Paula Radcliffe has hit out at European Athletics Championship ticket pricing, saying it is "a shame" to see several empty seats.
Nearly 10,000 seats were unfilled as over 13,000 people watched Great Britain's Amy Hunt sprint her way to 100m glory at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Fans had to pay £150 for a Category A ticket on Monday night with the cheapest ticket priced at £26 for Category E.
Olympic legend Radcliffe feels the pricing is too high and the situation needs to be addressed.
She said: "It is a shame because I think there is the willingness, but I don't know whether perhaps as a sport we need to look at the pricing and accessibility for those tickets.
"Nothing beats a stadium seeing a home victory, feeling the buzz and the hairs on your arms stand up, it's really special.
"It's fighting with many more different sports now, that's the truth. We have so many different sports available to choose from, it's about standing above the rest.
"It's about giving the opportunity to see and experience it live in person but some people are not able to afford expensive prices.
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"Something like athletics, the best experience is in the stadium or on the side of the road rather than TV."
Yesterday evening's attendance was higher, but empty seats were still seen across the stadium.
Fans arriving at the Alexander Stadium discovered there was no on-site parking and had to fork out £22.50 for a park-and-ride service.
Food and drinks prices have also come under fire, with a bottle of water costing nearly £4.
Birmingham 2026 has responded to the criticism, saying they are "delighted" with ticket sales, which have "surpassed" expectations.
They said Friday and weekend evening sessions are nearly sold out.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy has also backed the prices.
She said: "Some of the ticket prices are higher, but half of all the tickets here at the championships are £30 and under. Organisers have really worked to make it accessible.
"The numbers have been a bit low being the first few days.
"I think we will see that rise steadily and hoping for big numbers this weekend."
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