There were scores of critical questions posed to the organisers on Friday dealing with touchy topics such as Tibet, protest parks, ticket scalpers, the hissing of Japanese competitors by Chinese audiences, the Falun Gong and doping. Journalists have previously accused the organisers of lying and refusing to answer questions.

Central to all of the strange happenings at the Beijing Olympic Games is control. Chinese officials want to minimise anything that will affect the image presented to the Games’ 4 billion television viewers, but by doing so, have exposed themselves to enormous criticism for trying to present a falsely pristine occasion.