Fans seize second chance to buy 2012 Olympic tickets

Sports fans besieged the London 2012 Olympics website Friday as they tried to seize a second chance to buy tickets but they faced long waits for their applications to be processed. Many people reported delays of at least 30 minutes after the website opened for business at 6:00 am (0500 GMT). Only the 1.2 million applicants who failed to get any tickets in the first round of sales were eligible to apply. Organisers said the website was working, despite the delays. A London 2012 spokeswoman said: "The system is working, it has not crashed. Due to high demand some people are being held outside the system. "For those in the system it is working and transactions are going through, but we are having to hold some people back from going through the site due to high demand." One applicant said: "I was quite excited when I got in right on 6:00 am and was able to select hockey and archery sessions but confirming the application was very frustrating. It took me about 12 goes." Some 2.3 million tickets went on sale on Friday after three million tickets were sold in the first round from March 15 to April 26. Of the 1.9 million people who applied the first time, just 700,000 were successful. The ballot used to decide who got tickets in the first round has been criticised by disappointed fans, consumer groups and even Mayor of London Boris Johnson, but the organisers have maintained that they used the fairest system. The disappointed 1.2 million applicants have the exclusive right to buy tickets in a 10-day window in the second round, but the process this time is first come first served. However, nearly three quarters of tickets that went on sale Friday are for the men's and women's football tournaments, which are being held in major stadiums across Britain. Besides the football, tickets remain for boxing, judo, hockey, handball and volleyball. Availability is low for popular events including athletics, rowing, table tennis and the basketball finals, while the opening and closing ceremonies sold out in the first round.