London 2012 Olympics: Today’s Olympic highlights

Published on 02/08/2012 01:34

SCOTLAND’S Luke Patience will start his bid for sailing gold in Weymouth today, four years after consistent mediocrity left him pondering his very future in the sport.

PATIENCE REWARDED?

GREAT BRITAIN, SAILING

12:00, WEYMOUTH

He had failed to earn a ticket to Beijing. There was frustration with his crew. Only a chance encounter hauled him back from the brink. Those were very different times. The 25-year-old from Rhu now boasts two world championship silver medals in the 470 class with crew-mate Stuart Bithell since they teamed up in the wake of both men’s failure to get to the 2008 Games. “We’ve won ten medals in the last two years. So we’re going in with all the confidence in the world.”

LEADER OF THE PACK

GREAT BRITAIN, TRACK CYCLING

16:15, VELODROME

THE Team GB flagbearer Sir Chris Hoy gets down to business today as the much-anticipated track cycling programme gets under way at the velodrome – aka ‘The Pringle’.

Hoy is looking for a fifth gold medal and, after being overlooked for the individual sprint, will be desperate to get Britain off to a dream start today. The main competition will come from France, Germany and Australia. Philip Hindes, the 19-year-old German-born specialist starter has the responsibility for getting Great Britain’s men up to speed in the three-man, three-lap team sprint.

In the women’s event, glamour girl Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish team up, with the Germans their biggest rivals.

BETH GOES FOR FULL SET

GREAT BRITAIN, GYMNASTICS

16:30, NORTH GREENWICH ARENA

Beth Tweddle is looking to win the only prize that has eluded her throughout her illustrious career – an Olympic medal. Great Britain made history three days ago when they won their first men’s Olympic team medal in a century at the North Greenwich arena. The women’s team, which Tweddle captained, were unable to emulate that, but they left the arena with their heads held high after securing sixth position - the best finish by the team in the post-war era. The women’s team, which Tweddle captained, were unable to emulate their achievement on Tuesday, but they secured sixth – the best finish by a GB women’s team in the post-war era.

NICOLAS ALMAGRO

SPAIN TENNIS

TBC, WIMBLEDON

ALMAGRO is the man who stands between Andy Murray and a shot at an Olympic medal.

The Scot will face the world
No 10 at Wimbledon today after he saw off a spirited challenge from Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis yesterday to claim his place in the quarter-finals.

It could be a busy day for Murray with his mixed doubles campaign with Laura Robson being set back due to rain yesterday.

Murray has a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Almagro of Spain, who executed an aggressive performance – including 17 points at the net – to beat Belgium’s Steve Darcis 7-5, 6-3 in 81 minutes. Almagro hit 14 aces and 29 winners yesterday saw could hurt Murray.

WIFF WAFF COMES HOME

CHINA, TABLE TENNIS

10:00, EXCEL

“WIFF waff is coming home” was the famous tongue-in-cheek battle cry of London Mayor Boris Johnson four years ago in Beijing.

Of course, the truth is that table tennis, to give the sport its more familiar and official name, already was home and, in all likelihood most of the medals will be heading back there. It was an all-China women’s final yesterday and the men’s finals are today, with the semi-finals coming first featuring Zhang Jike of China against Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany, and Wang Hao of China against Chuang Chih-Yuan of Taiwan. The two Chinese are favoured.

China have now won 21 of 25 gold medals since the game was introduced in the 1988 Olympics and are widely expected to sweep in London.

RAPID REACTION?

GREAT BRITAIN, CANOE C2

13:30, LEE VALLEY WHITE WATER CENTRE

SCOTLAND’S David Florence and Englishman Richard Hounslow pair up in the men’s double canoe slalom looking to make up for the terrible disappointments they have suffered in their individual event.

Florence was heavily tipped for gold in his C1 individual event but a nightmare run saw the world No 1 fail to even make the final.

Hounslow also flopped but the pair have one last chance to salvage something from the Games at Lee Valley.

Tim Baillie, another Scot, and his partner Etienne Stott also go for Britain. But perhaps Britain’s best chance of a medal comes from Lizzie Neave. The 25-year-old, from Stone in Staffordshire, goes in the women’s single kayak.