tracks.
A loud “FUCK THEM” broadcast on BBC One at 8.50 in the morning 😬 pic.twitter.com/aE5Ib4ayDv
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 3, 2021
important clarification: https://t.co/5IUjebXohj
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 3, 2021
“Excuse that language at the early hours of the morning,” one of the commentators said. “But that is why it always pays to look where you are going.”
Madsen was then seen walking off the track.
The UCI deliberated for half an hour before announcing that Denmark would advance to a final against Italy on Wednesday, while Team GB would leave empty-handed.
Well, that was… eventful!
Denmark advance to the gold medal final in the men’s team pursuit.
We’re incredibly proud of our team and their performance over the competition 🇬🇧👏@ethan_hayter@EthanVernon22@olliewood95@CharlieTanfield@Ed_Clancy#Tokyo2020#TeamGBpic.twitter.com/OUW4fe0gbe
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) August 3, 2021
A team pursuit is technically over if one team catches another on track, but this was an exceptional way to do it as Madsen apparently never saw Tanfield, who had been distanced by the two lead British riders.
With Britain – Olympic champions in this event since 2008 – among the teams calling for Denmark to be disqualified in a row over illegal equipment, this race was already something of a grudge contest.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park confirmed Britain had been one of “several” teams to call for the Danes to be disqualified over the use of illegal equipment in Monday’s qualifying session.
The team was seen with plasters on their shins in a bid to improve their aerodynamics, while also apparently wearing undervests which had not been properly registered in time.
Park said that at a lively meeting of teams before Tuesday’s session, the UCI confirmed the equipment could not be used for the rest of the competition but indicated there would be no retroactive punishment despite rules saying a team should face elimination in such circumstances.