ATHLETES' DIARIES

For the five weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, six British athletes wrote a weekly diary, detailing their preparations for the big event and how their family lives were affected. Here are their thoughts from Week 6. Click on the link at the end of each diary to read Weeks 1-5.


Name: Paul Palmer
Sport: Swimming
Born: 18 October 1974 (Lincoln)
Residence: Bath
Height: 6ft 6in (1.98m)

 Name: Chris Rawlinson
Sport: Athletics
Born: 19 May 1972
Residence: Loughborough

Weight: 14st (90kg)
Events: 200m, 400m, 1,500m freestyle, 4 x 200m relay
Club: University of Bath
Coach: Ian Turner

Height: 6ft 1in (1.86cm)
Weight: 12st 9lb (80kg)
Event: 400m hurdles
Club: Belgrave Harriers
Coach: Nick Dakin

Name: Yvonne McGregor
Sport: Cycling
Born: 9 April 1961 (Bradford)
Residence: Church Lawton, Cheshire

 Name: Chris Hoy
Sport: Cycling
Born: 23 March 1976 (Edinburgh)
Residence: Manchester
Height: 5ft 6in (1.67m)
Weight: 8st 12lb (56.5kg)
Event: 3,000m individual pursuit
Club: Alsager-Rudy Project Women's Racing Team
Coach: Peter Keen

 Height: 6ft 1in (1.86m)
Weight: 14st 2lb (90kg)
Event: Olympic Sprint
Club: City of Edinburgh Racing Club
Coach: Martin Barras

Team: Walker and Covell
Sport: Sailing
Event: Star class
Born: Ian: Worcester; Mark: Scotland

 Name: Kelly Hackman
Sport: Gymnastics
Born: 10 December 1980
(Watford)
Residence: Woking

Height: Ian: 5ft 11in;
Mark: 6ft 7in
Weight: Ian: 11st 9lbs; Mark: 19st 12lbs

Height: 5ft 1in (1.57m)
Weight: 54kg
Event: Gymnastics
Club: Woking Gymnastic Club
Coach: Clem Malcolmson