'Daily Express' in frontpage Olympics gaffe
Published Aug 8 2012, 09:34 BST | By Andrew Laughlin
The Daily Express has today printed a picture of the Dutch dressage team as part of its Team GB "22 Carat Gold" Olympics special frontpage, in the first major media cock-up of the Games.The Mirror has also been caught out by printing the same picture in error as part of a centre spread.
Yesterday, Team GB's Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer broke Germany's dominance in the dressage to win Britain's first Olympic medal of any colour in the sport since it first appeared at the event in the 1912 Games.
Other Gold medals won on the day by cyclists Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Trott, along with Alistair Brownlee in the triathlon meant that Britain smashed past its haul for the 2008 Beijing Games.
© Twitter / Nick Sutton
The Daily Express frontpage today celebrates Team GB's achievements, but BBC News social media editor Chris Hamilton spotted that this includes a picture of the Dutch dressage team rather than Britain's.
The error is clearly visible from the Orange lapels on the riders and the bronze medals around their necks.
"Media cock-up of the Games? Express puts Dutch dressage team on the front instead of @teamGB pic," tweeted Hamilton.
Unfortunately, The Mirror has also been caught out with the same error in an article in today's paper, listing the first names of the three Team GB riders in a centre spread, but under the same picture of the Dutch team.
© Twitter / Nick Sutton
The term "Daily Express" is currently trending on Twitter, including various messages of derision for the error.
One user posted: "Really feel for our Gold Medalists in Dressage; the @Daily_Express put the Dutch team on the front cover!!!!!"
Another added: "Not a good day in store for @Daily_Express picture desk with Dutch dressage team on P1 instead of @TeamGB #yourefired."
Discussing the error today on BBC Breakfast, Carl Hester said: "It's a shame that mistakes happen because we work extremely hard at our sport."
Same blunder on page 2 of The Sun (in the highs and lows list), although they also used a larger picture of the correct people.
August 8th 2012 at 9:17pm(+1 like)
Only way this would be bettered if it was the Mail.
August 8th 2012 at 8:28pm(+1 like)
Couldn't have happened to a more worthy paper! Shame the Mail didn't fall foul of the same gaffe too. After all, can you imagine the amount of grief the Express and the Mail would've given the BBC if it'd been the team at Auntie who had made such a glaring error?
August 8th 2012 at 2:09pm(+5 likes)
Not really in the same league as a front page gaff in a natoinal newspaper though, is it.
August 8th 2012 at 1:26pm(+1 like)
you might want to check your spelling of the word 'article' too...
August 8th 2012 at 12:00pm(+1 like)
Haha, good spot :).
"with the same error in an aritcle"
August 8th 2012 at 1:05pm