Team GB's gold medal favourites? NEWS
Now that London 2012 is under way and the opening ceremony is just two days away its an opportune time to look at the favourites to claim Olympic gold for Britain.
Some predictions have Team GB winning as many as 27 gold medals at London 2012 but realistically there are few 'nailed on' certainties to win an Olympic title. Here's BritEvents list of athletes who are favourites to win gold in their respective events: -
Bradley Wiggins - road cycling - as shown by his superb performances in the Tour de France Wiggins is a supreme time trialler and that is the event in which he is more likely to strike gold, his role in the road race being to support world champion Mark Cavendish. Wiggins comfortably won two of the three Tour de France time trials although those competing in the Olympic event will be a lot fresher than those who slogged round France. That said, Wiggins has it in him to win, such is his form and confidence.
Ben Ainslie - sailing - Britain's most successful Olympic sailor with three golds Ainslie is as big a favourite as there is in Team GB. Ainslie has won gold at the last three Olympics and will surely place himself in the pantheon of all time British Olympic greats should he, as expected, win gold again this year.
Tom Daley - diving - it feels as though Daley has been around for years although he's still only 18. He was Team GB's youngest competitor at the Beijing games when he was just 14. Daley is a current national, Commonwealth and European champion and a former World Champion so he is a strong favourite to take gold in his home games where his support in the pool will be immense.
Mo Farah - athletics - although it's unlikely he'll be able to win a gold medal double Farah could, conceivably, win either or both of his events, the 5000m and the 10000m. He snatched a gold and a silver at last year's World Championships and the competition will be just as tough for the Somalian born Farah, but he's a great competitor.
Rebecca Adlington - swimming - the winner of two gold medals at Beijing in 2008 and a subsequent OBE Adlington is ranked No.2 in the world for her two events, the 800m freestyle and the 400m freestyle, although she won the 2011 World Championship in the 800m, so she must be considered favourite for that race in London. A repeat of the double she achieved four years ago may be too much to ask but she will surely win one gold?
Sir Chris Hoy - track cycling - the powerful Scotsman won't defend all three of his current Olympic titles but he'll still have a chance of adding two golds to his current haul of four and he's been given the honour of carrying the British flag at the opening ceremony. Hoy races in the keirin, at which he is the reigning world and Olympic champion, as well as the men's team sprint.
Savannah Marshall - boxing - women's boxing is new to the Olympics (at least competitively) and Team GB has a fantastic competitor in the shape of Marshall the current women's world champion (the first British woman to achieve this). The Hartlepool born boxer is nicknamed 'silent assassin, because of her shy demeanour outside the ring. Inside the ropes she's a different proposition and the hottest of favourites for an Olympic title.
Katherine Grainger & Anna Hawkins - rowing - the women's double scull pair haven't lost a race since they came together in 2010 and they represent the strength of the British rowing team which could win multiple gold medals. Grainger is a triple Olympic silver medallist, whereas Watkins has only a single bronze from Beijing. Here's hoping they can perform the alchemists trick of turning lesser metal into gold.
Jessica Ennis - athletics - the poster girl for London 2012 and the Team GB athletics squad Ennis is almost regarded as a national treasure. If she wins gold at her home games that status will be confirmed. However, Ennis will need to be on absolutely top form to snatch gold ahead of her great rival Tatyana Chernova, to whom she lost out at last year's World Championships. Sheffield born Ennis has, however, been working hard on her weakest event, the javelin, in the hope that she can bridge the gap.
Gemma Spofforth - another excellent prospect for gold in the Olympic pool Spofforth, the former world champion, will go in the 100m backstroke, an event in which she is the world record holder. Spofforth narrowly missed out on a medal in Beijing four years ago but since then she's win multiple awards whilst swimming for the University of Florida on a scholarship. I'm sure we all hope she can convert the world record making ability into gold.
Alistair Brownlee - triathlon - world champion and current world No.1 Brownlee is amazingly consistent. He's won medals at all age groups and in all forms of the sport as well as being a double world champion. He also carries the novel challenge that it is his brother, Jonny, who is his greatest threat for a gold medal, being ranked No.2 in the world.
Helen Jenkins - triathlon - like her male counterpart Brownlee, Jenkins is a world champion and is ranked No.1 in the world, having won medals at all age levels. She won the Olympic selection race at Hyde Park, the London 2012 course, so she is confident that she can bring more golden glory to Team GB.
Watch the footage of Rebecca Adlington, OBE, win the 800m freestyle final at the Beijing Olympics: -
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