MEDAL HUNT: BRITAIN'S BEST HOPES FOR OLYMPIC GLORY
By Derek Clements
ATHLETICS:
Darren Campbell, 100m: Has beaten the best, but the suspicion remains that he doesn't quite possess the speed to do it at the very highest level. Possible bronze.
Dwain Chambers, 100m: Won the 100m Olympic trials and has twice beaten world record-holder Maurice Greene this season, but questionable whether he can repeat the feat.
Steve Backley, javelin: Has held the world record and is a regular medal-winner. Having recently produced his best throw of the season, he could crown his career by winning gold
Mick Hill, javelin: Has had the misfortune of being around at the same time as Backley. Gold is beyond him, but perhaps a bronze.
Colin Jackson, 110m hurdles: Our only world champion and still holds the world record. He has won the lot Ð except for an Olympic gold. Sadly, the situation is unlikely to change.
Chris Rawlinson, 400m hurdles: Not since the days of David Hemery have we had a 400m hurdler of Rawlinson's class. Not short of confidence, but he will be outclassed in Sydney and will do well to come home with a medal of any colour.
Jonathan Edwards, triple jump: The world record-holder is back in form, and will be bitterly disappointed if he does not return with the gold medal.
Dean Macey, decathlon: Has a hard act to follow in Daley Thompson. An anonymous athlete until his silver-medal performance in the world championships in Seville last year. Expected to deliver again.
Katharine Merry, 400m: Merry, right, will have to smash the British record if she is to have a realistic chance of getting into the medals.
Paula Radcliffe, 10,000m: The gutsiest runner in the British team. Looks to be in a permanent state of distress, but don't be fooled by appearances. Biggest problem is the lack of a sprint finish. Silver is probably the best she can hope for.
Denise Lewis, heptathlon: It is now or never for the Golden Girl as her main rival, Eunice Barber, is struggling with injury. Lewis, left, is at the top of her form. Gold banker
Ashia Hansen, triple jump: If the indoor world record-holder can put her troubles behind her, there is no reason why she should get among the medals, but it's a big if.
Men's 4x100m relay team (Darren Campbell, Dwain Chambers, Jason Gardener, Allyn Condon, Marlon Devonish, Julian Golding - subject to fitness - Ian Mackie, Christian Malcolm): Even the Americans have been casting an envious eye in our direction. Barring disasters with the baton, we could be looking at gold.
Men's 4x400m relay team (Sean Baldock, Jamie Baulch, Daniel Caines, Jared Deacon, Chris Rawlinson): Britain has a great tradition in this relay and this squad looks as strong as any that have
gone before.
Women's 4x400m relay team (Katharine Merry, Allison Curbishley, Natasha Danvers, Sinead Dudgeon, Donna Fraser, Helen Frost, Catherine Murphy): Impressive strength in depth means the British women should have
a fighting chance of
a bronze.
ARCHERY:
The country that gave Robin Hood to the world could have something to celebrate in Sydney. Alison Williamson is ranked No 2 in the world, and must have a chance of gold.
BADMINTON:
The Indonesians will dominate the singles, but Britain has a fine tradition in doubles. Simon Archer and Jo Goode won a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the world championships, where Archer and Nathan Robertson won bronze in the men's doubles and Donna Kellogg and Goode were quarter-finalists in the women's doubles. Kelly Morgan, a world championship quarter-finalist, is our best bet in the singles.
BOXING:
It's a long, long time since we won an Olympic boxing gold (Chris Finnegan in 1968) but super-heavyweight Audley Harrison could change all that. He stands 6ft 7in, weighs 18st, is Commonwealth champion and has beaten Europe's finest.
CANOEING:
Britain is one of the leading nations in slalom and sprint canoe racing, with several realistic medal prospects, including Anna Hemmings, the world and European sprint champion; Tim Brabants, second in the K1 pre-Olympic regatta in Sydney; and Paul Ratcliffe, world No 1 in the men's kayak slalom canoe. Three canoe medals are certainly possible.
CYCLING:
Chris Boardman, now coming towards the end of a fabulous career, will be determined to win the time trial and goes into the event as joint favourite with fellow Briton David Millar, who briefly led the Tour de France this year. Expect one of them to bring home
the gold.
EQUESTRIANISM:
Eventing (Jeanette Brakewell, Karen Dixon, Pippa Funnell, Mary King, Leslie Law, Kristina Gifford, Ian Stark): A strong British team will be confident of success, but so much depends on how the horses cope with the experience. A team medal should be the least we expect.
Show jumping (Geoffrey Billington, Carl Edwards, John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker): As above.
JUDO:
Former world champion Kate Howey looks a solid prospect for a medal and the middleweight could well improve on her bronze at the 1992 Games. Heavyweight Karina Bryant is another strong contender if she can steer clear of injuries. Vicky Dunn, the bantamweight British Open champion, is also a genuine contender. Under-81kg world champion Graeme Randall, right, fears nobody but judo is a sport that tends to produce surprise results and, if Randall wins a gold, he will be the first Briton to do so.
MODERN PENTATHLON:
We have two women who can compete on level terms with the best. Kate Allenby, ranked world No 4, is an outstanding medal prospect, as is Steph Cook, who is probably the best runner in the women's pentathlon.
SAILING:
Ben Ainslie, Laser class, took silver in Atlanta. He is ranked No 1 in the world and will settle for nothing less than a gold medal; Ian Percy, Finn, is European champion and world silver medallist and a strong contender for silver or bronze. Andy Beadsworth, world top five in the Soling and fourth in Atlanta, also has medal potential; and Shirley Robertson, ranked in the world top three in Europe solo class, was fourth in Barcelona and Atlanta and is desperate to do better.
SHOOTING:
Richard Faulds is one of the best clay-pigeon shooters in the world and a near-certainty for an Olympic medal, and Mike Babb should win a medal in the small-bore rifle event.
SWIMMING:
The British swimming team is better prepared than ever and goes to Sydney with several potential medal-winners. Sue Rolph, in the 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley, Mark Foster in the 50m freestyle, Karen Pickering in the 200m freestyle, James Hickman, in the 100m and 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, Adam Ruckwood in the men's 100m and 200m backstroke, and Paul Palmer, in the 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle, all have outstanding medal chances but forget about any gold medals.
TENNIS:
Wimbledon may remain frustratingly out of his grasp for Tim Henman, left, but Olympic gold just might be his consolation prize. Henman and Neil Broad won a silver medal in the men's doubles in Atlanta.
TRAMPOLINING:
A new sport for 2000 and Jaime Moore is one of the best in the world.
TRIATHLON:
Simon Lessing is a five-time world champion and Andrew Johns is snapping closely at his heels; in the women's event, Sian Brice and Steph Forrester are both highly rated.
ROWING:
Men's coxless four (Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell, Tim Foster): This is all about Redgrave's bid for immortality. Can he win a fifth gold medal? The four recently lost for the first time and, if the great man is to write his name in the history books, he will be depending largely on the efforts of his teammates because he is clearly the weak link. Too close to call.
Women's coxless pairs (Kath Bishop and Dot Blackie): Part of the elite British rowing squad, Bishop and Blackie have sacrificed a great deal in their quest for Olympic glory. Three 90-minute training sessions every day of the week are testament to their dedication. Outside chance of a medal.
Women's eight (Rowan Carroll, Alison Sanders, Kate MacKenzie, Alex Beever, Lisa Eyre, Alison Trickey, Francesca Zino, Elise Laverick, Charlotte Miller): A quality team that could outshine Redgrave and co.
Men's coxless pair (Greg Searle and Ed Coode): Coode was the unlucky man when the coxless four was finalised but he could come home with a great consolation prize.
Women's double scull (Frances Houghton and Gillian Lindsay): Medal certainties, but what colour will it be?
Men's eight (Andrew Lindsay, Ben Hunt-Davis, Simon Dennis, Louis Attrill, Luka Grubor, Kieran West, Fred Scarlett, Steve Trapmore, Rowley Douglas): Have come on in leaps and bounds since Tim Foster's brief sabbatical in the crew last summer, winning at the Vienna and Lucerne regattas and taking the
overall World Cup title. A real
prospect for gold.
Sunday Times
