Twitter users jam cycling broadcast

Twitter users jam cycling broadcast

Published Jul. 29, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

The IOC says social media users helped cause problems for traditional broadcasters during the first big event of the London Olympics.

Because of a glitch with GPS signals on Saturday during the men's cycling road race, broadcasters were unable to provide television viewers with much information about the location and timings of riders on the 155-mile course.

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams says the Olympic Broadcasting Services service was jammed by ''hundreds of thousands'' of people sending texts, pictures and updates to social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Adams says ''we should have foreseen that.''

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The problem appeared to be solved for Sunday's women's road race.

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