Beijing Olympics organizers had no choice but to cancel a first-come, first-served ticket sales policy ....

because overwhelming demand threw the process into chaos, a senior official said in an interview published Tuesday....Other than concerns about Beijing's notorious air pollution, preparations for the Olympics that open Aug. 8 have gone well so far. The city has earned high praise from the International Olympic Committee for its venues, and athletes had few complaints during a series of test events over the last several months.

But the ticketing fiasco was a big frustration for Chinese, some of who feel their interests have been sidelined in the flurry of preparations for the event that is expected to attract an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 foreign visitors.