Olympic Contenders

The British Judo team stand a good chance of winning some medals this year with a strong line up. The British Olympic Contenders are:

Sarah Clark fights in the women's under 63kg weight category

Michelle Rogers is our contender for the women's under 78kg gold medal.

Karina Bryant will represent Team GB in the women's over 78kg weight category.

For the men, Craig Fallon fights in the under 60kg weight category.

Euan Burton fights in the under 81kg weight group.

Winston Gordon competes in the under 90kg weight category

The mighty Peter Cousins fights in the under 100kg weight category. On hearing of his place in the team, Peter said "I am elated to be selected for Beijing, which will be my first Games. Having competed and medalled at a European and World level, I am eager to compete at an Olympic Games and give it my all. To represent my country and Team GB is something I have worked towards my entire life. I am now concentrating on fulfilling my potential come August".

Remember, maximum efficiency with minimum effort for the mutual welfare and benefit of all. Let the matches begin!

The British endurance athletics team has been revealed. Here are the contenders:

Paula Radcliffe, Mara Yamauchi and Liz Yelling will be running the Women’s Marathon for Britain. Hopefully Paula will be fully fit by August.

Dan Robinson is the sole contender for the Men’s Marathon.

Johanna Jackson will be walking to victory in the Women’s 20K Walk.

Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said of this group:

“I am delighted to welcome these athletes into Team GB. We clearly have a very strong squad here with high aspirations and I am sure that they will be looking to build upon their recent performances, particularly Mara. I wish them well in their final preparations for the Olympic Games.”

We wish them all the speed and good weather on the day!

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today selected taekwondo members of Team GB for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Our fighters are:

Mike Harvey will compete in the under 58kg group. Mike Harvey has recently made the switch from Junior to Senior but has an impressive record at Junior level which suggests an exciting future for him. Mike claimed a Junior European Championships bronze medal in 2005 and then took two silver medals in 2006 at the Junior Dutch and US Open Tournaments.

Sarah Stevenson will be fighting in the ladies over 67kg group. Sarah is one of our most promising contenders and has an impressive record for someone so young. Stevenson started her career by becoming Junior World Champion in 1998, followed by winning the Senior World Championship three years later in 2001. Sarah also has three European Championship gold medals won in 1999, 2004 and 2005 as well as a silver medal at the World Championships, which took place in Madrid in 2005.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today selected the badminton team members for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The contenders are:

Andrew Smith will represent Britain in the Men’s singles.
Tracey Hallam is the British Women’s contender. Women’s Doubles will be played by Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg. The Mixed Doubles teams are Nathan Robertson & Gail Emms, and Anthony Clark & Donna Kellogg.

Good luck in Beijing, and Watch the Birdie!

After her success in the New York marathon, Paula Radcliffe looks like she has secured her place in the Beijing 2008 Olympic squad. She also is planning a longer term plan with the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Radcliffe reveals 2012 ambition - Paula Radcliffe says she hopes to run in the 2012 Olympics in London at the age of 38. [BBC Athletics News]

Powell smashes 100m world record - Jamaican Asafa Powell breaks the world 100m record by clocking 9.74 secs at the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti.

The athletics world will now be eagerly anticipating a re-match between Powell and Gay, which could happen at the Golden League meeting in Brussels on 14 September.

[BBC Athletics News]

"Christine Ohuruogu leads a British one-two in the World Championships with a stunning victory in the women's 400m.

Christine Ohuruogu claimed Britain's first gold medal at the World Championships in Japan with a stunning victory in the women's 400m.

Fellow Briton Nicola Sanders won silver while Jamaican Novlene Williams, who led for most of the race, came third.

Ohuruogu, whose one-year ban for missing three out-of-competition tests expired earlier this month, looked out of contention on the back straight.

But the 23-year-old timed her run to perfection to win in 49.61 seconds."

Source: BBC Athletic News

Several Olympic hopefuls have been participating in the 2007 Osaka World Athletic Championships.

British Olympic hopeful Kelly Sotherton climbed into the bronze medal position of the World Championships in after four events in the heptathlon at the Osaka World Championships.

British team-mate Jessica Ennis slid back to fourth after a poor shot put while defending champion Carolina Kluft holds a 148-point lead over the field.

After a brave race, Devon's Jo Pavey agonisingly came fourth in the 10,000m, won by Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba.

Source: Sports, Athletics and Competition News from Tranquillizer

More news from the British Fencing World Class Pathway Programme. Ten new members of the World Class Development Programme were announced earlier this year, and they are:

ANNA BENTLEY (25 – Foil)
CHRIS BUXTON (26 – Sabre)
KEITH COOK (25 – Foil)
LAURENCE HALSTED (22 – Foil)
NEIL HUTCHISON (22 – Sabre)
ED JEFFERIES (17 – Foil)
STUART MARSHALL (18 – Sabre)
AHMED ROSOWSKY (18 – Foil)
JAMES TAYLOR (24 – Epee)
JON WILLIS (25 – Epee)

Each of the above fencers will receive an Athlete Personal Award and will train on a full-time basis at the British Fencing Elite Training Centre in Hornsey, North London, and overseas.

Source: UK Sport - British Fencing News

"North West fencers Jon Willis and Stuart Marshall have qualified for the British Fencing and Sport UK for World Class Development status as part of the Olympic Pathway programme.

They will each receive an Athlete Personal Award and will train on a full-time basis at the British Fencing Elite Training Centre in Hornsey, North London, and overseas."

Source: British Fencing North West