CLARE BALDING was caught in an awkward moment as the BBC accidentally leaked the winner of a swimming event.
The BBC broadcaster was introducing a segment which would show the women’s 200m breaststroke final race.
However, as Balding was speaking, the national anthems could be heard playing in the background.
This was despite the intention to show the race without saying who had won the race.
Balding said: “The US national anthem going out behind us for a race that we are going to show you now.
“The 200m breaststroke final, so don’t listen to that because otherwise I’ll give away, ah.
“Okay, Kate Douglass winning the 200m breaststroke and she did so in front of Tatiana Smith of South Africa and Tes Schouten of the Netherlands.”
Douglass won the event with a time of 2:19.24, beating her closest rival by 36 milliseconds.
Fans saw the funny side as the reacted to the gaffe on social media.
One posted: “Hahaha awkward.”
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A second wrote: “Hardly surprising – they can’t even keep track of what’s going on – at least they now know how we all feel!!”
A third commented: “It’s the Ah!’ haha.”
A fourth said: “Oops.”
Another added: “BBC accidentally showing us who won a swimming race before showing us the swimming race is very BBC Olympics.”
It is not the first time during the Paris Olympics that the BBC has made a gaffe.
One part of the coverage was interrupted by a window cleaner, with viewers joking it was “a new event”.
Meanwhile, the broadcaster was also slammed for its use of green screen during one segment.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY..
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Jack Laugher, Olympic champ in Rio, teams up with Anthony Harding for the 3m synchro diving (10am).
It is the semi-finals and final (8.35pm) of the BMX racing with Beth Shriever and Kye Whyte both in contention.
Back-to-back world champion lightweight scullers Emily Craig and Imogen Grant can make amends for Tokyo heartache, missing a medal by 0.01 seconds, by winning gold (11.22am).
Bryony Page will look for a medal in the women’s trampolining, too (12.50pm).
BRITS TO WATCH
In athletics, Dina Asher-Smith has her 100m heat (10.50am), Josh Kerr has his in the 1,500m (10.10am) and then Keely Hodgkinson’s 800m opener is at 6.45pm.
Adam Burgess, Joe Clarke, Mallory Franklin and Kimblery Woods have their time trials for the new kayak cross event (2.30pm).
And it is the team jumping final of the equestrian at 1pm with Team GB in contention.
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
Leon Marchand is taking his home Olympics by storm and can add the 200m individual medley to his growing collection (7.49pm) – and is eyeing a world record, too.
Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and Ethiopian Selemon Barega will battle it out for the men’s 10,000m gold – the only medal up for grabs on the opening night of the athletics (8.20pm).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
It is the final day of the windsurfing down in Marseille – the new class, iQFoil replaces the old RS:X and makes for brilliant viewing. Emma Wilson could bag a medal.
STATS MAD
154 – French judoxa Teddy Riner is going for a record-equally three individual gold medals in the 100+kg category (4.50pm). He won a staggering 154 contests in a row between September 2010 and February 2020.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
