The offer that came while he was CIO of the Manchester-based Co-operative Group.

It's clear from meeting Pennell and members of his team that the driving factor is their passion for the event and for the technology involved in putting on four weeks' worth of sporting spectacle.

They may not see much of the action. Pennell would watch the sailing, a sport he takes part in, if he could.

But, I suspect that just like the sporting legends competing in London, whether their name is Hoy, Bolt or Ainslie, their focus throughout the Games will remain firmly on performance excellence and gold medal-standard delivery.