:00:11. > :00:16.Tonight at ten: The Chinese fight back and defend the reputation of
:00:16. > :00:23.their young swimming star. COMMENTATOR: Utterly extraordinary.
:00:23. > :00:26.Unbelievable! 16-year-old Ye Shiwen firmly denies rumours that she used
:00:26. > :00:30.performance enhancing drugs to win gold in world record time. When
:00:31. > :00:37.something is really, really spectacular, the first thing you do
:00:37. > :00:42.after you see the performance is say, hmmm, I wonder. At a young age
:00:42. > :00:46.it's possible to break your best time by five or so seconds. In the
:00:46. > :00:51.pool tonight, history is made as the American Michael Phelps becomes
:00:51. > :00:56.the most decorated Olympian. Another medal for Team GB, the
:00:56. > :01:02.eventing team take silver, awarded by a proud mother.
:01:02. > :01:05.The whole week has been just an amazing experience and he's an
:01:05. > :01:09.inexperienced horse. He's coped really well, with the crowd, who
:01:10. > :01:16.have been unreal. We'll ask if Britain's boldest
:01:16. > :01:19.medal target is still within reach. Also tonight, in India, widespread
:01:19. > :01:22.chaos as another power cut affects 600 million people. And where did
:01:23. > :01:30.all the crowds go? There's no evidence yet of an Olympic boost on
:01:30. > :01:33.the high street. On BBC London - The race to win �1 billion worth of
:01:33. > :01:43.investment on the back of the Olympics. And why the Games are
:01:43. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:03.already proving a success for the Good evening from the Olympic Park
:02:03. > :02:07.in East London, where the Chinese swimming star, 16-year-old Ye
:02:07. > :02:12.Shiwen has taken another Gold Medal tonight, breaking the Olympic
:02:12. > :02:16.record in the 200 m individual medley. During the day, Olympics
:02:16. > :02:20.officials came to her defence, after suspicions were raised about
:02:20. > :02:24.her record breaking performance at the weekend. They said the drug
:02:24. > :02:32.testing programme was robust and insisted swimmer was clean. David
:02:32. > :02:35.Bond has the latest. She's been at the centre of London's first big
:02:35. > :02:39.Olympic storm. Ye Shiwen's world record breaking victory Saturday
:02:39. > :02:45.night stunned the Games. Now the 16-year-old was aiming to do it all
:02:45. > :02:48.again. This time, it wasn't as easy. She
:02:48. > :02:53.turned into the final 50 metres of tonight's race she was behind. She
:02:53. > :02:59.powered through to win in a new Olympic record. Afterwards, the
:03:00. > :03:03.celebrations seemed muted. COMMENTATOR: Gold to China. Perhaps
:03:03. > :03:09.that's because she's facing difficult questions about how she's
:03:09. > :03:14.swimming so fast. The problem is that with all the suspicions about
:03:14. > :03:17.drug use throughout sport, when something is really, really
:03:17. > :03:23.spectacular, the first thing you do after you see the performance is to
:03:24. > :03:30.say, hmm, I wonder. Just how much has she improved? Her time in the
:03:30. > :03:35.final on Saturday of 4.28.43 was over three seconds better than her
:03:35. > :03:40.previous personal best set in the heats earlier in the day. And over
:03:40. > :03:45.five seconds better than her record before that in the 2010 Asian Games,
:03:45. > :03:51.when she was just 14. She, like all others, who win
:03:51. > :03:54.medals have samples tested here, at a multimillion pound laboratory in
:03:54. > :04:00.Essex. Her test on Saturday has come back clear and she's also been
:04:00. > :04:05.tested at least four times in the year leading up to the Games. The
:04:05. > :04:11.Olympics are all about memorable, world record breaking moments. The
:04:11. > :04:16.problem is the Games have had such a history of drug scandals that any
:04:16. > :04:20.stand-out performance is bound to arouse suspicion. But no suspicion
:04:20. > :04:30.is raised about this swimmer, 15- year-old Ruta Meilutyte, who won
:04:30. > :04:30.
:04:30. > :04:35.gold for lidgeyaina in the 100 -- Lithuania in the 100m yesterday.
:04:35. > :04:41.One man says it is possible. It is possible to break your best time by
:04:41. > :04:45.you know five or so seconds. When I was a 15-year-old, I swum 3.4 to
:04:45. > :04:49.win the World Championships. The following year I broke the world
:04:49. > :04:53.record in 3ht 41, that's a five second drop.
:04:53. > :04:59.Today at the Olympic Park Chinese fans defended their new golden girl.
:04:59. > :05:04.The fact that she's so good, make her success, that's it. I feel
:05:04. > :05:09.quite unfair, because she's try really hard to get the gold. I
:05:10. > :05:13.think that's because you put the effort in it, you deserve it.
:05:13. > :05:18.Shiwen insists she has never used drugs and may wonder what she's
:05:18. > :05:23.done to deserve all this suspicion. But her victory tonight is only
:05:23. > :05:27.likely to fuel the whispering campaign.
:05:27. > :05:32.Within the past hour, the American swimmer Michael Phelps has become
:05:32. > :05:37.the most decorated Olympian in history. He won his 19th medal
:05:37. > :05:39.after the United States claimed gold in the men's 4X200 metre
:05:39. > :05:46.freestyle relay. Our correspondent James Pearce watched as history was
:05:46. > :05:52.made. The world's greatest ever swimmer trying tonight to confirm
:05:52. > :05:56.his position as athe greatest ever Olympian. Michael Phelps started
:05:56. > :06:02.the 200 metres butterfly final already in possession of a record
:06:02. > :06:07.14 gold medals. But he was still one top-three finish away from
:06:07. > :06:12.equalling the record of 18 medals of all colour. As the race entered
:06:12. > :06:15.the closing stages, Phelps was in the lead. Somehow he was pipped for
:06:15. > :06:19.gold, but silver still enough for the record.
:06:19. > :06:26.So Michael Phelps has done it, not perhaps in the style in which he'd
:06:26. > :06:29.have liked. But history has been made this evening at London 2012.
:06:29. > :06:34.Having equalled the record an hour later, he was breaking it. This
:06:34. > :06:44.time there was no danger of anyone denying him gold, as he swam the
:06:44. > :06:50.
:06:50. > :06:55.COMMENTATOR: This shows how much ballet training comes into the
:06:55. > :07:00.Russian gymnastic work. This is a Russian gymnast whose record Phelps
:07:00. > :07:06.had broken. She won 18 medals at Olympics between 1956 and 1964.
:07:06. > :07:13.Does this make Phelps the greatest Olympian ever? He's now easily
:07:13. > :07:18.passed the medal haul of Mark Spitz, who had 11 in total. Some would
:07:18. > :07:22.would argue in favour of Carl Lewis, nine gold and one silver in
:07:22. > :07:25.athletics. And there's Sir Steve Redgrave who won his five golds and
:07:25. > :07:30.a bronze over five different Olympics. Before London, Michael
:07:30. > :07:34.Phelps had dominated his sport at two Olympics. In Athens he won six
:07:34. > :07:41.golds. In Beijing, he was unbeaten, winning a record eight gold medals
:07:41. > :07:46.in one Games. He's the greatest Olympian there has ever been. I
:07:46. > :07:52.don't believe there will be a greater swimmer. His build, he is
:07:52. > :07:59.built like a fish. Michael Phelps saluted as an Olympic medallist
:07:59. > :08:03.this evening and forever more as an all-time sporting great.
:08:03. > :08:08.Great Britain's three-day eventing team of Tina Cook, Zara fill
:08:08. > :08:11.independence, Nicola will con, William Fox-Pitt and Mary King won
:08:11. > :08:15.Team GB's fourth medal today. Among the thousands watching were Prince
:08:15. > :08:18.William and the Duchess of Cambridge. Zara Phillips received
:08:18. > :08:24.her medal from her mother, Princess Anne. Our correspondent Joe Wilson
:08:24. > :08:29.reports from Greenwich Park. In showjumping a misplaced stride can
:08:29. > :08:32.mean a missed medal. For Zara Phillips, this way to destiny. Her
:08:32. > :08:36.presence here took equestrian into another dimension, so much
:08:36. > :08:41.attention. That's because she's part of such a famous family. Zara
:08:41. > :08:44.Phillips is also part of a team. Her showjumping performance in the
:08:44. > :08:47.morning went towards Britain's collective chal ek. There was an
:08:47. > :08:56.early mistake. After a stunning ride yesterday, she found herself
:08:56. > :08:59.behind the clock, time faults as well on High Kingdom. Had such an
:09:00. > :09:04.awesome round yesterday, know. He lost both front shoes. He's not
:09:04. > :09:10.completely feeling himself this morning. But I'm just disappointed
:09:10. > :09:18.for the team. But you know, I'm really, really chuffed to bits with
:09:18. > :09:22.him. Every British rider gets a great reception from the crowd here.
:09:22. > :09:27.When the round starts, well, the spectators know they dare not
:09:27. > :09:34.distract the horse. So at times, it feels like there are 20,000 people
:09:34. > :09:38.all holding their breath. Mary King in his sixth Olympics was
:09:38. > :09:43.nerveless. Her clear round kept Britain in the mix for medals.
:09:43. > :09:47.Germany started the day in front and Michael Jung, European champion,
:09:47. > :09:53.world champion, could win it for them.
:09:53. > :09:59.COMMENTATOR: It is Germany's gold. Britain's last rider was Tina Cook.
:09:59. > :10:06.As she approached the final fence, a mistake could still mean goodbye
:10:06. > :10:10.to silver. Second place sealed. Silver is one better than the
:10:10. > :10:14.eventing team managed four years ago at the Olympics. Imagine
:10:14. > :10:20.standing on the podium and getting a medal from your mum. Princess
:10:20. > :10:25.Anne was an Olympian herself in 1976. She never won a medal. But at
:10:25. > :10:29.31, Zara Phillips is really a junior in equestrian terms. She
:10:29. > :10:32.will surely have more Olympic opportunities to come.
:10:32. > :10:36.Let's talk to our sports editor, David Bond, who is in the Olympic
:10:36. > :10:40.Park. David, we'll come to Team GB and their prospects in a second.
:10:40. > :10:44.First of all, let me ask you about the Chinese swimmer and the
:10:44. > :10:48.controversy, what do you make of that? Well, on a night when we
:10:48. > :10:54.should have really been talking about the achievements of Michael
:10:54. > :10:58.Phelps, phenomenal achievement to become the biggest medal haul in
:10:58. > :11:03.the Olympic Games, with 19 medals in the pool, we're still talking
:11:03. > :11:09.about this Chinese swimming, Ye Shiwen, who won her second Gold
:11:09. > :11:14.Medal of these Games. She's really come from nowhere to do that and
:11:14. > :11:19.what's interesting for me is this goes to the heart of this Tuesdayel
:11:19. > :11:22.at the top of the medal table -- tussle at the top of the medal
:11:22. > :11:24.table between China and the United States. It's interesting to see
:11:24. > :11:28.Michael Johnson predict that perhaps China would beat the United
:11:28. > :11:32.States in terms of total medals for the first time. The most critical
:11:32. > :11:37.voice against Ye Shiwen has come from an Metropolitan Black Police
:11:37. > :11:45.Association swimming coach, John Leonard. -- from an American
:11:45. > :11:49.swimming coach, John Leonard. You know, the problem from the Olympic
:11:49. > :11:53.movement as a whole is that it's been so tainted by doping scandals
:11:53. > :11:57.in the past, whenever you get a stunning performance like this,
:11:57. > :12:03.something that seems to come out of nowhere, it's bound to arouse
:12:03. > :12:07.suspicion. There's not a lot of trust around. Let's turn to Team GB.
:12:07. > :12:12.After today's performance, how do you read prot gres towards the
:12:12. > :12:16.targets that were -- the progress towards the targets before the
:12:16. > :12:20.Games? A great boost with the Silver Medal today for the eventing
:12:20. > :12:24.team. Broadly Team GB think they are where they should be. Tomorrow
:12:24. > :12:29.is a key day, two big Gold Medal opportunities in the women's pair
:12:29. > :12:33.rogue and the time trial with Bradley Wiggins -- pair rowing, an
:12:33. > :12:37.the time trial, with Bradley Wiggins. It's an important day. And
:12:37. > :12:44.if we're still here tomorrow night in the same position, I think there
:12:44. > :12:47.will be some serious concerns. Thank you.
:12:47. > :12:52.Let's look at some of the other news now. In India, electricity
:12:52. > :12:56.supplies are being restored to more than 600 million people, who have
:12:56. > :12:59.been affected by one of the world's biggest power cuts. Three supply
:12:59. > :13:01.grids collapsed in the north and east of the country, leaving more
:13:01. > :13:05.than half the population without power. It's the second day they
:13:05. > :13:14.have been affected by a large-scale failure of the electricity system.
:13:14. > :13:20.Our correspondent Rajini One of the world's fastest-growing
:13:20. > :13:25.economies ground to a halt today. In the nation's capital, even the
:13:25. > :13:30.trafficlights weren't working. Police were deployed to man the
:13:30. > :13:38.already chaotic roads, as India grappled with the largest black-out
:13:38. > :13:43.in its history. Many people had no choice but to sit it out. As
:13:43. > :13:48.delhi's busy Metro system stopped, passengers found themselves trapped.
:13:48. > :13:53.I got stuck on the train for 25 minutes. Then when the doors opened,
:13:53. > :13:58.people were desperate to come out of the Metro. The scale of the
:13:58. > :14:04.powercut almost defies belief. 20 out of India's 28 states have been
:14:04. > :14:08.hit. It's affected 620 million people. Officials are blaming
:14:08. > :14:13.states taking more than their allocated share of electricity. The
:14:13. > :14:18.problems caused by the power outages highlight a wider concern.
:14:18. > :14:22.India simply doesn't have enough power to feed a growing population
:14:22. > :14:27.and many say this energy crisis is a huge barrier to the country's
:14:27. > :14:32.economic growth. Electricity's now back in most
:14:32. > :14:36.places, but the cost to industry is still being counted. Growth in
:14:36. > :14:41.India's economy slowing down. With the blackouts continue, they won't
:14:41. > :14:50.just affect people's lives, but also hurt the prospects of one of
:14:50. > :14:53.the world's most populous nation. Coming up on tonight's programme:
:14:53. > :14:59.We report on the plight of Christians in Syria caught in a
:14:59. > :15:06.sectarian struggle, as the violence spreads. We spoke to three families
:15:06. > :15:10.today, all of whom said they felt forced to leave. "They didn't want
:15:10. > :15:14.us ", one woman said, referring to the armed opposition, "We had no
:15:14. > :15:17.choice but to go." $$The Republican candidate for the
:15:17. > :15:20.US presidency, Mitt Romney, has paid tribute to the people of
:15:20. > :15:23.Poland on the final part of his overseas tour four months before
:15:23. > :15:29.the election takes place. Mr Romney said he'd been inspired by the
:15:29. > :15:32.Polish fight for freedom from Communist rule.
:15:32. > :15:35.His visit was not marked by the controversy that surrounded his
:15:35. > :15:39.earlier visit to London, when he talked about the Olympics and his
:15:39. > :15:41.visit to Israel, when he angered the Palestinians. Our North America
:15:41. > :15:51.editor, Mark Mardell, has this assessment of Mr Romney's foreign
:15:51. > :15:56.
:15:56. > :16:01.No missteps for Mitt at Warsaw's tomb of the unknown warrior. He
:16:01. > :16:04.looked Presidental as he reviewed the Polish troops. The opinion
:16:04. > :16:09.polls are tight. He really could oust President Obama from the White
:16:09. > :16:13.House. His unspoken mess sadge that for the last four years America has
:16:13. > :16:18.snubbed and scorned old allies like Britain, Israel and Poland. It has
:16:18. > :16:23.been a trip to three places far apart on the map, but for an
:16:23. > :16:28.American you cannot get much closer to the ideals and convictions of my
:16:28. > :16:32.own country than you can in these places. I believe it's critical to
:16:32. > :16:38.stand by those who have stood by America. Solidarity was a great
:16:38. > :16:42.movement that freed a nation and it's with solidarity that America
:16:42. > :16:47.and Poland face the future. But as Mr Romney travelled
:16:47. > :16:50.thousands of miles on a privately- chartered jet there was plenty of
:16:50. > :16:53.turbulence. The campaign's notorious for tight control,
:16:53. > :16:58.keeping Mr Romney away from the press who followed his every step
:16:58. > :17:02.for a year. Perhaps this is why, for it's been a tour dogged by more
:17:02. > :17:06.than its fair share of controversy. In Britain he said some news about
:17:06. > :17:09.the preparations for the Olympics was disconcerting. In Israel Romney
:17:09. > :17:13.talked about its economic prosperity, saying culture makes
:17:13. > :17:17.all the difference. That went down badly with the Palestinians. Here
:17:17. > :17:23.in Poland his press secretary had a parting thought for reporters
:17:23. > :17:27.trying to ask questions, "kiss my ass." Part of the purpose of Mitt
:17:27. > :17:32.Romney's tour was to establish his cre sengess as a world statesman to
:17:32. > :17:37.suggest he is ready to take the helm of a superpower, instead
:17:37. > :17:40.unintentionally it suggested he could be a rather spikey,
:17:40. > :17:44.undiplomatic President, and has given his enemies ammunition. The
:17:44. > :17:49.main foe, President Obama, who had his own foreign tour as a candidate
:17:49. > :17:53.and wags treated as a rockstar. Now his supporters has shown that Mr
:17:53. > :17:58.Romney couldn't handle being a head of state and has med a mess of
:17:58. > :18:02.being a tourist. His campaign has taken days to respond to the
:18:02. > :18:07.criticisms. They say the rows mean nothing to people back home.
:18:07. > :18:12.fact of the matter is that Mitt Romney is not a natural-born
:18:12. > :18:16.politician. He is not a touchy- feely guy a smooth operator but we
:18:16. > :18:20.are entering a moment where people are sick and tired of the natural-
:18:20. > :18:23.born politicians, they want someone to run the country. Mr Romney heads
:18:23. > :18:27.home, hoping no damage has been done but it is hard to see how this
:18:27. > :18:30.trip has helped him win the White House.
:18:30. > :18:32.The High Court has ruled that the Serious Fraud Office obtained
:18:32. > :18:36.search warrants unlawfully during investigations into the property
:18:36. > :18:38.developers Vincent and Robert Tchenguiz. The SFO may have to pay
:18:38. > :18:45.out significant damages to the brothers and further questions have
:18:45. > :18:51.been raised about its ability to carry out major investigations. Our
:18:51. > :18:54.correspondent Hugh Pym is at the High Court tonight. How significant
:18:54. > :18:57.could this be? Well I think significant for the SFO on two
:18:57. > :19:03.levels. First of all financial there, could be damages claims
:19:03. > :19:07.troung tens of millions of pounds, submitted by the Tchenguiz brothers,
:19:07. > :19:11.Robert and Vincent -- claims amounting to tens of millions. They
:19:11. > :19:16.were investigating last year surrounding the investigation into
:19:16. > :19:22.the downfall of an Icelandic bank. By the beginning of this year, one
:19:22. > :19:27.of the investigations had been dropped. Now it is said warrants
:19:27. > :19:36.were obtained unlawfully. The SFO have been criticised in some
:19:36. > :19:41.quarters for not being good in pursuing with white collar crime s.
:19:41. > :19:45.The issue has been raised over which agency is best-placed to
:19:45. > :19:49.pursue these types of allegations. In Siria, one of the rebel
:19:49. > :19:52.commanders claims his forces are pushing towards the centre of
:19:52. > :19:56.Aleppo, the country's biggest city and can take control within days.
:19:56. > :20:02.For the past week, rebel forces have been fighting heavily-armed
:20:02. > :20:06.rebel troops forcing thousands to flee. As the conflict enters its
:20:06. > :20:10.14th month, the country's divisions are becoming increasingly sectarian
:20:10. > :20:20.and Christians, who account for 10% of the population, are in the
:20:20. > :20:24.
:20:24. > :20:29.middle: An embattled minority has arrived
:20:29. > :20:32.here in Lebanon seeking refuge. In this region that was the birth
:20:32. > :20:37.place of their faith, Christian refugees from Syria fear for their
:20:37. > :20:42.future. This man, who wanted his identity
:20:42. > :20:46.concealed, supported the initial reform protests, until he says
:20:46. > :20:52.Sunni extremists in the opposition attacked his house, simply because
:20:52. > :20:56.of his religion. TRANSLATION: I was out of the house
:20:56. > :21:02.when they attacked. They bent tyres outside my door and my wife and
:21:02. > :21:06.children had to flee. They jumped over falls to escape. The fear was
:21:06. > :21:11.indescribable. My neighbourhood was Christian and Muslim but all my
:21:11. > :21:16.Christian neighbour has to leave and the village and then the
:21:16. > :21:20.country. The Muslims were safe. They stayed. Because the regime
:21:20. > :21:23.severely restricts independent reporting it, isn't possible to
:21:23. > :21:28.verify accounts of sectarian attacks, but under the Assads
:21:28. > :21:33.Christians have been protected. Some rose to prominent state roles.
:21:33. > :21:39.This leading cleric, who has warned against foreign intervention, says
:21:39. > :21:49.some attacks are because Christians are seen as regime supporters.
:21:49. > :21:50.
:21:50. > :21:54.not all, but some of the - it is a symbol of this faithfulness to the
:21:54. > :22:00.regime. There is evidence to back up what the patriarch is saying. We
:22:00. > :22:04.spoke to three families today, all of whom say they felt forced to
:22:04. > :22:08.leave "They didn't want us, we had no choice but to go" a woman said
:22:08. > :22:11.referring to the armed opposition. It is important, however to
:22:11. > :22:14.remember that Syria's Christians are people of many political
:22:14. > :22:19.opinions. These Christians, each representing a different family
:22:19. > :22:22.also wanted their identities protected. They blamed Government
:22:22. > :22:25.violence for their plight. TRANSLATION: Before the violence
:22:25. > :22:28.people were living normally but later on we feared what the regime
:22:28. > :22:32.was doing because it was bombing everybody. They didn't
:22:32. > :22:37.differentiate between Muslims and Christians and that's why we had to
:22:37. > :22:43.flee Syria. Do you think Christians have a future in Syria?
:22:43. > :22:48.REPORTER: No, I see no future, not only in Syria but in all the Middle
:22:48. > :22:51.East. If people get a chance to leave this region, they will just
:22:51. > :22:56.do it. The opposition has prominent Christian members but the growing
:22:56. > :23:02.influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, supported by Saudi Arabia, has
:23:03. > :23:07.prompted fears of a future Sunni- dominated state. A point I put to a
:23:07. > :23:12.leading Brotherhood figure. don't think Syria is a place where
:23:12. > :23:16.you can have a religious state because Syria has different
:23:16. > :23:21.religions and different ethnic groups and different races. All we
:23:21. > :23:26.want, as Muslim Brotherhood, is to have enough freedom, enough
:23:26. > :23:29.democracy for everyone. But in an increasingly sectarian atmosphere,
:23:29. > :23:35.many Christians will struggle to accept that assurance.
:23:35. > :23:41.For this is now not just a battle for the land of Syria, but for its
:23:41. > :23:45.soul, too. Well let's have more now on the
:23:45. > :23:55.Olympic action and the fourth full day of competition this is how the
:23:55. > :24:03.
:24:03. > :24:08.Andy Swiss reports now on some of today's other Olympic highlights.
:24:08. > :24:13.It was a day when more British medal hopes got that sinking
:24:13. > :24:17.feeling. Sarah Barrow and Tonia Couch, watched by Tom Daley
:24:17. > :24:21.finished fifth in the synchronised diving.
:24:21. > :24:25.COMMENTATOR: There is Great Britain chasing the Danish sailor. And it
:24:25. > :24:29.was a struggle for two Olympic sailing champions, Ben Ainslie
:24:29. > :24:33.still trailing in second place while Paul Goodison may have to
:24:33. > :24:39.withdraw after suffering a back injury. But few felt the pain quite
:24:39. > :24:44.as much as this man. One of Britain's best judo hopes,
:24:44. > :24:50.Ewan Burton reduced to a first- round defeat and then reduced to
:24:50. > :24:54.tears. I feel like I have let myself down a bit. I feel like I've
:24:54. > :25:00.let my coaches down and I have let everybody I have ever trained with
:25:00. > :25:03.down. I have let my mum and dad and my brother down. It was a sometimes
:25:03. > :25:09.cruel day. But there were some impressive
:25:09. > :25:13.British displays. Despite the odd stumble, the
:25:13. > :25:18.women's gymnastics team achieved their best result in decades,
:25:18. > :25:24.finishing sixth. Tonight in front of 70,000 fans at
:25:24. > :25:33.Wembley, the British women's team beat bra zil 1-0. They have now won
:25:33. > :25:38.all three matches -- brazyil. COMMENTATOR: This is incredible.
:25:38. > :25:42.But the evening's most bizarre scenes were in the Badminton. South
:25:42. > :25:46.Koreaia and China both appearing to deliberately hit into the net. The
:25:46. > :25:49.loser would get an easier draw in the next round. Both teams were
:25:49. > :25:56.booed by the crowd and the referee threatened them with
:25:56. > :26:02.disqualification. Not a great night for the Olympic
:26:02. > :26:05.spirit. The prospect of millions of
:26:05. > :26:08.spectators coming to venues in London and to other parts of the UK,
:26:08. > :26:11.had raised hopes that this could prove to be a bumper month for
:26:11. > :26:14.shops, hotels, restaurants and other businesses. But the signs are
:26:14. > :26:23.that this may not be happening, with visitors staying away from
:26:23. > :26:30.shops and tourist attractions. John Kaye looks at the economic effects
:26:30. > :26:34.so far of London 2012. Discount and half-price theatre
:26:34. > :26:38.tickets. The hottest tickets in the West End are suddenly a bit cooler.
:26:38. > :26:46.The heart of London isn't beating. This place may have been swinging
:26:46. > :26:51.in the '60s, but it's tranquil in 2012. Discounted theatre tickets.
:26:51. > :26:57.It's not bumper Olympic summer that Fred was expecting on his souvenir
:26:57. > :27:00.stall. He blames the organisers for sending out mixed messages. I think
:27:00. > :27:04.they started wrongly because they were poisoning people's mind with
:27:04. > :27:08.the terrorism, bad traffic. I have been here now 27 years and I have
:27:08. > :27:13.never seen a July as bad as this, ever.
:27:13. > :27:19.Midday in Piccadilly Circus. London's visitors are spending
:27:19. > :27:23.their time and money watching the Games and not here, in town.
:27:23. > :27:27.Central London might have got all spruced up, but it seems the
:27:27. > :27:32.party's going on elsewhere. Top museums and tourist attractions
:27:32. > :27:38.have seen visitor numbers fall by more than 30% in the last two weeks.
:27:38. > :27:43.Traffic levels are also down by at least 20%. It was a similar story
:27:43. > :27:49.for the Athens Games eight years ago and experts say it's often a
:27:49. > :27:55.trade-off. Mass tourism and the Olympics don't necessarily mix.
:27:55. > :27:58.You can't have it both ways. You can either have a smooth-running
:27:58. > :28:03.Games, logistics-wise or we can have London full of people, full of
:28:03. > :28:10.congestion, full of problems but also full of people spending money.
:28:10. > :28:15.To attract visitors, hoteliers who aimed high, are now slashing prices.
:28:15. > :28:20.This This hotel near Hyde Park was originally charging more than �500
:28:20. > :28:25.for its best twin room for tonight it. Has now cut its prices to less
:28:25. > :28:30.than �100. That's more than 80% less. Tourism bosses say regular
:28:30. > :28:34.visitors were always going to stay away this summer. But they believe
:28:34. > :28:37.the Olympics will bring a boost over time. This is really about the
:28:37. > :28:41.long-term and it is about converting all of those viewers who
:28:41. > :28:45.are watching these amazing pictures of London around the world and