Great expectations: 10 Brits to watch for Olympic gold

 
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1. Jessica Ennis - Athletics

When: August 3-4

Where: Olympic Stadium

What are her chances? Ennis is among Team GB’s best bets for gold inside the Olympic Stadium. She has competed in just one heptathlon this season — in Gotzis, Austria, in May. She won that with a British record and she and her coach Toni Minichiello are confident she can comfortably better her points tally of 6,906. One poor event, though, could derail her gold hopes and there are no shortage of rivals, among them Tatyana Chernova and Nataliya Dobrynska.

What she says: “I just have to perform as well as I can. The main focus is to go out and be really, really competitive. Competing is going to be really tough. I would love to go out there, perform really well, do a series of personal bests and win the gold. I’m going out there to do all I can.”

2. Mo Farah - Athletics

When: August 4 (10,000m), August 11 (5,000m)

Where: Olympic Stadium

What are his chances? Farah is the world’s dominant distance runner this season, beating all and sundry across the globe in the build-up to London. His turnaround from an occasionally lacklustre indoor season is impressive and he will bid to double up in the 10,000m and 5,000m depending on how his body holds up between the two events. A gold looks highly likely, two perfectly probable.

What he says: “I haven’t thought about what kind of medal I want. Obviously I’d like to bring back the gold because I want to win every race.”

3. Mark Cavendish - Cycling

When: August 28

Where: The Mall

What are his chances? To suggest Cavendish is a banker for gold would be slightly over-egging it but he will be the entire peloton’s pick to cross the line first. He is the strongest sprinter on a relatively flat course that ought to suit him and will be surrounded by British riders from his Team Sky road race outfit. He and his fellow riders achieved the feat at last year’s World Championships and will bid to repeat the victory. Doing that would be a remarkable achievement but he is the favourite to do so.

What he says: “I’m very lucky to have some very committed, loyal guys, like those guys that bossed the World Championships. They’re an unbelievable bunch of riders. I’m just the last part of the chain and finishing it off and winning the gold is down to me.”

4. Keri-Anne Payne - Swimming

When: August 9

Where: Hyde Park

What are her chances? Payne won silver at the last Games in her open water, 10km marathon event but has raised the bar since going on to win the World Championships to become the first athlete to qualify for Team GB at the Games. There had been question marks when she pulled out of her only other warm-up event in Israel with a shoulder injury but the word is that her pre-Olympic training camp at altitude in Spain’s Sierra Nevada has gone perfectly. Her fiancé David Carry will also compete at the Games having also qualified for the swimming team.

What she says: “Being part of the Olympics last time was just amazing. To win a silver medal was fantastic. I don’t feel I could have swum any better. I’ve definitely improved over the last four years and I’d like to go for gold this time. My preferred tactic is to go out and see how it goes. It really just depends on the course and the day. I’ll just work out what’s the best plan on the day.”

5. Ben Ainslie - Sailing

When: July 29-August 5

Where: Weymouth and Portland

What are his chances? Off the water, Ainslie is politeness personified buta completely different character on it. Nicknamed “Mr Competitive” by his GB Sailing teammate Iain Percy, Ainslie already has three Olympic golds to his name. Performances in the build-up to the Games would suggest a fourth will be added to the collection next month.

What he says: “The Olympic Games is a very special event. Having said that, you do ultimately have to go out and race like you would anywhere else. You can’t let the pressure of the event get to you.”

6. Alistair Brownlee - Triathlon

When: August 7

Where: Hyde Park

What are his chances? When the older of the Brownlee brothers was diagnosed with an Achilles tear in February, his Olympic dream appeared to be dangling by a thread. But he has made a superb return to action, winning his only two races of the season in Blenheim and Kitzbühel, and will only have got stronger in the build-up to London with a training camp away from prying eyes in the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz. Backed by brother Jonny, the favourite for the silver, and domestique Stuart Hayes, he looks invincible on current form.

What he says: “I’m in half-decent shape after my injury and it was great to get back to winning so quickly on my return. Everything’s gone to plan and the aim is to go there and win the gold.”

7. Rebecca Adlington - Swimming

When: July 29-August 3

Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre

What are her chances? Adlington is the defending champion in both the 400m and 800m freestyle after two superb swims in Beijing four years ago. The 800m is comfortably her stronger event. She boasts the world record and looks to have the beating of the likes of Denmark’s Lotte Friis. Her chances, however, of defending the 400m are less strong. Italy’s Federica Pelligrini appears to be the swimmer to beat.

What she says: “It’s amazing how many times I’m asked ‘are you going to win gold?’ I don’t know. It’s what I want to do, it’s what I’ve been training to do. All I can do is my best on the day and hope it’s enough to win.”

8. Kath Grainger/Anna Watkins - Rowing

When: July 30-August 3

Where: Eton Dorney

What are their chances? Grainger is very much the nearly woman of global rowing, at least in Olympic terms. Three times she has gone for gold and three times she has come away with a silver medal. London looks certain to be the last race for the 36-year-old, who is researching homicide for a law PhD. This makes them arguably Britain’s most intelligent team —Watkins currently has a PhD in applied mathematics on hold.

What they say: Kath Grainger: “The gold is the one missing from the trophy cabinet. I wouldn’t want to feel that, if I don’t achieve that, I’ve wasted the last four years of my life. Life goes on.”

9. Women’s team pursuit - Cycling

When: August 3-4

Where: London Velopark

What are their chances? The trio of Dani King, Jo Rowsell and Laura Trott were coolness personified as they twice broke the world record at April’s World Championships in Australia en route to gold. The Australians will be their closest contender but coach Paul Manning appears to have moulded a gold-winning line-up, which also includes Wendy Houvenaghel, who could yet make the three-woman line-up.

What they say: Laura Trott — “As a team, whoever’s selected, I think we’ll do really well. Training’s been going really well and it needs to be because Australia won’t be far away. I’m not sure it’ll take a world record to win gold but it won’t be far off.”

10. Helen Glover/Heather Stanning - Rowing

When: July 28-August 1

Where: Eton Dorney

What are their chances? The women’s pair look a strong bet to be Britain’s first rowing gold despite the fact they were only silver medallists at last year’s World Championship. This season they have gone from strength to strength under the tutelage of coach Robin Thompson, are unbeaten in 2012 and won their final World Cup race by a staggering two lengths. London could be their last regatta together — Glover has hinted she might return to her military duties — she is a captain in the British Army.

What they say: Helen Glover: “Everything has gone to plan so far. We had a really good winter but it’s nice to race and prove to ourselves that everything we’ve done, all the work we’ve put in is paying off. It’s just all about making sure we get everything right.”

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