London 2012 Olympics: Games are the perfect opportunity for BBC to get back to its majestic best No not guns, this is archery. The Korean is in the lead here. They are very good at bows and arrows apparently. I've got a new Hyundai by the way. They're made in Korea...  Of course the BBC's Olympic output, which is getting ever closer, will be nothing like that but after its inept coverage of the Jubilee River Pageant, the corporation desperately needs to regain its reputation as the national occasion broadcaster. They will have considerable presenting and commentating talent to draw on but with many sports rarely covered until the Olympics come around, commentators have to bone up on the likes of water polo, taekwondo, shooting and beach volleyball and this is where things can sometimes get a little tricky. The late Peter West, best known for his rugby and cricket broadcasting, used to reckon that for the Olympics he became the commentator for "everything else." John Motson, the BBC's renowned football commentator, was in the past asked to turn his hand to a couple of sports about which he knew nothing. At one Olympics it was whitewater canoeing. During his commentary a competitor capsized and ended up with his kayak on his head. "I don't wish to be pessimistic," said our Motty during his live broadcast "but I think British medal hopes are fading fast." The poor paddler just about got out alive. At another Games he was given the job of covering Greco-Roman wrestling. He had admitted the only wrestling he had ever seen was Jackie Pallo at the Ritz Cinema in Potters Bar. But he did his homework and felt reasonably confident as the programme came over to him live for a bout between a Soviet wrestler and his opponent from Bulgaria. It went well until the result was called and he realised that he had had the contestants the wrong way round all along. "Don't worry," said an expert afterwards "only three people in the UK would know the difference and two of them will be out training." At the Barcelona Games presented by des.i.was, I heard the director shout in my earpiece "look lively, the King of Denmark is about to come in to see you, he's on a tour of the studios." I just had time to ask David Moorcroft alongside me if he knew anything about this European Majesty only to get an unhelpful shrug. The door burst open and in came a tall tanned gentleman followed by his retinue. There was a little bit of respectful small talk until his Royal personage said "what an afternoon for us with Patoulidou winning the hurdles." Moorcroft and I looked at each other and realised we were in the presence of ex-King Constantine of Greece whom I was about to introduce to the nation as the king of somewhere completely different. Whatever the mishaps or close calls, I fully expect the BBC to cover the Games at least competently and probably brilliantly as they always have. "The trick," offered one veteran of the department "is to keep the top brass away from production. At the River Pageant there were just too many chiefs.