What to watch in week one of the 2016 Rio Olympics

We've provided a handy day-to-day guide for those looking to follow the action in week one of the Olympic Games in Rio.

Hannah Miley will be looking to repeat her Commonwealth Games heroics on day one. Picture: Ian Rutherford

DAY 1 (Sat 6 Aug into Sun 7 Aug)

Three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome leads the British team competing in the men’s road race which gets under way at 1.30pm. Froome admits it would be a dream to win Olympic gold but has tipped team-mate Steve Cummings as a more likely candidate to get Team GB off to a dream start. Scottish swimmer Hannah Miley competes in the 400m individual medley (final at 2.49am), while James Guy is a strong British medal shout in the 400m freestyle (final at 2.30am). Elsewhere, rugby sevens makes its Olympic debut as the women’s competition begins with Great Britain kicking off against hosts Brazil at 4pm. In hockey, GB’s men face Belgium (4.30pm) while the women are straight in with a heavyweight clash against Australia (12.30am).

DAY 2 (Sun 7 Aug into Mon 8 Aug)

It’s the women’s road race today (4.30pm start) and London 2012 silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead will be hoping to make headlines for the right reasons after the lead-up to her Games was dominated by the controversy surrounding her missed doping tests and successful appeal to be able to compete. In the pool, Scotland’s Ross Murdoch goes in the 100m breaststroke, with fellow Briton Adam Peaty the favourite for gold (final at 2.53am). Scottish rower Heather Stanning and her partner Anna Glover begin their bid to defend their women’s pairs title in the rowing at 12.30pm. The GB men’s hockey team face New Zealand at 9pm.

DAY 3 (Mon 8 Aug into Tue 9 Aug)

Some of the most familiar names in the British team enter the stage as the men’s gymnastics team, including Louis Smith and Max Whitlock, look to equal or better their historic bronze in London (8pm start). Tom Daley begins his third Olympics at the age of just 22 when his men’s 10m synchro diving campaign with Dan Goodfellow starts at 8pm. The women’s rugby sevens final is at 11pm

DAY 4 (Tue 9 Aug into Wed 10 Aug)

Great Britain’s men, including Scotland’s Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson, start their rugby sevens campaign with pool matches against Kenya (4pm) and Japan (9pm). Aberdeen’s David Florence goes in the C1 canoe slalom (5.30pm), while veteran equestrian William Fox-Pitt goes in the showjumping and the GB men’s hockey team face hosts Brazil at 10pm. One of the most anticipated showdowns in the pool will see Michael Phelps seek to reclaim 200m gold from Chad le Clos, the South African with the excitable father (final at 2.28am).

DAY 5 (Wed 10 Aug into Thu 11 Aug)

Chris Froome is back in the saddle for the men’s time trial (12.30pm) with Emma Pooley going for Britain in the women’s event. Great Britain will be hoping to have qualification for the rugby sevens quarter-finals in the bag when they come up against the might of New Zealand in their final pool game (4.30pm). The knockout stage gets under way at 9pm.

DAY 6 (Thu 11 into Fri 12 Aug)

Rower Katherine Grainger will be seeking to become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian when she teams up with Wales’ Vicky Thornley and seeks to defend the women’s double sculls title she won with Anna Watkins four years ago to finally claim a gold following three straight silvers. Track cycling also gets under way, with Scotland’s Callum Skinner joining Jason Kenny and Phillip Hindes in the men’s team sprint (10.21pm) and hopefully getting the British team off to a strong start in a sport they have dominated the past few Games. David Florence teams up with Richard Hounslow in the canoe C2 event (8.15pm), while Scotland’s Fiona Pennie will be aiming to reach the final of the K1 kayaking (7pm). The rugby sevens final takes place at 11pm.

DAY 7 (Fri 12 Aug into Sat 13 Aug)

Jessica Ennis-Hill begins her heptathlon title defence at around 1,35pm as the 100m hurdles kick off the athletics programme, with young compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson one of her main challengers. Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, who won Team GB’s first gold four years ago and are unbeaten since, start their pairs defence at the rowing lake from 1.30pm. Back at the athletics, Scotland’s Beth Potter joins 42-year-old Jo Pavey in the women’s 10,000m final at 3.10pm. Britain are expected to battle it out with Germany for gold in the team dressage final from 2pm.

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