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The public broadcaster this morning drew criticism for how it approached British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith after she pulled out of her race due to a hamstring injury. She became emotional as she told the network about her setback, and started to cry. Viewers questioned why the presenter didn’t cut the interview short there and then and why producers thought it was a good idea to zoom in on her tearful face.

Team GB sprinter Adam Gemili tweeted: “Why they zooming????”

A second person wrote: “Literally couldn’t believe they zoomed.

“Like… let’s get a closer look at this girl’s heartbreak.

“I turned away, I didn’t want to see her pain.”

And yet a third said: “Interviewer should have shut that down when she got upset.”

Earlier this week, sports fans were critical of the BBC’s lack of coverage of the Olympics.

The event is being held without spectators in line with Covid restrictions in Japan.

Thousands of British fans who had hoped to travel to the Asian nation to cheer on their favourite athletes and teams were forced to watch from their sofas.

But many have said the BBC is failing to show all the events relevant to the British public.

This is a result of the deal between the International Olympics Committee and the US company Discovery.

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The broadcasting group snapped up the European rights to show the games, but the BBC is still allowed to show some parts.

However, the agreement meant that the BBC’s coverage is rather truncated compared to previous years.

BBC presenter Dan Walker said the Beeb is limited to showing just two lives events at the same time.

He tweeted: “I know we’ve got used to being able to see every sport – on various streams – at the Olympics but, this time, the BBC is only allowed to show two sports at the same time. It is an issue about TV rights and not an editorial choice.”

Mark Davies, chairman of British Rowing, said he failed to find any coverage of the rowing while tennis fans have hit out at the BBC’s decision not to air Andy Murray’s first doubles match.

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This has led to widespread criticism among viewers.

Some even called for the Beeb to be stripped of its rights to show the sporting event which takes place every four years.

One person said: “BBC coverage been horrible this whole Olympics.”

A second wrote: “This is the worst BBC coverage I can remember and I’m in my 50s. It’s shocking.

“Hopefully, by the next Olympics, there will be some decent competition to shake them out of their complacency.”

And yet a third said: “The BBC Olympic coverage is far too much chit chat for only being able to have 2 streams/shows on at once.

“Please show some more actual sport its kinda the point of the Olympics.”

The next Olympics will run from late July to mid-August in 2024 and will be predominantly based in Paris.

The BBC has admitted it gave up its right to have full coverage of the Tokyo games in a bid to hold onto the rights to air the Winter Olympics 2022 and Paris 2024.

A spokeswoman said: “The IOC (International Olympics Committee) sold the rights for the Olympics in 2022 and 2024 to Discovery and, as a result, we needed to carve out a comprehensive deal that ensured the Olympics remained on the BBC.

“With over 500 hours of live coverage, and more BBC One hours than ever before, alongside 24-hour catch up and extensive radio and digital rights, we have secured an extensive offer for audiences that has already been watched by over 26 million people.”