Pierce O'Callaghan had gone to the Chinese capital with his wife Tamara, who works as a sponsorship manager for the International Olympic Committee, to look after the couple's five-month-old daughter Savanagh.

 

But the 32-year-old has been appointed as the deputy chief judge for all three race walking events, the youngest ever technical official in Olympic history.

 

O'Callaghan, the communications director for the European Athletics Association, is a former international race walker and holds the highest International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) qualifications.

 

So the former events manager for Scottish Athletics was the obvious person to be drafted in when the IAAF found themselves short of officials.

 

O'Callaghan told insidethegames: "I was delighted to get the call from the IAAF and to be informed afterwards that I am now officially the youngest technical official ever to officiate at the Olympic Games.

 

"I have also managed to find a very experienced and trustworthy baby-sitter in 1988 Olympian Susan Wightman, who is out here with her three kids and husband  and my former boss [at Scottish Athletics] Geoff."

 

The chief judge is Britain's Peter Marlow.