Debt nightmare prospect for Olympic ‘winners’

Some of the earliest ‘winners’ in the London Olympics could find they have heavy debt burdens, rather than medals, hanging round their necks.

This is the potential prospect some have left themselves with after making numerous attempts to acquire tickets for the Games in London next year.

Speaking to Radio Five Live, a woman who gave her name as “Ruth” said she, her husband and his sister and father had all applied for tickets, often for the same events to increase their chances of being lucky in the ballot for oversubscribed sessions.

“We’ve applied for all these tickets using up three people’s quotas,” she noted, adding: “We’re a family of four so we’ve applied for about 240 tickets. We’re just really hoping that we won’t get them all.”

If they do, the bill could tally £22,000, with payment due to be taken between May 10th and June 10th.

With applications having to be carried out through Visa – one of the sponsors of the Games – it could lead to some piling up the credit card debt.

The deadline for applications was yesterday (April 26th) and London 2012 organisers revealed there were 20 million tickets sought between 1.8 million people, with every session of every sport receiving some.

Chairman of the body Lord Coe said 50 per cent of the events were oversubscribed and will require ballots, with the opening ceremony getting ten times as many requests as there are seats available.

He stated “there will understandably be disappointment” among those who fail to get tickets for all they asked for.

However, some, like Ruth could be saved from a major debt problem if that happens.

By Joe White