LONDON VAUXHALL DEALERS

Here's a thought. What if, when our impeccably planned Olympics start on July 27, the weather doesn't co-operate? Some long-range forecasts are encouraging, and London has fewer rainy days in July than any other month, but isn't it possible that high summer in England could be as wet and dreary, frankly, as it usually is?

It rained right through many of the Olympic test events. It rained ferociously more-or-less throughout the jubilee weekend. It even rained in Athens during the torch-lighting. While the ever-jovial Danny Boyle, director of the opening ceremony, has promised that synthetic rainclouds will be included "just in case it doesn't rain".

The position at the London Organising Committee is simple: rain will not stop play. "We're a fairly sturdy lot," a spokesperson says. "Beach volleyball will continue in the rain, archery will continue in the rain – just like Beijing, where there were a number of events that continued in the rain." Indeed, lightning will be needed to stop most things.

A few events, such as the BMX and tennis competitions, might be delayed by rain, but the organisers are confident they could handle the rescheduling. So, for the record, if it does not stop raining from the moment the opening ceremony begins until the moment the games are supposed to end, will everything still be completed? "Yes," they say.

Continuing is not thriving, however. Outdoor competitors are used to rain, but they often perform worse in it. Usain Bolt, for one, has registered some early excuses. "He'd have to have the right conditions [to run 100m in less than 9.5 seconds]," says his coach Glen Mills, "and I'm not sure London is going to be kind."

Broadly speaking, then, a wet Olympics will see fewer records, but this varies by event. "For the endurance athletes there could be an advantage relative to hot conditions, in that it can help to keep them cool," says Peter Stanley, who coached Jonathan Edwards to a gold medal, and is now a mentor at England Athletics. "For the throwers, however, turning quickly in a circle that is slippery due to rain is more difficult… You could say a normal British summer would benefit a normal British athlete, but we will have to wait and see."

In truth, the people who would suffer most in a wet Olympics are probably the spectators. Yes, the toilets at the velodrome and the handball arena (which harvest rainwater) will be flushing well. But the roof at the Olympic stadium covers only two thirds of the seats, and there is no roof at all on the Riverbank Arena, where the hockey will be played, nor over all the seats at the beach volleyball, the BMX track, the equestrian events, or on The Mall for the road cycling. So if you've got tickets for one of those, bring a cagoule.