SUE BARKER admits she's thrilled to be serving up live TV coverage of the greatest show on Earth for millions back at home. "I never thought I'd be at an Olympics, especially being a tennis player, because the sport only came in after I'd retired," explains the Greece-bound presenter.

"But I've done Atlanta and Sydney and it is incredible - it's the adrenaline rush. We find that our programme is changing all the time because, although you can have a running order, suddenly, someone does something magnificent somewhere else and it all changes."

BBC TV's marathon coverage of the Olympic Games begins a week tonight with the opening ceremony as the event returns to the country of its birth. Athens 2004 provides viewers with a 16-day festival of live sport.

But, first, Sue has a Greek appetiser in the shape of A Question Of Sport: Olympic Special (BBC1, tonight, 7pm), featuring Olympic gold legends Mark Spitz, Sean Kerly, Seb Coe and Steve Redgrave.

Having pre-recorded the show in Manchester, the ex-tennis ace is making her first visit to Athens for what will be a gruelling schedule.

"You do get tired, because it's a long event. But when I'm sitting in the studio in the track and field stadium, watching the greatest, you think, `How can there be a down part to that?'"

One of Sue's earliest memories of the Games is the glorious penthathlon gold won by Mary Peters at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

"I remember the manner in which Mary won - how gracious she was. Her smile, and the way she took it on, was infectious to watch. It was someone thoroughly enjoying it, being so nice to all the people she was competing against.

"And I remember my mum turning to me and saying, `I'd love you to be like her.' It's something that stayed with me and I think I changed my outlook in a way. I see Mary now and she's still my idol."

The BBC has commissioned a new piece of music to accompany its TV spectacular, celebrating the return of the Olympic Games to Greece.

Opera

Olympic - Eternal Flame is sung by opera band Amici Forever, including Blackpool-born soprano Jo Appleby plus tenor David Habbin, who both trained at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music.

Jonathan Edwards is a new full-time member of the TV Olympics team and is also in Athens to host a special edition of Songs Of Praise (BBC1, Sunday, 5.20pm), featuring Greek singing legend Nana Mouskouri and the Manchester-born sprinter Darren Campbell.

Also presenting the two-part dramatised documentary, Greek Gods And Goddesses (BBC1, Sunday, 8pm), Jonathan is looking forward actually to seeing something of the Games.

As a triple jumper, he competed at three Olympics, winning gold in Sydney, but never took full advantage of his athlete's accreditation.

"Once my event had finished I would normally go home to be with my family so I've never sat through an entire Games, which I will do in Athens. It will be a completely new experience for me."

Not that he's expecting an armchair ride in his latest television role as commentator and expert pundit.

"It's a different challenge and one in which I feel I've still got a lot to learn.

"It's probably been the busiest time of my life since I retired. I've been travelling away from home quite a lot - more than when I was an athlete. I've not been in the gym once, apart from to visit people. I really feel I finished at the right time."

With just seven days to go, he can't wait for the action to start.

"Athens has what only Athens can have - the history and the tradition, so I presume the Games will play on those strengths.

"Hopefully, people will go away thinking we've been to the home of the ancient Olympics and seen a great modern Olympics."

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