44 The Guardian | Wednesday 18 April 2012 The Guardian | Wednesday 18 April 2012 45

Olympic Games One hundred days to go

Questions to keep us guessing for the next three months

Will the British bankers deliver? Who will poop the party? And who will win the biggest race of all?
Rebecca Ellen Tom Jessica Mo Dai Phillips Sir Chris Bradley Mark China Russia Australia United Usain Tyson Asafa Dwain Yohan Justin
Adlington Gandy Daley Ennis Farah Greene Idowu Hoy Wiggins Cavendish States Bolt Gay Powell Chambers Blake Gatlin

Swimming Swimming Diving Athletics Athletics Athletics Athletics Cycling Cycling Cycling Jamaica United Jamaica Great Jamaica United States
Freestyle Butterfly 10m platform Heptathlon 5km & 10km 400m hurdles Triple jump Track Time trial Road race States Britain

Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide Form guide
She won the world Finished second at the Concern grew earlier The last seven months After winning gold The Welshman has been The 33-year-old has had Dipped slightly Couldn’t be better. Worked hard over Finished top of the Andrey Moiseev aims Sally Pearson is in All eyes will be on Whispers are that Bolt Gay has had some Powell ran his first Chambers did not run After winning the world Having returned to the
800m title in Shanghai world championships this year when he have been challenging. and silver at the 2011 in sensational form, his share of frustrations, before the world Wiggins had a perfect the winter but had a medal table in Beijing, to win a third straight scintillating form and the swimmer Michael has been struggling seriously bad luck indoor race in eight anything quicker than title in Daegu last year sport in 2010, following
in 2011 and took silver in 2011 in the 200m was criticised by GB’s After an undefeated run World Championships, winning back-to-back losing his world title championships winter, with no injuries difficult spring with after finishing second in gold in the modern will be aiming for gold in Phelps to see if he can with a back injury, with injuries lately. years at the Aviva Grand 6.58sec over 60m in – at 21 years old the a four-year ban for a
in the 400m. At the butterfly and was only performance director, of two years, collecting Farah’s 2012 campaign titles over the past to a young American, but still better than or illness, began bouts of illness and Athens, and will battle pentathlon, and the the 100m hurdles. Steve add to his gold medal although a sparkling He missed the world Prix in Birmingham in the winter, which is well youngest winner since doping offence, Gatlin
British trials this spring 0.04sec away from gold. Alexei Evangulov. Since world and European began with a bump. The two years; he is the Christian Taylor, who adequate, given that winning at his first a heavy crash, all of it out for top spot with women’s pole vault Hooker will attempt to tally of eight in Beijing. effort in the 4x100m championships last February, but he was short of his personal Carl Lewis – Blake’s has found his form.
she looked better still This year she won the then Daley has come titles, Britain’s golden 29-year-old lost four current world, European posted a new personal he took a gold in the outing in the Tour of the which clearly affected the US in London. Lin world record holder, defend his pole vault The men’s and women’s relay in Kingston last year due to corrective underwhelming. His best of 6.41. But he confidence should A surprise runner-up
in winning both events: 100m and 200m double good, winning silver in girl has lost both her races in a row during and Commonwealth best of 17.96m, keirin and bronze in Algarve and dominated his chances in his two Dan is a shoo-in for a Yelena Isinbayeva, is title, and hockey and basketball teams weekend would suggest surgery on a hip and time of 6.5sec left him still won a bronze at the be sky high. But the at the US trials last
Her 400m time of 4min at the New South Wales the World Cup in Dubai, titles to long-time rivals the indoor season, champion. Greene may 15cm further than the the match sprint. That his first major target major goals of the early medal in badminton, also targeting three in diving could also yield will start as strong otherwise. Still, the since then he has had in third behind his two world indoors. What he Jamaican, the youngest summer the former
2.35sec puts her second state championships in an individual silver and Tatyana Chernova and finishing fourth over not be the fastest on the Briton’s own record. If reflects a winter in event, the Paris-Nice season: Milan-San as are Wu Minxia and a row. Russia’s athletes medals. An epic tussle favourites. LaShawn 25-year-old defending serious groin and tendon compatriots Nesta has lost in speed he has sprinter ever to break world and Olympic
in the world rankings Australia and repeated another in the synchro Nataliya Dobrynska, 3,000m in Istanbul. circuit – his personal he is to dominate the which Hoy has moved in early March. He Remo, where he did He Zi in synchronised disappointed on the with Team GB awaits in Merritt, allowed Olympic champion and problems. He started Carter and Lerone Clarke gained in experience the 10 second barrier, champion may have
this year. Her 800m the feat in the Olympic with Pete Waterfield in finishing second in How he responds in the best of 47.88sec is event again, Idowu up a notch, winning pulled out of the Tour not finish, and Gent- diving, where China will track at the recent world the velodrome where – to compete after world record holder track training only at the who were picked ahead and understanding, shares his coach, Glenn failed to make it past the
form is even better, trials. Her new British Beijing and a third solo her last two major outdoor season will around half a second will need to find a way the British national of Catalonia, but that Wevelgem, where he dominate. Expected indoor championships until the recent world overcoming an IOC ban, begins this season with start of February, which of him for the World though that wasn’t Mills, with Usain Bolt semi-finals at the world
and she tops the world 100m butterfly record silver in Moscow. He has championships. The give an indication of his slower than his US rivals to reach distances sprint title and showing was as a precaution missed the key split. to perform strongly in but the team will be championships – the will aim to repeat his a career blip, having lost leaves him little time to Indoor Championships enough to stop him which could prove to be championships but this
rankings this year by a puts her second in the had four podium finishes coming months will Olympic medal chances – but he dominates beyond 17.90m dominant form at the given the apocalyptic Four wins to date, but he table tennis, gymnastics among the medals in Australians have latterly 2008 gold in the 400m his 100m world title to get in shape for the US being disqualified for a a difficult psychological year he triumphed at the
distance world rankings across the two events prove critical championship races World Cup weather conditions will not be satisfied and weightlifting too gymnastic disciplines held the upper hand Yohan Blake in Daegu trials in June false start in Daegu battle of egos world indoors over 60m

The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days? The next 100 days?
She was reluctant to Gandy has just flown Evangulov says that he Opening her season Currently training at Currently training Currently training in Hoy took a short break Has just completed his Having just become The third Asian Beach Huge sums are being 77 Australian athletes Tyson Gay will attempt Expected to open his Gay has announced Powell’s next race will Chambers doesn’t even Jamaica Invitational on Launching “Track
ink in her diary until back to her home in and Daley have hatched with a 100m run at his base in Portland, under Malcolm Arnold Birmingham with coach in Dubai after the world first altitude training a father, Cavendish is Games take place in poured into Russian have been selected so to qualify for the season at the Jamaica that he will run only the be over 400m, as he know if he’ll be eligible 5 May, as well as the Nation” – a kind of
she had secured her Melbourne, where she “a cunning plan” for the Great City Games, Oregon, Farah’s first at his Bath base – the Aston Moore, Idowu championships and of the year in Tenerife, taking a mid-season Haiyang, China, in June, sport ahead of the far for boxing, canoeing, Olympic 100m at the US Invitational on 5 May, 100m this year because tries to improve his for the Olympics yet. Diamond League grand Facebook for runners.
place but now says will resume training the Olympics. Whatever Manchester, followed by race of the season will coach who guided plans to attend a warm returned to training in and will resume racing break before returning featuring disciplines Sochi Winter Games but sailing, swimming and trials in June, choosing followed by his annual he is worried his body strength conditioning. Like everyone else he is prix in New York on 9 Preparing for the US
she will swim in two alongside the Olympic they have cooked up, a trip to Götzis, Austria, be the Bupa London Colin Jackson to two weather training camp Manchester this week. in the Tour of Romandie to racing at the Tour of such as beach volleyball there is little prospect taekwondo but team not to compete in trip to Ostrava on May will not be able to take After that he’ll run at still waiting to learn if June. The notoriously Olympic trials 21 June
competitions before 100m breaststroke it is unlikely to involve where the world’s best 10km on 27 May world titles in the high in Portugal next month In between sessions in alongside Cavendish. Romandie on 24 April. and sailing. China of overhauling China announcements and the 200m. Phelps 25. He takes on Asafa the strain of doubling the Jamaica Invitational the Court of Arbitration competitive Jamaican – 1 July
the Olympics – the Mare champion Leisel Jones. much more media work heptathletes compete hurdles – Greene has before opening his Manchester he and the That leads into a second After that he races the will seek to avoid the and the US in the medal various qualifying will compete in the Powell in the Diamond it up with the 200m. As on 5 May and in the will uphold or overturn Olympic trials take place
Nostrum in Barcelona Gandy believes it was if Evangulov has his way. at the annual Hypo hinted that he may open season at a meet still to other GB sprinters have altitude camp, followed Giro d’Italia and Tour of traditional post-home- table. The head of events continue until swimming trials as he League in Rome on recently as January he Olympic trials at the end the British Olympic over the weekend of 28
in June and the second her poor turn that Daley will dive in Mexico Meeting. Ennis is also his outdoor season at be confirmed camps in Majorca, for by his fifth stage race of of Switzerland
Switzerland to to build
build into Games slump, with the Russian Olympic the end of June to tries to qualify for five 31 May and Oslo on 7 could not jog, let alone of June. He says he is Association’s life ban on June-1 July
set of British Olympic cost her a gold medal in the final World Cup likely to take part in one the Rome Diamond road training, and on the year, the Dauphiné into the Tour
the Tour de France,
de France, his much of the team based Committee said this allow optimum time for events. The team will June, and has just been sprint. He has some trying to get “the fear drugs cheats. Whatever
trials in Sheffield later in Shanghai and she event at the end of this or two Diamond League League meeting as he the track in Cottbus, Liberé on 3 to 10 June. his
finalfinal warmup
warm-up forfor
thethe in Leeds in the buildup. week he expected a training and selection not be picked until June. confirmed to run the serious work to do just of injury” out of his head the result, Chambers is
that month. She will not plans to work on her month and again at the fixtures to perfect did last year Germany, but, crucially, That takes him to the Olympics, and he will Around 300 athletes and stern battle with Britain Pre-Games, the track 200m in Monaco as to make the US team preparing as though he
be resting for either of technique there before British Championships individual events no racing before Tour de France and visit the Olympic road support staff will base for third place and field stars will train his last race before the will be running and has
them but will fit them she comes back to in Sheffield in June the holding camp at finishing it should leave race circuit for at least themselves in the city in Mile End Olympic Games gone to train with Asafa
into her schedule Britain in the summer Newport him at a peak for London one “dress rehearsal” from early July Powell in Jamaica

Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Main rival? Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics Vital statistics
Federica Pellegrini It Jiao Liuyang Chn Qiu Bo Chn Tatyana Chernova Rus Kenenisa Bekele Eth Louis Jacob van Zyl SA Christian Taylor Grégory Baugé Fabian Cancellara Tom Boonen Sydney 2000 Third in Sydney 2000 Second in Sydney 2000 Fourth in Sydney 2000 First in Personal best Personal best Personal best Personal best Personal best Personal best
The first woman to Jiao is only nine days If he is on form, Stole Ennis’s world title If the Ethiopian, who Topped the rankings last The newest names Hoy has three Olympic There are only two Two threats have medal table medal table medal table medal table 9.58sec (world record) 9.69sec 9.72sec 9.97sec 9.82sec 9.85sec
break the four-minute older than Gandy but everyone else will be in Daegu with a personal has been struggling year and finished third on the scene are the titles to defend. No better time triallists emerged over the spring Gold 28 Silver 16 Gold 32 Silver 28 Gold 16 Silver 25 Gold 37 Silver 24 Berlin World Shanghai Golden Grand Athletissima Grand Prix, Seville World ISTAF meeting, Berlin, Olympics final, Athens,
barrier in the 400m, has more experience. competing for silver. best 57 points ahead of with injury, defends his in Daegu, but the South Americans Christian obvious rival has on paper and both and Cavendish will Bronze 14 Bronze 28 Bronze 17 Bronze 33 Championships, 2009 Prix, 2009 Lausanne, 2008 Championships, 1999 2011 2004
Pellegrini is incredibly
glamorous, She was only 14 when Daley’s coach, Andy the Briton’s own best. Olympic titles – he holds African lost speed, the Taylor, 21, – who won emerged in the keirin, have come a cropper have to watch them Athens 2004 Second in Athens 2004 Third in Athens 2004 Fourth in Athens 2004 First in Season’s best Season’s best Season’s best Season’s best Season’s best Season’s best
glamorous,
having posed having
naked and she won the senior Banks, says he has At 6ft 2in the Olympic both the 5,000m and early start to his season the world title last but in the match this spring. Cancellara closely in August: the medal table medal table medal table medal table 9.76sec 9.79sec 9.78sec 10.01sec 9.82sec 9.95sec
posed
sprayed naked
gold cosprayed
in Vogue. Asian Championships in never seen a diver bronze medallist towers 10,000m and is also affecting his stamina by year – and Will Claye, sprint he faces stiff of Switzerland is Belgian Tom Boonen, Gold 32 Silver 17 Gold 28 Silver 27 Gold 17 Silver 16 Gold 35 Silver 39 Diamond League, National training centre Diamond League, São Paulo Grand Prix ISTAF meeting, Berlin, Diamond League,
gold in Vogue.
Won the Won the
200m/400m 2006. She followed that “with such consistency over Ennis and excels in the world record holder its end. The defending 20, who won the world competition for his GB recovering from a who has dominated the Bronze 14 Bronze 38 Bronze 16 Bronze 27 Brussels sprint series, Florida Lausanne 2011 Oregon
200m/400m
double at the double
last two with silver in the 200m and strength”. Bo two of Ennis’s weakest over both distances – he Olympic champion, indoor title in March. team place from Jason broken collarbone but one-day classics, and Beijing 2008 First in Beijing 2008 Third in Beijing 2008 Sixth in Beijing 2008 Second in
at the last
World two World
Championships butterfly in Beijing, is the current world events: long jump and will be a big threat. Angelo Taylor, and Better known is Teddy Kenny, who beat him insists he will be fit, the Slovak Peter Sagan, medal table medal table medal table medal table
Championships and is
and is world record behind her compatriot champion. He has twice javelin. Chernova edges Other Ethiopians for his US compatriots Tamgho, the 23-year-
22-year- in the worlds. Whoever while the current world who is better suited to Gold 28 Silver 16 Gold 23 Silver 21 Gold 14 Silver 15 Gold 23 Silver 21
world
holderrecord
at bothholder Liu Zige. She beat cracked under pressure, her in the 800m which Farah to watch include Bershawn Jackson and old from France who gets the nod has an champion, Tony Martin the London course than Bronze 14 Bronze 29 Bronze 17 Bronze 29
at both distances.
distances. She
She is the Gandy by a fingertip in however, in Beijing could make the final Ibrahim Jeilan, who won Jeshua Anderson will posted the biggest jump uphill task against the of Germany, is getting Boonen, and has four
is the reigning
reigning 200m200mOlympic Shanghai to become and at the 2009 World event of the Olympic when the Briton came make London 2012 a in a decade, recording Frenchman Baugé over facial injuries and a top-five finishes in one-
Olympic
championchampion world champion Championships heptathlon very tense second in Daegu very competitive field 17.98m in June 2010 broken shoulder blade day races this year

What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said? What’s being said?
!It all depends on !I like being in !It reminds me of !Obviously there’s !Sometimes when !I think Dai will be !This is what I’m !I’m not far away !Phase one of my ! He finished the !I just think if !In London, my !Australia is well on !The Olympics are !The greatest !At the end of the !Missing the !Ultimately, what !Usain pushes me a !I think that I’m
the Olympics and what Australia because I get the situation in Russia disappointment at you experience the man to beat. Of going to win the from my best and it’s buildup to the Tour classics in good shape, you look at it, in its main competitors will the way to fielding a probably easier for us glory in living lies day, I am just going indoors was not a I want to do is to be lot in training due to back. Everyone
happens whether I to race the best that with Anna Kournikova. what happened in disappointment all the athletes I have Olympics in! going to take that de France … consisted he’s trained hard this entirety, it will be be myself, because strong team that will than trials are. Just not in never falling, to have to put in the big disappointment able to perform in the fact that if he has needs to stay tuned
carry on swimming or they have on a regular She looked pretty and Istanbul. But you then you start to do ever encountered, Phillips Idowu, after last bit of motivation. of getting a really week and is about China. I think it will be I know how high I be ready to take on the being able to secure a but in rising every hardest three months for me because the front of the home to take one, I have to because the USA is
retire. If I think I can’t basis. It’s really great made a promising start learn so much from even better because Dai is the toughest trying on the new This is the light at good winter under where we would China, USA and then can jump and I know rest of the world. We spot is so important. time we fall #Nelson of my life and get Olympic Games is the crowd. I realise I’ve take two. He’s helped going to show you
improve any more I to be around them to her career but the events that don’t go it makes you more mentally. I’ve known Stella McCartney 2012 the end of the tunnel my belt, and hitting expect him to be. Russia! that height is almost know we are in for a It is only the top two. Mandela! ready for the Olympic big thing this year and made mistakes but I’m me because I have something!
want to finish on a and race against them media exposure meant exactly as planned. hungry. I’m a lot more people like Linford Olympic kit and it’s an exciting my early season The next focus is a Sebastian Coe impossible for my tough tussle to claim We know that anybody Bolt’s Twitter feed trials. That is the only looking at it, I think trying to do the right to run even faster in Justin Gatlin
high! because when it comes she never got to be the And remember, I up for it now. You Christie, athletes opportunity. When I’m targets. The next step couple of stage wins rivals! a revered top-five can be there on a given turns profound in time thing I can do. I can’t the indoors would thing and enjoy what training to keep up
Rebecca Adlington to racing at the majors best. She is still in the came away having can’t keep winning. who have been really on form I can is preparing towards in the Giro then some Yelena Isinbayeva, spot! day and all these guys for the start of the look back now! have affected my time I have left in the with his speed. I’m not
I’m ready. I know I can celebrity news but she done three PBs and a You have to lose really successful, beat anybody in the the Tour. [Winning quality climbing and Olympic pole vault Chef de mission Nick that we have can race season Tyson Gay preparation for the sport! thinking about times
match them! never achieved her full national record. I’m sometimes! but nobody’s been world in the sprint and Paris-Nice] leaves more info on that champion Green hard! Olympic Games, so Dwain Chambers – that’s for Usain.
Ellen Gandy potential! in much better shape Mo Farah, after as assured and anybody in the world me well and truly Olympic course. He’s Michael Phelps maybe it’s best that I I’m more focused on
Alexei Evangulov than I was last year! finishing fourth in confident as Dai! in the keirin! on track!
track" building OK! stayed home and did getting a medal!
Jessica Ennis Istanbul Sprinter Christian Sir Chris Hoy Bradley Wiggins Rod Ellingworth, what I did! Yohan Blake
Malcolm Cavendish’s coach Asafa Powell

On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . On track for . . . How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they? How ready are they?
Gold Silver Bronze Silver Silver Gold Silver Gold Gold Bronze Gold Silver Silver Gold Gold Bronze No No Silver No
medal medal medal