GB out to surprise
Great Britain's mixed doubles pair hope to give the world number ones a rude awakening in London 2012 opener.
Last Updated: 26/07/12 3:25pm
Great Britain's mixed doubles pair hope to give the world number ones a rude awakening as they meet in their London 2012 opener on Sunday morning.
Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier launch their Olympic campaign when they take on China's top seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei at 8.30am on the second day of competition at Wembley Arena.
The Anglo-Scottish duo were beaten by the same opponents in the final of the World Championships at the same venue last year but have overcome them twice since.
Jetlag
Glaswegian Bankier said: "Having the Chinese first is probably an advantage, especially early in the morning.
"We've played well early before. When we have beaten that pair before it was early in the morning.
"Obviously they have come from Asia, so hopefully they will be slightly jetlagged! That could work in our favour."
Bankier and Adcock, ranked 10th in the world, will carry Britain's best badminton medal hopes after announcing themselves with their run to the World Championships final.
Then unheralded, they beat four seeded pairs en route to the gold medal match and generated the momentum to secure a place at the Olympics.
Inspiration
They beat off the challenge of compatriots Jenny Wallwork and Nathan Robertson to qualify.
Robertson has since retired but, as one of the country's greatest-ever players, remains a source of inspiration, particularly for the Olympic silver he won in 2004 with Gail Emms.
Bankier, 24, added: "I think Gail and Nathan, what they did, put badminton on the map as a sport.
"They were a tremendous pair; they won Olympic silver and world gold, so to be compared to them is quite an honour.
"But we are a different pair and if we could emulate them that would be fantastic, but we are focused on our own performance."
Adcock and Bankier also face Germany's Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels and Russia's Alexandr Nikolaenko and Valeria Sorokina in the competition's group stage, on Monday and Tuesday respectively.
Football
Bankier is the daughter of Celtic chairman Ian Bankier, who is hoping to put aside preparations for the new season and the politics of Scottish football to watch in London.
Celtic are due to play a Champions League qualifier against HJK Helsinki next Wednesday - mixed doubles quarter-final day - and then take on Aberdeen in their Clydesdale Bank Premier League opener the day after the final on August 4.
Bankier said: "He is going to be coming down to see me play. We will see where his loyalties lie if there is a clash later on.
"They have got a Euro qualifier but I think he might be giving that one a miss."
