OneHourAhead

The Beijing Olympics have started and I for one am looking forward to watching the opening ceremony when it is aired here tonight.

There have been a number of posts all across the blogosphere about the political aspect of these games and I can’t disagree that with China’s woeful human rights record and seeming lack of freedom that this rates as one of the more politicised games in recent history.

But I can’t help but get the feeling that people are forgetting that for the 11000-odd competitors that will take part this is the absolute pinnacle of their careers.  If you are not into sport then it may not mean that much but the sheer dedication it takes to get to that procession today is immense and worthy of anyone’s praise.  It is de rigueur to scoff at athletes and treat them all as drug-fuelled Neanderthals waiting for there next EPO injection, but for the vast majority this isn’t the case.  They will have pushed themselves to the limit every day for probably at least the last four years, if not much, much longer.  Done without time away, time with family, time with friends, sacrificed almost all other aspects of their lives in the pursuit of becoming the best in the world at their given sport.  The youngest member of the GB squad is 14. 14 for fucks sake! What the fuck were you doing at 14?  Probably not winning Olympic medals.  When most people in politics constantly complain about how ‘young people’ are all fat, lazy, ignorant, drunk, sex-obsessed bastards it seems crazy that no-one can find it in themselves to say congratulations and good luck to those that really achieve something incredible.

So I would just like to say good luck to, really, all 11000 of them but in particular the 312 members of Team GB:

ARCHERY

Men
Larry Godfrey, Simon Terry, Alan Wills

Women
Charlotte Burgess, Naomi Folkard, Alison Williamson

ATHLETICS

Men
100m: Simeon Williamson, Craig Pickering, Tyrone Edgar
200m: Marlon Devonish, Christian Malcolm, Alex Nelson
400m: Martyn Rooney, Andrew Steele
800m: Michael Rimmer
1500m: Andy Baddeley, Tom Lancashire
5000m: Mo Farah
Marathon: Dan Robinson
3000m steeplechase: Andrew Lemoncello
110m hurdles: Allan Scott, Andy Turner
High jump: Martyn Bernard, Germaine Mason, Tom Parsons
Pole vault: Steve Lewis
Long jump: Greg Rutherford, Chris Tomlinson
Triple jump: Phillips Idowu, Larry Achike, Nathan Douglas
Decathlon: Daniel Awde
4×100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Tyrone Edgar, Rikki Fifton, Craig Pickering, Simeon Williamson
4×400m: Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Dale Garland, Martyn Rooney, Andrew Steele, Rob Tobin

Women
100m: Montell Douglas, Jeanette Kwakye
200m: Emily Freeman
400m: Lee McConnell, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders
800m: Jenny Meadows, Marilyn Okoro, Jemma Simpson
1500m: Lisa Dobriskey, Susan Scott, Stephanie Twell
5000m: Jo Pavey
10000m: Jo Pavey, Kate Reed
3000m steeplechase: Helen Clitheroe, Barbara Parker
Marathon: Paula Radcliffe, Mara Yamauchi, Liz Yelling
100m hurdles: Sarah Claxton
400m hurdles: Tasha Danvers
Pole vault: Kate Dennison
Long jump: Jade Johnson
Discus: Philippa Roles
Hammer: Zoe Derham
Javelin: Goldie Sayers
Heptathlon: Kelly Sotherton
20k walk: Johanna Jackson
4×100m: Emma Ania, Montell Douglas, Jeanette Kwayke, Ashlee Nelson, Anyika Onuora, Laura Turner
4×400m: Vicki Barr, Donna Fraser, Lee McConnell, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders

BADMINTON

Singles
Andrew Smith, Tracey Hallam

Mixed doubles
Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms
Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg

BOXING

Super-heavyweight: David Price
Middleweight: James Degale
Light-heavyweight: Tony Jeffries
Welterweight: Billy Joe Saunders
Light-welterweight: Bradley Saunders
Bantamweight: Joe Murray
Flyweight: Khalid Yafai

CANOE/KAYAK

Flatwater
Tim Brabants (K1 500/1000)
Lucy Wainwright (K1 500)
Anna Hemmings and Jessica Walker (K2 500)

Slalom
Campbell Walsh (K1)
Fiona Pennie (K1)
David Florence (C1)

CYCLING

BMX
Shanaze Reade
Liam Phillips

Mountain Bike
Oliver Beckingsale
Liam Killeen

Road
Jonny Bellis (Men’s Road Race)
Steve Cummings (Men’s Road Race & Individual Time Trial)
Roger Hammond (Men’s Road Race)
Ben Swift (Men’s Road Race)
Nicole Cooke (Women’s Road Race)
Sharon Laws (Women’s Road Race)
Emma Pooley (Women’s Road Race)

Track
Steven Burke (Team Pursuit)
Mark Cavendish (Madison)
Edward Clancy (Team Pursuit)
Ross Edgar (Team Sprint and Keirin)
Chris Hoy (Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin)
Jason Kenny (Sprint and Team Sprint)
Paul Manning (Team Pursuit)
Chris Newton (Points Race)
Victoria Pendleton (Sprint)
Rebecca Romero (Individual Pursuit and Points Race)
Jamie Staff (Team Sprint)
Geraint Thomas (Team Pursuit)
Bradley Wiggins (Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit and Madison)
Wendy Houvenaghel (Women’s Individual Pursuit)

EQUESTRIAN

Eventing
William Fox-Pitt (Ballincoola)
Sharon Hunt (Tankers Town)
Mary King (Call Again Cavalier)
Daisy Dick (Spring Along)
Tina Cook (Miners Frolic)

Show jumping
Ben Maher (Rolette)
Tim Stockdale (Fresh Direct Corlato)
Michael Whitaker (Suncal Portofino 63)
John Whitaker (Peppermill)

Dressage
Laura Bechtolsheimer (Mistral Hojris)
Jane Gregory (Lucky Star)
Emma Hindle (Lancet)

FENCING

Sabre
Alex O’Connell

Foil
Richard Kruse
Martina Emanuel

GYMNASTICS

Women
Beth Tweddle, Becky Downie, Marissa King, Hannah Whelan, Imogen Cairns, Rebecca Wing, Claire Wright

Men
Louis Smith, Daniel Keatings

HOCKEY

The British men and women will both be on show in Beijing after coming through qualifying.

JUDO

Men
Peter Cousins (-100kg)
Winston Gordon (-90kg)
Euan Burton (-81kg)
Craig Fallon (-60kg)

Women
Karina Bryant (+78kg)
Michelle Rogers (-78kg)
Sarah Clark (-63kg)

MODERN PENTATHLON

Women
Heather Fell, Katy Livingston

Men
Sam Weale, Nick Woodbridge

ROWING

Men’s crews
Four: Tom James, Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Andy Triggs Hodge
Eight: Alex Partridge, Tom Stallard, Tom Lucy, Richard Egington, Josh West, Alastair Heathcote, Matt Langridge, Colin Smith, Acer Nethercott (cox)
Pair: Tom Solesbury, Robin Bourne-Taylor
Single scull: Alan Campbell
Double scull: Matt Wells, Stephen Rowbotham
Lightweight double scull: Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter
Lightweight four: Richard Chambers, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick, James Clarke

Women’s crews
Eight Carla Ashford, Jess Eddie, Katie Greves, Natasha Howard, Alison Knowles, Natasha Page, Beth Rodford, Sarah Winckless, Caroline O’Connor (cox)
Pair: Louisa Reeve, Olivia Whitlam
Quad scull: Annie Vernon, Debbie Flood, Frances Houghton, Katherine Grainger
Double scull: Elise Laverick, Anna Bebington
Lightweight double scull: Helen Casey, Hester Goodsell

SAILING

Finn: Ben Ainslie
Yngling - women’s keelboat: Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson
49er - skiff: Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes
Laser - men’s one person dinghy: Paul Goodison
Star: Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson
RS:X - men’s windsurfer: Nick Dempsey
RS:X - women’s windsurfer: Bryony Shaw
470 - men’s two person dinghy: Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield
470 - women’s two person dinghy: Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark
Tornado - multihull: Leigh McMillan and Will Howden
Laser Radial: Penny Clark

SHOOTING

Men’s double trap: Richard Faulds, Steve Scott
Men’s 50m prone rifle/50m rifle three positions/air rifle: Jon Hammond
Women’s trap: Charlotte Kerwood
Women’s skeet: Elena Little

SWIMMING

Men
50m freestyle: Mark Foster (University of Bath)
200m freestyle: Ross Davenport (Loughborough University); Robert Renwick (City of Aberdeen)
400m freestyle: David Carry (City of Aberdeen); Dean Milwain (Loughborough)
1500m freestyle: David Davies (Loughborough, pictured); Richard Charlesworth (Hatfield)
100m backstroke: Liam Tancock (Loughborough); Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh)
200m backstroke: Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh), James Goddard (Loughborough)
100m breaststroke: Chris Cook (City of Newcastle); Kristopher Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh)
200m breaststroke: Kristopher Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh); James Kirton (City of Sheffield)
100m butterfly: Michael Rock (Stockport Metro); Todd Cooper (Stirling)
200m butterfly: Michael Rock (Stockport Metro)
200m individual medley: James Goddard, Liam Tancock (both Loughborough)
400m individual medley: Thomas Haffield (City of Cardiff); Euan Dale (Loughborough)
4×200m freestyle relay: Ross Davenport (Loughborugh), Robert Renwick (City of Aberdeen), David Carry (City of Aberdeen), Andrew Hunter (Stirling); Ben Hockin (Swansea Performance)
4×100m freestyle relay: Simon Burnett, Adam Brown

Women
50m freestyle: Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool)
100m freestyle: Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough); Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool)
200m freestyle: Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough); Rebecca Adlington (Nova Centurion)
400m freestyle: Rebecca Adlington (Nova Centurion); Jo Jackson (Derwentside)
800m freestyle: Rebecca Adlington (Nova Centurion), Cassie Patten (Stockport Metro)
100m backstroke: Gemma Spofforth (Portsmouth Northsea); Elizabeth Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans)
200m backstroke: Gemma Spofforth (Portsmouth Northsea); Elizabeth Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans)
100m breaststroke: Kate Haywood (Loughborough); Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh)
200m breaststroke: Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh)
100m butterfly: Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool); Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton)
200m butterfly: Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton); Ellen Gandy (Beckenham)
200m individual medley: Hannah Miley (Garioch); Keri-Anne Payne (Stockport Metro)
400m individual medley: Hannah Miley (Garioch); Keri-Anne Payne (Stockport Metro)
4×100m freestyle relay: Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough); Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool); Julia Beckett (Loughborough); Jessica Sylvester (Nova Centurion)
4×200m freestyle relay: Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough), Rebecca Adlington (Nova Centurion); Jo Jackson (Derwentside); Mel Marshall (Loughborough), Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool)

10km open water: Cassie Patten, Keri-Anne Payne, David Davies

Diving - individual
Men’s Springboard (3m): Ben Swain
Men’s Platform (10m): Tom Daley, Pete Waterfield
Women’s Springboard (3m): Rebecca Gallantree
Women’s Platform (10m): Tonia Couch, Stacie Powell

Diving - synchro pairs
Men’s Springboard (3m): Ben Swain and Nick Robinson-Baker
Men’s Platform (10m): Tom Daley and Blake Aldridge
Women’s Springboard (3m): Hayley Sage and Tandi Gerrard
Women’s Platform (10m): Stacie Powell and Tonia Couch

Synchronised swimming: Olivia Allison and Jenna Randall

TAEKWONDO

Men
Aaron Cook (-80kg), Michael Harvey (-58kg)

Women
Sarah Stevenson (+67kg)

TENNIS

Singles
Andy Murray

Doubles
Andy Murray
Jamie Murray

TRIATHLON

Men
Alistair Brownlee
Tim Don
William Clarke

Women
Helen Tucker
Hollie Avil

WEIGHTLIFTING

Michaela Breeze

GOOD LUCK ALL!!