The Manchester Commonwealth Games resulted in a bumper medal haul for English athletes.

A global television audience of 1.7 billion people tuned in to the biggest sporting event ever held in the UK, while internet users made 180 million hits a day on the official web site.

Behind the scenes a massive amount of technology ensured the games ran smoothly and helped visiting athletes make some weird and wonderful purchases.

Demand from the competitors for internet access was unprecedented according to Microsoft, which employed 600 people and provided the technology.

Free web access was set up in the Athletes Village and an average of 1,400 people logged on each day.

It was not just seasoned surfers who went online. Many of the athletes were first time users of the net and had to be taught how to access the web and use email.

Microsoft marketing manager Laura Hoyle said: "One Lesotho relay runner had never seen a computer before. We set up her hotmail account and sent her a message with a question about the Games.

"She was simply over the moon when she received it and could send back the right answer. The only challenge for her now is to find someone else at home who uses email. At the moment her contacts box is pretty empty."

Although they hadn't been online before, other athletes managed to help the boom in e-tailing.

One competitor from Tonga used the internet to find a generator.

A new one was due to arrive back in Tonga about the same time as he returns and he has saved himself several thousand pounds by buying it here rather than at home.

When the Nigerian swimming team asked support staff how to surf the net, the internet experts had no idea they would soon be trawling in a search for a complete set of new trunks.

The Nigerians had seen some new, more streamlined trunks being used by some of the other competitors and wanted to maximise their chance of winning gold in Manchester by kitting out the whole team.

Customer service manager Jeanette Allom-Hill said: "Being able to obtain these special trunks was really important to the team.

"We were able to offer them access to the technology and expertise which enabled them to contact the manufacturers and eventually to get six pairs of spanking new trunks in time for the start of the contest."

The Kenyan team visited the centre to investigate the possibility of buying a tractor online.

All first time surfers, they were soon ploughing through a host of agricultural sites for the latest in tractor technology.

Technology also helped disabled athletes like the UK's best-known paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson.

She used a Pocket PC hand-held computer to keep in contact with her manager and coach, Jenni Banks, who lives in Australia.

Ms Banks could even monitor Tanni's heart rate and blood levels across the internet to make sure she was in top condition.

This was the first time the regular games and the disabled events had been integrated into the same programme.

The only major technology problem was when the organisers had to apologise for pornographic material on the web site.

Pornographic images, downloadable to mobile phones, could be accessed on the children's section of the site.

A spokesman for the event said: "It was human error. The search engine function was left on, giving access to the whole range of logos, some of which were inappropriate."

The organisers got rid of the link.

www.common
wealthgames.com
www.microsoft.com/uk