Sharron Davies told Sky Sports News London 2012 will be a huge success for Team GB.
Once in a lifetime opportunity says Sharron Davies
Sharron Davies told
Sky Sports News that the London 2012 Olympics will be a huge success for Team GB as the competition schedule was revealed.
The final of the men's 100 metres, always one of the blue riband events, will take place on Sunday August 5 when Usain Bolt will be attempting to defend the title he won in a world record time in Beijing.
But by the time the likes of Bolt, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell power down the track in search of glory, Britain could already be celebrating a golden triumph of their own.
That is because the heptathlon will be among the first events to be decided on the track and field - and Jessica Ennis will be expected to get the home team off to a rousing start with victory in the seven-discipline event.
Elsewhere, British fans will also be looking to the likes of Chris Hoy and Mark Cavendish to do us proud in the cycling while Rebecca Adlington, Hannah Miley, Keri-Anne Payne, Fran Halsall, Liam Tancock and James Goddard will be ones to watch in the pool.
Davies, who won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, believes that London will be a massive opportunity for Great Britain but hopes the press are not too hard on our athletes.
"Obviously they have home advantage and we know that Great Britain is going to get behind all our athletes," said Davies on
Sky Sports News.
"We had such a successful time in Beijing but we will have even more of successful time in London.
"But then on the other hand you have the British media who are quite tough - particularly our tabloid newspapers and our athletes are going to have to deal with that.
"Swimming had an amazing year last year and I am looking forward to the success they are going to have in 2012. We have several European and Commonwealth champions going into the world champs this year in Shanghai at the end of July," added Davies.
"It is going to be a testing year for us this year and then we are hoping to have a duel meet against America at the end of the year. Those are our preparation events but everyone is really focussed for next summer. There is a lot of pressure on Rebecca Adlington who won two gold medals in Beijing. The 400m was a big bonus but the one she wants to win again is that 800m and there is no reason why she shouldn't.
"Then you also have cycling, rowing, sailing, track and field - it will certainly be very exciting and hopefully we will see a few Union Jacks going up. It is going to be a very good games for us. Don't miss it, it is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity."
West Ham on the right track
Davies also insisted that it was crucial that West Ham keep their promise by retaining the track in the Olympic Stadium once the games are over.
West Ham were named as the preferred bidders for the stadium over Tottenham Hotspur, and Davies is adamant that part of the Olympic legacy must be for sports in Great Britain to co-exist.
"I think all of us athletes thought it would be a travesty if the track was going to be pulled up," explained Davies.
"Part of our bid was the legacy that we believe in and that involved the track. I cannot see why other countries can manage to make sports work together but we can't seem to make them work together.
"Football in this country tends to dominate just too much - the Olympics are coming next year; it is going to be a huge event for all of us and we all need to get behind our team."
