ANGRY viewers sprinted for their remote controls as they blasted the BBC for MISSING the latest Olympic race of new hero Noah Lyles.
Fans claimed they switched to Eurosport when the Beeb aired studio chat rather than show the 100m sprint king in his 200m heat.
Viewers did have the option of watching the first-round, half-lap races on the BBC iPlayer.
And the Beeb also aired replays five minutes after the heats were held.
But fans were frustrated that such a major event was not shown on the broadcaster’s main channels.
That’s especially as Lyles is now one of the names of the Games after victory 24 hours earlier in one of the most thrilling 100m finals ever.
One viewer wrote: “#BBC are appalling.. not even showing the 200m heats and chatting nonsense whilst they are running.. I give up.. Eurosport it is.”
Another posted: “The amount of chat and fluff pieces on the BBC during the Olympics really winds me up.
“We’ve just missed all the athletics 200m heats because they’ve been chatting about a race over an hour away!!!”
A third claimed: “Eurosport’s coverage of the Olympics is so so so much better than the BBC.
Lyles won the 100m final after a photo-finish final[/caption]OLYMPICS FREE BETS – SIGN UP OFFERS AND DEAL FOR PARIS 2024
“So switched to actually see some sport as BBC coverage is more like a chat show. Stop talking & show the sport. Terrible coverage!”
A fourth fan was equally exasperated: “The BBC coverage of the Olympics is appalling.
“Little actual sport and a whole heap of meaningless nattering about feelings and emotions.”
Meanwhile, Lyles was greeted in the Paris stadium by huge roars – 24 hours after his photo-finish fame in the blue-riband shorter event.
The American, 27, went on to win his heat in 20.19secs
The semi-finals are due for just past 8pm on Wednesday, with the final around 80 minutes later.