London 2012 Olympics: Saturday’s highlights

MARK CAVENDISH

GREAT BRITAIN ROAD RACE

10am-4pm, AT THE MALL

THE chance to win Britain’s first gold medal at the Olympics falls to cycling star Mark Cavendish. There are few more confident competitors in the British team than the rider from the Isle of Man, so Cavendish should be able to deal with the enormous burden of home expectation – probably by ignoring it altogether. A world-class squad of Scot David Millar and Team Sky trio Ian Stannard, Chris Froome and Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins will be charged with delivering the Manx Missile to the home straight for a sprint to the line. The race is a killer, more than 250 kilometres and rising to 224 metres nine times but this should not daunt the 27-year-old. His main rivals are likely to be Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Matt Goss – no, not Luke’s brother – of Australia. If Cavendish triumphs, it would get the Games off to a fantastic start for Team GB.

HANNAH MILEY

GREAT BRITAIN SWIMMING

8.09PM IN AQUATICS CENTRE

SCOTLAND’S best hope of a medal on Day 1 of the Olympics – and one of our best chances of a gold at the Games, alongside cyclist Chris Hoy and rower Katherine Grainger – rests with swimmer Hannah Miley in the 400m individual medley. The 22-year-old, coached by her father Patrick, is the reigning European and Commonwealth champion in the event and last year came second in the World Championships, behind Elizabeth Beisel of the United States. The Garioch Amateur Swimming Club member – and Scotsman columnist – is a driven individual who has never let her focus drift from what she has described as the biggest day of her life. The big question is the strength of the opposition. She represented Britain at the 2008 Olympics at the age of 18, so does not lack experience. Hannah has what it takes to become an Olympic champion.

ANDY & JAMIE MURRAY

GREAT BRITAIN TENNIS

5PM AT WIMBLEDON

THE first round from Wimbledon sees the world’s best descend on SW19 for the second time in a month. Carrying Britain’s best hopes today are Scotland’s very own Andy and Jamie Murray as they start their doubles campaign just three weeks after Andy’s

agonising final defeat to Roger Federer in the men’s singles final at Wimbledon. Brother Jamie is a doubles specialist having won the mixed doubles title here at the All-England Championships in 2007. The brothers start their campaign at 5pm against Austrian pair of Alexander Peya and former Open semi-finalist Jurgen Meltzer. Andy’s singles campaign starts tomorrow, when he faces old foe Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round. Provided he can get past the Swiss, Murray faces stiff competition for the title with Federer and former world No 1 Novak Djokovic both competing.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

GREAT BRITAIN v CAMEROON

5.15PM, MILLENNIUM STADIUM

TEAM GB face Cameroon knowing a win will all but guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals. A 1-0 win over New Zealand flattered the Kiwis but Hope Powell will be sure to not read too much into the

Africans’ 5-0 defeat to Brazil. The South Americans are of a different class and victory against the skilful Indomitable Lionesses is anything but assured. Meanwhile, at Hampden, organisers will be on red alert to avoid a further diplomatic incident when North Korea line up against France tonight (kick-off 7.45pm, providing there is no reason for the Koreans to refuse to play this time). After their disappointing 1-1 draw with Senegal on Thursday night, the British men’s team will be back in action tomorrow when they face the United Arab Emirates at Wembley. Fail to win that one and it will be off to the Tower with them.

PHELPS v LOCHTE

SWIMMING 400m INDVIDUAL MEDLEY

7:30PM IN AQUATICS CENTRE

THE opening day of action in the pool is set to witness the first instalment of the rivalry between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. The programme opens with the heats of the 400 metres individual medley, with Phelps, from Baltimore, appearing in the fourth heat alongside Laszlo Cseh, the silver medallist in Beijing. Fourteen-time Olympic champion Phelps, taking part in what he will be his fourth and final Olympics, is contesting seven events in London, and needs to visit the podium just three times to overtake gymnast Larisa Latynina and become the most decorated Olympian in history. Much has been made of his rivalry with Lochte, with the Florida swimmer having eclipsed Phelps over the last couple of years, culminating in five gold medals at the world championships in Shanghai. But they remain close friends. At least, for now.

CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN

GREAT BRITAIN EQUESTRIAN

10AM AT GREENWICH PARK

AND you thought Zara Phillips was the only show in town? Maybe it is no surprise that the involvement of Ms Phillips in the British team, and the stushie over her father’s role in the US coaching team – and his relationship with another coach almost 30 years his junior – has led to other members of the team being overshadowed in the build-up. That could all change today. Dujardin produced a world record-breaking performance in the individual eventing dressage during an event at Hagen, Germany, three months ago. Last year, she also helped the British team to victory at the European Championships on Valegro, who she rides again today. The four-times Horse of the Year Show winner is No 4 in the world, but here recent form suggests that she can move on to the podium if all goes well for her on the south side of the Thames today.