Public access to the beach was restricted when a high tide flowed into the perimeter of the construction site. A 12,500-seat extension at the swimming and diving venue was finished last month. The project was plagued by strikes because of worker concern over safety and the capacity of steel girders to support the weight of the stand. Engineers gave the extension the OK, pushing the temporary capacity of the venue to more than 17,000. Organizers are installing video screens in the upper deck for fans in the back rows to better see the pool.
Coolers remain on the banned list.
First, organizers blundered when tickets for top seats were secretly syphoned off for corporate high-rollers. Then, there were several months of delays in giving back refunds to those who failed to get the tickets they wanted. The latest turmoil surfaced when special souvenir tickets were found to be too big to fit in stadium turnstiles. Hotel rooms for visitors are still available at prices comparable to those for other Olympics. The Australian Hotels Association says rumors of price-gouging were not true.