Track And Field Of Nightmares.

Yesterday saw the end of the World Athletics Championships and hopefully the end of Channel 4 involvement. What once was a solid presentation with little irritation from the BBC was supposedly given a hip new face of the future.

This turned out to be a unmitigated disaster with a succession of helpless individuals presenting, commentating and doing whatever.

A small mind was thankful to only have seen the highlights presentation, but he is very thankful even for this. Presented by a man with the presence and vitality of a cardboard cutout Rick Edwards was a horror in vision. Presenting in a monotone to camera with the dregs of so-called witty comments. Channel 4 must have realised their mistake as as the week went on we saw less and less of the failure and interestingly more highlights. It might catch on.

As for the highlights, the sport was good the presentation less so. First we had John Rawling commenting, commenter of all sports, master of none. Rob Walker, once a compere at the snooker and now an expert on athletics who failed to get to the end of any race with his voice still working, and then a succession of those in the know, former sports stars. Dean Macy, Ewan Thomas and Katherine Merry, good on the track and field (well so-so), but a dreary presence in the commentary box. The only fly in the ointment for Channel 4 in having a total disaster was Michael Johnson, an insightful person with interesting things to say and the only true survivor from the BBC presentation. He must have wondered what godforsaken planet he had landed on having to shake Dick, sorry Rick Edwards hand at the end of every highlights show.

So all this without even mentioning the one disaster Channel 4 were happy to admit to, letting Gadget Show presenter Ortis Deley in front of a live camera and an autocue that was apparently unreadable.

What about the sport though you cry, well not bad, a few miserable failures as always for Britain, and not a lot boding well for 2012, but well done to Dai Green, Hannah England, Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and all the others that Ortis has forgotten...

Here some kind soul has made a video of good old Ortis, poor lad. Get back behind Suzi and Jason dear before its too late...