Saturday, August 4, 2012

London 2012: Super Saturday gets under way

The busiest day of the Games so far – "Super Saturday" – gets under way this morning with 25 gold medals to be given out.
By Claire Duffin
The weight of expectation for Britain's next gold medal now rests on heptathlete Jessica Ennis after she made convincing start on Friday.

She will compete in the long jump and javelin, finishing with the 800m at around 8.30pm.

The fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, will also start his London 2012 campaign in the first rounds of the 100m.

Oscar Pistorius, the South African four-time Paralympic champion, will make also history as the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics when he races in the men's 400m.

In total, there are 25 gold medals available in 11 different sports.


Team GB will be hoping to build on its success of the last three days.

So far, Britain has 22 medals – including eight golds – and is fourth overall, behind the United States, China and South Korea.

At Eton Dorney this morning, there are hopes that the men's four rowing team will add to Team GB's tally.

Tom James and Alex Gregory, both 28, and Pete Reed, 31, and Andrew Triggs Hodge, 33, will be taking on rivals Australia in the final at around 11.30am.

Fellow rowers Zac Purchase, 26, and Mark Hunter, 33, will be attempting to retain their Olympic title in the men's lightweight double sculls while Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking will be hoping to continue their good form from the heats in the final of the women's lightweight double.

Inside the Olympic Stadium, Mo Farah will run in the men's 10,000m.

Meanwhile, Britain's Helen Jenkins, 28, is among the favourites in the triathlon taking place at Hyde Park.

GB's women's team pursuit squad will be hoping to emulate the success of their male counterparts when they go for gold in the velodrome at around 4.10pm today.

The men's quartet of Ed Clancy, Stephen Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas took gold yesterday, smashing their own world record in the process.

In the pool, Michel Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, will be going for his 18th gold in the men's 4x400m medley, his last competitive race before retirement.

Fran Halsall, the British swimmer, will race in the women's 50m freestyle final. Halsall, won her heat, finishing third overall in qualifying.

Britain's men's football team will also play South Korea at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in the quarter finals of the competition, which kicks off at 7.15pm.

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