LONDON, July 30: Olympics organisers said on Monday they were forced to check the welding on 200,000 temporary seats across venues after fans complained that seats at the rowing and archery collapsed under them.

Many of the London 2012 competition venues use temporary stands, including those for the hockey, basketball, swimming, water polo, equestrian, beach volleyball, shooting and triathlon. Local organisers LOCOG said the welding had given way on one or two seats.

“In Eton Dorney [the rowing venue] and at Lord’s [the archery venue], it wasn’t ‘the seating’, it was one seat, so the welding of one seat came away,” said London 2012 spokeswoman Jackie Brock-Doyle.

“Overnight, they have gone through all the seating that this particular contractor has put in place, to have a look across the whole Games.

“And the issue of the welding seems to be in two seats. They haven’t found an issue with anything else.”—AFP