“I’m here to make history”

issue 266, July 27 2012

Radar

09 At least you’re better than me Cheer up all non-medal winners with this lovely range of posters

11 Peter the Great? The man standing between Mark Cavendish and Olympic gold

12 The Olympic Journey An excellent new exhibition at, er, the Royal Opera House

15 Formula 1 A half-term report from Sky commentator Martin Brundle

o this coming weekFeatures

22 Usain Bolt If the fastest man on the planet is feeling the pressure ahead of London 2012, he isn’t showing it

32 Lord Coe Job almost done for the man behind the London Games

39 Keri-Anne Payne Team GB’s marathon swimmer on life in the open waters

42 London 2012: The Week Ahead We mark your card as to the best of the action to catch in week one

48 Luol Deng The big man with big hopes for the Team GB basketball team

extra Time

68 Gadgets The technology to enhance your London 2012 experience

70 Lauryn Mark Or, as we call her, the girl with the potentially golden gun

72 Kit Inspired by the Olympics? Then you may want a pair of spikes 76 Entertainment The bear who could properly have both Wenlock and Mandeville

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| July 27 2012 | 03

here’s a noble sporting tradition of

supporting the underdog. You know

– the athlete who lands face first in

the long jump, falls off the trampoline or blows

their toes off in the shooting. What we’re

Radar

| July 27 2012 | 09

Olympic no-hopers

p12 – Exhibitions everywhere you look

p11 – Peter Sagan: cycling’s Lionel Messi

p15 – F1: Mr Brundle’s half-term report

T

saying here is, we want you to get right

behind Team GB for London 2012. Parp!

Not really: Brits will be amply supported,

but what about the athletes from smaller

nations who don’t have lottery funding and

whose athletes probably qualified via the ‘Eric

the Eel Programme’? They need our cheers – and the good people at

London Underdogs have created a range of posters you can print to

inspire them (sort of). No matter what weird and wonderful event you

have tickets for, these are a colourful and realistic motivational tool.

Download and print via londonunderdogs.com

| July 27 2012 | 11

Radar

Knowyour enemy

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ark Cavendish bids to take Britain’s

first 2012 Olympic gold in the road

race tomorrow – and the man most

likely to stop him is a prodigy hyped as ‘the

Lionel Messi of cycling’ (and not because he’s

a scruffy, 5ft 5ins Argentinian). Peter Sagan

is Slovakian, 22 years old, and usurped Cav

as the Green Jersey winner at the 2012 Tour

de France. Sport asked Cycling Weekly expert

Nick Bull for the lowdown on this showdown.

Tour de force“Sagan burst on to the scene in 2010, his first

year with a top-division team. He may have

won only five races that season – as opposed

to Cavendish’s 11 in his debut year – but they

were all in highly ranked races and against

established opposition. It’s not a massive

surprise how well he’s done in the Tour de

France. He won three stages in the Vuelta a

Espana last year, which was a brutal race.”

Mostly Messi“Why has he been compared to Lionel Messi?

Well, if Messi’s the golden boy of football,

Sagan could be the cycling equivalent. He is

extremely versatile – he can sprint and climb,

attributes that aren’t mutually exclusive.

That would be like David Beckham being able

to cross a ball as well as defend. Sagan’s

abilities should mean he wins plenty of races.”

Danger man“Sagan is punchy, combative and, most

importantly, he’s smart. He can read a

race and he gets into the right positions.

ompetitive swimming is arguably

the most solitary and obsessively

demanding of any sport. It’s this

world that Swimming Studies lets you peek

into, via the skills of the multitalented Leanne

Shapton – illustrator, writer and once a

competitive swimmer who, as a teenager,

made it to the 1988 and 1992 Olympic trials.

Her elegant collection of anecdotes and

observations on life in the pool isn’t about

glorious sporting victories, but is rather a

paean to the intensity of it all – mentally

swimming laps while watching the microwave

timer, spotting other swimmers with their

chlorine-wrecked hair. It’s also awash with

Ms Shapton’s exquisite watercolours and

illustrations. Not one to buy for your uncle

who enjoyed reading Mr Unbelievable by Chris

Kamara, but it makes a picture-perfect gift

for any swimming fanatic.

Swimming Studies, out now

(Particular Books), £20

Underwater love

Most strikers in football need that predatory

instinct about them, and race winners in

cycling are no different. Cavendish will have

to beat the challenge of Sagan and German

André Greipel if he wants to win gold.”

Who will win“On The Mall, I’d still back Cavendish. There

is the home advantage factor, but more

important is Cavendish’s record. When he

goes all out to win, he is more often than not

unbeatable. He hasn’t been so prolific in

2012 to date, but that’s because he’s been

training hard to improve his power-to-weight

ratio – which, with the amount of climbing on

offer during the road race (nine laps of Box

Hill will hurt) could be decisive.”

Nick Bull @nickbull21

12 | July 27 2012 |

Radar

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ondon has almost as many free

sporting exhibitions on right now as

there are official snack foods of the

Olympic Games – and the big kahuna of them

all opens tomorrow with The Olympic Journey

at the Royal Opera House. It’s not a place we’d

normally associate with Jesse Owens’ long

jump shoes, Olympic medals from 1896 and

boxing gloves dating back to 1900. It is here,

however, that you can stroll through the

history of the Games – complete with screens

port likes to entertain, which is why

we’ll be inviting our two friends over

to watch the Games with a warm

beer and a bowl of peanuts. Though whether

they show up when the House of Nations

opens its doors is doubtful, because its pop-up

venues in King’s Cross and at the Tower of

London (inset) are like homes from home.

That is, if you’re used to being greeted

at home with a glass of champagne, then

kicking back in front of giant screens

showing the day’s Olympic action while being

served cocktails and food platters. There’s

also the chance to have your photo taken with

the Olympic torch, while its King’s Cross

venue turns into a club with a top line-

up of resident DJs at sundown. Prices

range between a £90 gold pass to £10

for general admission. The beer won’t

be warm, but there may be peanuts.

houseofnations.co.uk

Capital choice

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showing iconic moments, plus the personal stories of Kelly Holmes,

Cathy Freeman, Steve Redgrave and 13 other Olympic greats.

If you’d rather something more leftfield, however, try Pursuit of

Perfection: The Politics of Sport at the South London Gallery. This

eclectic exhibition features an eye-catching pile of 2,529 – count ‘em

– trophies (below), a dry-witted baseball commentary and a video

focusing on the remarkably flexible pelvis that athletes display.

This unabashed crotch-watchery is the kind of analysis that is likely

to be sadly lacking from Clare Balding on the Beeb this summer.

The Olympic Journey, July 28 to August 12, roh.org.uk

Pursuit of Perfection, July 27 to September 14, southlondongallery.org

House of fun

The Olympic Journey: from the

early modern Games (below) to

the greatest amateur boxer, Cuba’s

Teofilo Stevenson (right)

Pursuit of Perfection:

just don’t kick the football dog

or steal from Triumph (left)

ummer is upon us, and that means it’s holiday time in Formula 1. With a month away

after this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix (see our preview on page 62), Sky Sports’

Martin Brundle marks the drivers’ form before they jet off. No part-time jobs here...

lthough he didn’t retain the Green

Jersey in Le Tour, Mark Cavendish

has added a shade of jade to this

Urban Survival Pack, as he swaps France’s

rolling hills for London’s static gridlock. We’d

question whether a man who spends his

time cycling up mountains is best placed

to advise on urban survival. Still, it’s lovely.

There’s a limited-edition pair of Beats by Dre

headphones adorned with Cav’s signature,

some sharp Nike Blazer Mid iD trainers and

a compass, all crammed in a Nike Cheyenne

backpack. Not that good for cycling, but great

for surviving in the urban sprawl. Except the

compass. We don’t know what that’s about.

Nike Urban Survival Pack, £395, available at

Selfridges Concept Store

| July 27 2012 | 15

Radar

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Beats by Cav

Fernando Alonso “Alonso has been the most

impressive without a doubt. He’s

been consistent in a miserable car.

You just have to look at the points

difference between him and Massa to see

how good he is – 154 to 23. That’s a gap

of five Grand Prix race wins, and that

underlines what a good job he’s been doing.”

Mark Webber “He has been great lately – he had

that British Grand Prix win with all

the contract negotiations going on.

Last season, he was blown out of

the water by Sebastian Vettel; although he

hasn’t exactly blown him out of the water this

time, he’s done better – and that’s to do with

the 2012 car.”

Romain Grosjean “He’s made too many mistakes, but

his points don’t support his raw

pace and potential. He’s probably

been the top driver in that Lotus –

he just needs to cut the mistakes out. He had

two first-lap incidents in the first three

races and, given that he’d just come back for

a second chance in the sport, I think a lot of

drivers would have been mentally buried

after that – but he wasn’t.”

Michael Schumacher “I think this is probably Michael’s

best season since he’s come back.

He’s had reliability problems, but I

don’t think he’s got enough pace

out of the car.”

Kimi Raikkonen“I think Kimi Raikkonen should have

won at least one race. In terms of

his potential, he’s underperformed.

But then, his whole team has.”

Bruno Senna“He hasn’t done well in the Williams

in comparison to Pastor Maldonado.

I think if Rubens Barrichello had

still been there, he would have

done a better job.”

Toro Rosso (with Jean-Eric Vergne, left)“The two Toro Rosso boys – one

of them had a chance to take

Webber’s seat at Red Bull – just

haven’t been good enough.”

Sky Sports F1 Race Control includes eight

video feeds, highlights and social media as

part of the Sky Sports for iPad app

16 | July 27 2012 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazine

Part of UTV Media plc

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Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)

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Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861)

Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958),

Alex Reid (7915)

Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901),

Amit Katwala (7914)

Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: David Lawrenson, Nick Bull

Commercial

Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991)

Business Director (Magazine and iPad):

Paul Brett (7918)

Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832)

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Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

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Managing Director: Adam Bullock

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Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd

Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2012

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for

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Sport magazine

£1 where sold

Hearty thanks this week to:

Joanna Manning-Cooper, Rae Young,

Gemma Oakes, Ramin Mosavi, Dominique

Delvaille, Holly Clark, Louise Agran

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

2008

Total Average Distribution: 304,700 Jul-Dec 2011

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@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmagazine

B radley Wiggins deserves all that comes his way. The inevitable knighthood, the big pot of cash, the appearance on the Graham Norton Show.

His victory in the Tour de France is one

of the most impressive sporting feats by

a Briton that I can remember; certainly,

it’s the best in this magazine’s six-year

lifetime. The Tour is a brutal test: so much

so that riders were once expected – even

encouraged – to take drugs because, well,

it was pretty much impossible to complete

it without them.

Last Sunday, Wiggins led the evening

news. On Monday he was on the front

page of every national newspaper. We

have fallen in love with cycling in a big way.

Many of us – myself included – are

Johnny-come-latelys to this particular

party. The reasons are many, though lack

of British success until recently would be

one of them. The other would be the issue

of drugs and the assumption that it was

seen as the dirtiest sport in the world.

Suddenly, though, it is the sporting

flavour of the month. We have real heroes

on the road and the track. As a result,

it will get more financial backing and

become even stronger. That’s brilliant for

cycling, but can other sports emulate it?

Or even, more worryingly, can other

sports stop their own backers deserting

them and switching to cycling?

What cycling has proved is that it is

possible to take a relatively niche sport

and, with the correct people at the top and

the right level of investment, go out and

beat the world.

Will we see the same in, say, judo or

gymnastics? It’s unlikely. But then, a

British winner of Le Tour was unlikely.

The whole of sport could do worse than

use cycling as its blueprint for the future.

What a sporting summer this has been already. Last weekend encapsulated it wonderfully – the climax of the Tour de France, a thrilling finish to the Open Championship, an absorbing Test match between England and South Africa, one of the horse races of the season in the King George... all on the back of a great Wimbledon, and all leading up to the greatest sporting show on earth. If anyone tells me they ‘can’t wait for the football season to start’, I will gladly throttle them.

Well, it’s here. Tonight, the 30th

Olympiad will open in London. And

finally, after seven years of planning,

the sport can commence. Chances are

this country will not stage another

sporting event quite like this in our

lifetimes, so do enjoy it folks. Take pride

in living here. And please, in the name

of sanity, stop moaning.

Setting an exampleAs more people head to the bike shops, what can other sports learn from cycling?

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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How the vest was won: Wiggins’ Tour victory will surely boost cycling’s popularity in the UK

Reader comments of the week

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bring on #London2012

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Brilliant interviews in

today’s @sportmaguk

with six of Team GB’s

leading medal contenders,

from Cav to Dai to the

Brownlees. #timely

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Words by @simoncaney

in @sportsmaguk sum it

all up nicely - “We can

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a huge stack of gold

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Getting very excited about

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thanks to @Sportmaguk -

interview with Victoria

Pendleton was brilliant.

#London2012

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Cover of the Year

18 | July 27 2012 |

Austerity measuresBritish Cycling makes a great play of how closely its

riders live and train together – so much so that, in

these difficult times, they are forced to bed down in

one huge Big Brother-style house and share a telly.

Here, they are either watching Billy Mitchell carry

the Olympic torch on EastEnders or Bradley Wiggins

winning the Tour de France: your guess is as good

as ours. But we bet alpha male Sir Chris Hoy is the

only one allowed to use the remote.

Radar Frozen in time

| 19

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22 | July 27 2012 |

Usain Bolt

With great irony, the world’s fastest man arrives late, walking at a glacial

pace and with a pained expression on his face. We hear the deep, undulating

boom of his voice a full minute before he ducks his head to enter a doorway

designed by a man who clearly hadn’t considered his dimensions. Usain Bolt

is in pain and impatient. “Pleased to meet you,” he says, offering his hand.

“But I need to pee.” And with that he’s gone, shuffling back towards the door,

the gentlemen’s and his blessed release.

Bolt has been sitting in a car for several hours, shuffling at a snail’s pace through the capital’s

constipated streets – welcome to London. When he finally returns to the room, he eases himself back

and spreads his 6ft 5ins frame across a chaise longue. The pained expression now faded, Bolt has

assumed his favourite position: sat on his backside, conserving energy. The smile you’ve seen a

hundred times stretches across his face. “Life’s good,” he says. “It’s good to be here.”

If Bolt is feeling the pressure of being London 2012’s poster boy – the man whose prospective

presence in the 100m final saw more than a million people scramble for 80,000 tickets, which sold out

in minutes – he’s not showing it. If he’s feeling the weight of expectation from an audience of four billion

– the predicted number of people around the world who will watch in anticipation of seeing him not

only reclaim his three golds, but do so while running faster than any man has ever run before – that’s

not showing either. And if he’s feeling the pressure of struggling for fitness and form, and having his

friend and training partner Yohan Blake breathing down his neck in the 100m and 200m, you really

wouldn’t know to look at him now. But that seems the most appropriate place to start... >

Catch me if you can

Photography by Jon Enoch

24 | July 27 2012 |

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is finished. When we

tell him this his eyes widen and he

chuckles at the absurdity. “That’s

what they saying? That’s just what

the British papers write,” he

smiles. “The problem for them is

that too much good is not good,

y’know – they need some negativity. But one thing I’ve

learned is that the media is not your friend. You go

about your business and do what you got to do.“

The bigger problem for Bolt has been that what he

“got to do“, what he was born to do – running fast

enough to justify his surname – has been, well,

something of a struggle in the months and weeks

leading up to these Games. As recently as last May,

having laboured to victory in the Czech Republic in

10.04s, one notable journalist asked if Bolt would even

make it through Jamaica’s Olympic trials for the

100m. He obviously did, but could only qualify in both

the 100m and the 200m behind that man Blake. And

that is where the ’Usain Bolt is finished’ theory found

its voice.

Some claim Bolt’s struggles in qualifying were

simply a calculated plan to throw the world off his

scent. Knowing even third place in the trials would

secure his spot in London, he chose not to risk injury

by overreaching. Some also see logic in increasing

the expectations and pressure on his closest rival for

gold. Even so, when Blake’s name inevitably comes up,

Bolt’s smile drops slightly and he becomes a tiny

fraction more serious.

Famously, nothing much frightens Usain St Leo Bolt,

apart from African killer ants and swimming in deep

water where he can’t see what’s lurking beneath.

Now we can add one more to that list: the fear of

losing one or both of his Olympic golds to his younger

compatriot, the man nicknamed ’The Beast’. ”I’m not

scared,“ he shrugs. ”But the truth is I’m feeling a little

bit of nerves or something. I don’t wanna lose my

medals to Blake or any man. But I guess everybody

feel the nerves in some way, so this is normal.“

Whatever they are, Bolt has become a true

master of suppressing any self-doubt and projecting

preposterous confidence. It wasn’t always thus.

Back in 2002, competing in the World Junior

Championships in Jamaica, the 15-year-old Bolt had

been so gripped by doubting demons that he put his

spikes on the wrong feet. He swapped them in time,

won the race and vowed never again to run scared.

So he formulated the following ingenious and

complicated three-point plan:

Point 1: Just don’t think about it.

Point 2: Pretend it’s not happening.

Point 3: See Point 1 and repeat.

In sport, and particularly the men’s 100m, much of the battle is waged behind closed doors. “The warm-up area is the place where you

learn everything,” says British coach Frank Dick, who

was present backstage in the moments leading up

to the most infamous 100m in history – Seoul 1988.

“You could see these guys playing their games, and

their totally different approaches: the surliness of

[Ben] Johnson and the flamboyance of [Carl] Lewis.

They were like two prizefighters. Gladiators. There

was so much tension, it was tingling.“

The two chose very different approaches: Lewis

worked the room, shaking hands with his rivals;

Johnson retreated into himself, and beat himself

up for accidentally accepting Lewis’ hand. >

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

26 | July 27 2012 |

Usain Bolt

“Before the race, I’ll probably end up talking with Yohan, and we’ll just talk about girls, cars, music... anything that takes your mind off the race”

Four-time Olympic champion Michael

Johnson had his own approach. ”Before a

race, you can be in a call room and be as

close to your competitor as we are now,” he

told Sport, sat no more than six feet away.

”So, of course, I’m minding my own business,

I’ve got my own focus... but if I look up and

see that you’re looking at me, then I’m

going to look at you because I don’t want

you to think that I’m intimidated. And then

that guy would look away, but he will look

back to check if I’m still looking at him,

and he’ll find – you know what? – I’m still

looking at him. And that scared them.

Mission accomplished.“

As for Usain Bolt, what will he focus on?

”Girls, I guess,“ he chuckles. ”Back there

before the race, there will be guys who want

to stay quiet and stay focused, and guys

who want to talk. I prefer to talk, so I’ll talk

to any of the Caribbean guys because we

know each other and we cool. I’ll probably

end up talking with Yohan, because he

definitely likes to talk, and we’ll just talk

about girls, cars, music... anything that

takes your mind off the race.“

Talking to Blake? His closest rival for

gold? Is he entirely mental? This is surely

a time for mind games. At the very least,

he should be giving him some ’Johnson

Eyes’. ”Why do I need do that?” he coughs.

”Listen, you don’t need to play mind games if

you know you can beat the other person or

the other people in there. Mind games are

not necessary for me. I just stay relaxed and

do my own thing.“

So at what point does Bolt actually start

thinking about the race, and about the plans

he and his coach have worked on for the

past four years? ”The first time I think about

that is when I hear ’on your marks’,“ he

laughs. “All that time before we in the

blocks, I’ll be waving at the crowd and all

that and I’ll still be thinking about anything

other than what I’m about to do. Usually, I’ll

just think about computer games, because

I love playing computer games so they take

my mind away.“ (Bolt’s favourite game, by

some distance, is Black Ops, a blood-soaked

war game on the PlayStation 3. So while you

might imagine he’ll be contemplating his

race strategy in the moments before the

race, he’s more likely got murder in mind.)

This sounds ridiculous – the most critical

moment of Usain Bolt’s life and he’s still

refusing to think about it. He laughs

at me laughing at him and then offers

an explanation.

”I’m serious. Look, the way it is, when

you train, the way you train is to get your

techniques down to a pat, so that it comes

just routine, right? You train so that it

becomes natural that your foot is 10

centimetres off the ground at this point, or

half a centimetre at that point or whatever.

You train to break it into your body, just like

if you get up every morning at six and go to

the bathroom and pee. That’s all training is

– breaking your body in to certain things. I

train hard so that when I go into a race –

any race – my mind automatically turns on to

what I got to do when I need it to. So when

I’m in the blocks, it switches on: I got to run

now, let’s do this. And everything you’ve

worked on just come together.”

We’ll first find out if it does just ’come

together’ as planned on August 4, in the

100m heats, then have our definitive answer

in the following night’s final – the most

exhilarating 10 seconds in the whole Olympic

Games. At around 6.50pm on Sunday August 5,

a vast chunk of the world will fall silent as

Bolt crouches in the blocks and finally finds

some focus. Four billion, plus another

80,000 watching live, will have never

sounded so quiet – waiting as one for the B

of that BANG, the shot heard around the world.

What follows will be short, sharp, and

should break down – for Bolt at least –

as follows.

0-40m Being a big-leggy 6ft 5ins, Bolt is at

a distinct disadvantage once the gun goes

bang. His starts are often sluggish as he

unfurls his giant frame – something he’s

been working hard to improve on, along with

correcting the flaw that sees his toe graze

the floor during his opening stride. Any

temptation to fly from the blocks to keep up

with the more naturally explosive Blake will

no doubt be tempered by the false start

that saw him eliminated from the World

Championships 100m final – handing Blake

his crown. ”That first 40 is crucial,” is as

concerned as Bolt will get. ”I know I have to

get a good start.” >

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Bolt burns his rivals in Beijing on his way to a then world record 9.69s

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What’s actually going through his mind

during this phase – does he have time to

think about anything? ”A lot of that first 40,

I’m just looking around me, checking where

I’m at, checking who’s doing what and what

I need to do to get past. I look around and I

just assess, y’know. Do I need to step up or

can I relax a bit? Coach tells me I should stop

looking around, but it just comes naturally,

like an instinct.”

If, at this point, you’re in the stadium and

shouting any kind of encouragement at Bolt,

don’t waste your breath – he can’t hear you.

”When the gun go, I kinda get like tunnel

vision, I guess,” he says. ”The only sound I’m

hearing at that point is footsteps hitting the

track, but nothing much else. I don’t know

why, but I don’t hear much of the crowd.”

40-60m If Bolt is in front by the time he

hits the 40m mark, all bets are off. ”I know

I’m going to win if I’m ahead by then,” he

smiles. You might consider it an arrogant

smile, were it not so patently true.

And from 40 metres on, his eyes have

switched from his rivals to the clock. ”Maybe

I shouldn’t be looking at the time, but I can’t

help it,” he chuckles. ”It just happens

automatically.” And if he’s trailing after 40

metres – something some people want to

see? Bolt just shrugs, unperturbed. ”If I am,

I am. I’ll just do what I do, step things up.”

60-80m The next 20 metres should take

Bolt less than two seconds, and see him

hitting his oversized stride. In the 2008

Olympic final, he covered 100m in 40-41

strides; the average was 47, and his stride

was measured at about a foot longer than

everyone else’s. Between 60m and 80m,

he’ll expect to hit his peak speed (around

45km/h) and should be stretching his lead.

How does it feel to run faster than any

man has ever run before? ”I can’t answer

that,” he smiles again. ”I don’t know how it

feels, I don’t have time to think ’bout how

it feels – it’s just a case of putting one foot

in front of the other, going through the

motions and doing what comes naturally.”

80m-immortality? If all has gone to plan

and Bolt is out in front, from 80 metres on

some eight billion eyes will be flicking back and

forth between the clock and Bolt, hoping to

witness something – be it a new world record

or an act of quite rampant exhibitionism. In

2008, we saw both – Bolt showboating his way

to the line, extending his arms and thumping

his chest as he ran the final 20 metres.

Had he finished the race at full tilt and

not buggered about, physicists from Oslo’s

Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics

calculated he could have slashed his time

from 9.69s to 9.55s. This time will be

different, he promises. This time he swears

he’ll take it seriously.

Looking ahead to London, Bolt has

previously stated: ”I want to be a legend.

The real legends win again and again.” He

has also announced that he plans to ”blow

people away” with what he’ll achieve. ”I’m

still aiming to do that,” he says now. ”When

people talk about Usain Bolt, they’re gonna

be...” and with this he widens his eyes in

disbelief. In basic terms, this must mean

reclaiming the golds he won in Beijing in

the 100m, plus the 200m and 4x100m?

”Definitely, definitely. I’m going back for

my three gold medals, y’know. That’s always

been the aim, and that ain’t changed.”

The problem for Bolt – alongside the

genuine emergence of Yohan Blake – is that

three gold medals won’t be enough. People

will consider Bolt to have ’failed’ if he doesn’t

win at least the 100m by going faster than

any man has ever gone before. In his 2010

autobiography, Usain Bolt: My Story, he

predicted he could run 100m in 9.4s.

Experts agree this is possible. If he finds

a more explosive start. If he runs with the

benefit of a trailing wind. And if he runs

at altitude. Only one of those ifs he can

control himself, so does he genuinely believe

9.4s to be possible?

He laughs – then the laugh cools to a low

chuckle. ”You can’t think about times, y’know.

You can never start dreaming about what

you might achieve, because when you think

about times you forget to relax, forget about

doing certain other things because you’re

focused on going so fast and you overtry.

The key is to think only about winning while

running fast – the time takes care of itself.”

So, he's not thought about his winning time?

”I didn’t say that,” he laughs. ”I mean, I

should say that I haven’t thought about it.

But yeah, I have.”

And?

”And yeah, you can write that I’m still

thinking about 9.4s.”

That, then, is the time Bolt is genuinely aiming for on August 5: 9.4s, and you’d be

unwise to bet against it. Our time, meanwhile,

has apparently expired, judging by the small

army of management ’facilitators’ tapping

impatiently at their timepieces. Bolt peels

himself from the chaise longue, hauls himself

back to his feet and thanks us for our time.

He shakes hands with everyone and shuffles

casually back through the door and off to

his next engagement, laughing as he goes.

Clearly, the weight of expectation is

killing him.

Nick Harper

Usain Bolt wears the new PUMA evoSPEED spike,

available from www.startfitness.co.uk

0-20m: 2.89sec

20-40m: 1.75sec

40-60m: 1.67sec

60-80m: 1.61sec

80-100m: 1.66sec

Speed thrills

Total 9.58sec

“I’m going back for my three gold medals, y’know. That’s always been the aim, and that ain’t changed”

Breakdown of a world record

30 | July 27 2012 |

Usain Bolt

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We’ve read that you’re petrified of deep

water. Is that true?

”Ha, yeah, that’s the truth. Why? Because

I’m not that good a swimmer, y’know. You

know when most people can stay in one

place... what do they call that? [Sport

suggests ’treading water’]. Yeah. Well, I

can’t do that. I can swim, but I can’t tread

water. So I have to keep moving, and you

can’t keep moving for a long time, y’know.

You get too tired.”

Are you worried about what might be

down there?

”Oh we know what’s down there alright.

[Laughs] That’s why I’d never go snorkelling

or scuba diving or whatever – it won’t

happen. I know there’s a whole different

world under there, but I don’t wanna know.

[Laughs] I’ll watch Discovery.”

Is it true you have a pet cheetah?

”Yeah, and she’s big now. I think they call

her Lightning. I don’t see her though, she’s

in Kenya. I just get updates.”

Ah, so you only sponsor her?

”Yeah, I sponsor her, she not my pet. I’ll try

and go down there and see her after

the Olympics are done if I can, but she’s

not mine.”

Any plans to bring her over to live with you?

”No, man, she’s too big now. Way too big

for that.”

Have you ever raced her?

”Not yet, but I think I’d beat her if we did.”

Is it true that you have a massive chunk of

the Berlin Wall [right] in your house?

”Yeah, that’s true. The organisers [of the

2009 World Championships] came to me

and said: ’We want to give you a piece of

the Berlin Wall.’ And I’m like ’yeah, why not?’

I thought it would be a little chunk, but it’s

12ft high and like this wide. And I’m like:

’How... er... what am I... er... what?’ But it was

an honour, so I had to say yes. It’s not in my

house, though. I keep it at the training camp

[in Jamaica] so people can go and see it.”

Is it the chunk David Hasselhoff sang on?

Is he still up there?

”Who is Hasselhoff? I’ve heard his name

but I don’t actually know who he is. [Sport

explains, possibly in more detail than is

actually required]. I’m pretty sure he’s not

on the wall I have. Not last time I checked.”

You have ambitions of playing football for

Manchester United. That’s just a dream

though, right?

”No, I’m serious. I know I’m leaving it late and

I know it’s a big claim, but I’m deadly serious

when I say I want to try. The thing is, I’ve

seen some of these guys play, and I think I

can do much better. I’m not saying I have no

respect for these guys, but let me see if I’m

just talking. I think I can do it and I’d love to

try, but...”

Millions of words have been dedicated to the subject of Usain St Leo Bolt, but how many of them are true?

What position would you play?

”On the wing. I’d use my pace, y’know.”

So what will happen – is this it for athletics?

[Smiles] ”Who knows? After the Olympics, I’ll

sit down with coach and discuss my options,

see what I should be doing next and we’ll

see where we go. But believe me, I’m

serious about the football.”

This one can’t be true: the fastest man

in the world drives a Honda Accord...

”Ha! Careful. That was my first car, man.

I still have it – it has sentimental value! Is

it faster than me? [Laughs] I’m not sure

about that, but it’s a good car. It’s not

my favourite. That would be the [Nissan]

GT-R – that’s nice, man. But I love my

cars and I want to get a new one.”

Well, you can – you’re ferociously rich...

”Ha! I think I probably will. I also want to

get a boat. People say I should just get

a small one, but no way – I’m scared of

water, so it’ll need to be big, y’know.”

If you’re worried, maybe you should

just keep it permanently on land...

”Good idea. A massive boat on

the land. Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Isn’t that just a house?

”Yeah, but I already have

a house. I want a boat!”

Nick Harper

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Lightning the cheetah:

named so as a precursor

to Bolt, and not after

the Gladiators badass

Fact or fiction

REDEFINE THE LIMITS OF POSSIBILITY | LIMITED EDITION OAKLEY RADAR®

OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF TEAM GB

UK.OAKLEY.COM©2012 Oakley, Inc. | 01727 795791

32 | July 27 2012 |

Lord Coe

| 33

Today is a massive moment for me personally”Being given the opportunity to work

alongside a team landing an Olympics in

the city you were born in is, I accept, given

to few people – and I feel very privileged to

be doing it.”

It’s been a long journey”When I started working on the bid, one

of my daughters was three years old.

She’s now 13. My eldest daughter was still at

primary school, and she’s now in her second

year at university. But you could say my

journey actually started when I joined my

first athletics club as a child and worked

my way towards two Olympic Games. I’ve

been involved with the Olympic movement

for 33 years now.”

I didn’t come into this blindly ”I came in with expectations. I don’t think you

can have been involved as a competitor at

an Olympics or been involved, as I was, with

politics without gaining some insight into the

vagaries of public opinion and the need to

communicate clearly all the time what you’re

doing. I knew instinctively where the

pressure points would come.”

I owe everything to sport ”It’s what has defined me and large parts of

my life. I’m sitting here today not because I’m

a sport administrator, but because I entered

sport as a competitor. That means I will

always see this event through the optics of

a competitor. Sport is what I’m delivering –

I’ve never lost sight of the fact that this is

a sporting event.”

You should always listen to those close to you”I have a very, very close circle of friends

whose judgement I value – and one person

particularly, who I had supper with the night

I was offered the responsibility. He was an

east Londoner – sadly no longer with us –

and my closest friend. He said: ’Look, of

course you have to do it. Because you

understand, because I’ve shown you, what

sport means in east London.’ But he did offer

the view that I would either be carrying the

torch or the can, and he was probably right

about that.”

The weight of the nation is on my shoulders“I think we’ve all recognised, from whatever

the part of the project we’ve come from, that

there’s a massive responsibility to get this

right. This is the biggest project most of the

nation will have witnessed in living memory,

and we feel a big responsibility to deliver it

and make people feel proud.”

The world will keep on surprising you“Whether this journey has changed me or not

is the sort of question you’re best to ask my

family. But I wouldn’t let them answer you. > jameslincoln.co.uk

Why his life may never be the same againLeading London’s Olympic bid and seeing the city transform itself for the biggest sporting event in its history has changed Seb Coe’s world view for the better. And, he tells Sport, there’s no going back

34 | July 27 2012 |

Lord Coe

All I can say is that there’s never a day that

goes by without you learning something

about the project or a little bit more about

human nature. Anyone who’s been involved

with this will tell you that there are things

you have witnessed, things you’ve seen,

that will change your view about the world.

And that view is far and away a very

positive one.“

I’ll always remember my Sheffield bus ride“I was sitting on it on the Torch Relay route,

listening to 20 people talking about why they’d

been nominated to carry the torch. That was

probably the moment so far that I’ll remember

the longest. There was a man who had sat

talking somebody out of a suicide attempt for

four hours on a bridge, and others who’d

suffered real health issues yet still picked

themselves up and tried to help others in

that same situation. It was a great moment

for me to listen to all those personal stories.“

There’s no going back“There hasn’t been a single time when we’ve

felt beaten or defeated during this project.

As with all jobs, some days are better than

others. But, overwhelmingly, I think this has

been a project that everybody has just felt

a great privilege to be involved with. Life may

never be the same for any of us again.“

This job has no off button“In the past 24 hours, I’ve taken the Chief of

the Defence Staff around the Olympic Park

with all his generals, and been to Newham

to thank all the people working at the local

council for their initiatives to get more young

people involved in sport. Then I had a whole

batch of interviews before speaking to all

our teams last night at an event in the

Download the free Sport iPad app in the Apple Newsstand

build-up to the Games. And this morning I was

talking to all the Mayor’s teams at City Hall...

so the days are long. I’m normally up by 4.45am

and working – one way or another – by 7am,

and I don't finish until late in the evening.“

Running is in my blood“I try to run every other day, though it’s not

always easy. It tends to be in the morning,

and when I’m travelling it’s usually in hotel

gyms. I work through the weekends, but I try

where possible to carve out some time for

my kids, which is very important.“

I couldn’t have made it through the past 10 years without my wife“She has been an amazing person just to

have around, really, for the past decade.“

There are no easy days“If I could give the organisers of the Rio

2016 Olympics some advice, it would be to

recognise that it is tough. But you know, this

is given to very few cities. If it was easy,

every city would be doing it. I’d also tell them

to understand that every day is a challenge,

but to trust your instincts and trust the

judgements of local people as well – because

they follow closely what you’re doing.“

Never count the days – make the days count“The athlete in me tells me never to focus on

anything other than the finishing line. Every

minute of every day you have to focus and

work and add value to everything you do,

because it’s the small details that make the

difference between a good and a great

Games – particularly for the competitors.

We’re in great shape, but we will be working

right up to the starting pistol.“

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

It's been tough. But if it was easy, every city would do it

Ten years in the making: from leading London's Olympic bid to overseeing the city's transformation, Coe has (clockwise, from above)shared a smile with Princess Anne in Singapore; helped lay the foundations of the Aquatics Centre; visited the Olympic Stadium with David Beckham; held the Olympic Torch at St Pancras; popped into Downing Street with Tony Blair and the IOC; and unveiled the official Games logo. It is, as he says, a full-time job

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For those who haven’t been entirely paying attention in the run-up, here are the a

If that’s the more polite way of asking ’when will it be over?’ then

the news is good. When London hosted The Olympics in 1908, they

lasted 187 days. This time around, they’ll be finished 16 days from

now. The 2012 Games start tonight with the opening ceremony at

7.30pm, and finish at 10.30pm on August 12 with the closing

ceremony. Sandwiched in between, there are a full 304 events.

wHAT wILL TOnIGHT’S OPEnInG CErEMOnY InvOLvE?We’d hoped that, in a nod to the East End’s hoary heritage, Danny

Boyle’s artistic direction would lean heavily on Pearly Kings and

Queens and feature a deranged murderer garotting gin-jiggered

prostitutes. Sadly not. Instead, Boyle will transform the Olympic

Stadium as a vision of the British countryside, with meadows,

rivers, several ’clouds’ suspended on wire and a whole array of

RADA-registered farm animals. With a cast of thousands, there

will be a maypole and two moshpits, a tribute to the NHS and the

clanging of a truly massive bell. And after the am-dram, popular

beat combination Underworld will play some hits while athletes from

every nation walk round the track waving flags and asking

themselves how the hell it ended up costing £27m.

EvErY nATIOn? HOw MAnY ArE wE TALkInG HErE?Pretty much every single nation on earth, bar the former

Netherlands Antilles, which had its IOC membership withdrawn

last year because of some underhand shenanigans (but it will have

three athletes competing independently). Some 204 nations are

represented, each having – at the very least – a single qualified

entrant. As the host with the most, Team GB will be deploying 542

athletes – although that’s still 200-plus fewer than the number of

BBC accredited journalists who’ll be attending. And if you like

cheering on underdog athletes from nations you’d never find on

a map, you’re in for 13 unforgettable days. Elsie Uwamahoro of

Burundi? Sled Dowabobo of Nauru? Come one, come all, we say.

wHAT SPOrTS ArE THEY PLAYInG?When the original Olympic Games were conceived by the Greeks

back in 776BC, they lasted a single day and involved some running,

a load of wrestling and plenty of racing about in chariots – all done

naked by athletes who had to speak Greek. The Games back then

were a celebration of the human body, with the prize on offer

simply, and figuratively, an olive branch. The entry policy is less

restrictive nowadays and the list of sporting pursuits has shot

through the roof. This summer there will be 26 ’sports’ and 39

disciplines, including the Greek classics of running and fighting,

alongside such other noble pursuits as swimming, archery, modern

pentathlon and track cycling, alongside the more recent additions

of tennis, football, BMX bikes and competitive eating.

The fastest time, in seconds, Usain

Bolt believes he can ever run the

100m. Other experts have

predicted the world record will

never go lower than 9.36 seconds

Reported cost, in sterling, of a premium ticket to

the opening ceremony, including access to the best

fine dining (our guess being a Big Mac meal, can of

Coke and a bar of Whole Milk). Conversely though,

75 per cent of all tickets cost less than £50

The cost of a guaranteed seat at the men's 100m final.

The math: 27,000 ÷ 9.58 seconds = good grief!

36 | July 27 2012 |

Number of Londoners planning to take a sick day from work

to watch the Olympics – that's one in four, according to a

survey by retailer Littlewoods.com

| 19

answers to eight key questions you’ll need to know during these Olympic Games

WHErE ArE ALL THE GOLDS GOInG?Into the clammy grasp of Uncle Sam, as usual, it seems. According

to the Infostrada Virtual Medal Table’s predictions, based on form

and fitness and all manner of clever computer wizardry, the USA

will take 39 golds and 88 medals in total. China will win 34 golds (92

in all), ahead of Russia’s 21 (83). Team GB trail home in fourth with

19 golds (64 in all), the exact same figure from Beijing. Crucially,

this would edge them two golds ahead of their closest and most

trusted rivals, the Germans.

WHErE ArE BrITAIn’S GOLD MEDALS LIkELY TO COME frOM?The bulk of them are expected to come from sports involving sitting

on one’s arse – rowing/canoe (5), cycling (4) and sailing (2). Of the

names we all recognise, Mo Farah is expected to win double gold in

the 5,000m and 10,000m, Rebecca Adlington a gold in the 400m

freestyle, Chris Hoy in the keirin, Jason Kenny and Victoria

Pendleton in the sprint, Ben Ainslie in the Finn and the big-leggy

red-top Phillips Idowu in the triple jump. Assuming he’s fit, that is.

NB The bad news here is that none of those gold medals are ’proper’ gold –

they haven’t been since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Since then, they’ve been

downgraded to gold-plated silver, which may hit their resale value on eBay

WHAT DO THOSE OLYMPIC rInGS DEPICT?The interlocking Olympic rings logo was designed by French historian

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a man with the finest whiskers in all of

sport. Each ring represents a continent (though no continent is

represented by any specific ring), to symbolise the “five parts of

the world which are now won over to Olympism and willing to accept

healthy competition“. And one bonus fact for the water cooler:

every national flag in the world includes one of the five colours.

IS THE OffICIAL MASCOT SUPPOSED TO rEPrESEnT SOMETHInG?What looks at first glance to be one-eyed slug is, on closer

inspection (of a press release), Wenlock, a one-eyed drop of steel.

He was named after the tiny Shropshire town of Much Wenlock,

which hosted the forerunner to the modern Olympic Games, and his

head represents the shape of the Olympic stadium roof. He wears

the Olympic rings as bangles around his ’wrist’ – and, in what has

been called ’an homage to London taxis’, has a yellow light on his

head. Presumably, in this case, he’ll take the longest route possible

to get to where he’s going and have political opinions most

generously described as ’old school’.

Predicted cost of hosting the 2012 Games,

in pounds – that's one 11 and nine zeros

The fine, in sterling, threatened to anyone

streaking at the 2012 Games – a move designed

to stamp out 'ambush' marketing of non-Olympic

family product. Scrawl your website on your

chest and you're in trouble. Flash your wanger

to four billion people and you'll receive just a

stiff rebuke, unless it's really obnoxious

Number of condoms being provided for

athletes in the Olympic village – a sexy 50,000

more than in Beijing. Pity the poor cleaners

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Keri-Anne Payne

| July 27 2012 | 39

Your event is officially termed the 10km

marathon. What hurts most by the end?

“Your shoulders tend to hurt more than

anything. But really, everything hurts.

You have a swimming hat on for two hours

and goggles that dig into your head, so

I tend to get a really bad headache about

five kilometres into the race. Where your

costume sits on your shoulders, that hurts.

And usually you’re swimming in the heat of

the day for two hours – so it’s everything,

pretty much. Maybe your toes don’t hurt,

but then they probably do because of all the

other swimmers tapping them all the time.”

On dry land, things can change a lot

between the start and finish of a

marathon. Is it the same in the water?

“Yeah, anything can happen; the

weather can change, the currents

can change, you can get stuck at

a buoy or go the wrong way and

get disoriented – there’s so

much that can happen in open water, so to

have a near-perfect race is unusual.”

You started off as a pool swimmer. What

was your initial response when your coach

suggested you try the open water?

[Laughs] “Er, I’m not sure I can repeat it.

Open water wasn’t my first choice – my

heart is in the pool and I still love doing it,

which is why I persist with it. Sean [Kelly, her

coach] just said: ‘Give it a go and see how

you get on.’ After the first one, I said I didn’t

really like it, but he told me to try it again and

see how the next one goes. The second one

was a bit of a shocker at the worlds in 2007.

I was leading most of the way and made a

rookie error; I fed at the wrong place and got

swum over. Oh, and I got stung by jellyfish

for two hours, so it really was horrendous.”

But it didn’t stop you?

“Well, thinking back now it was probably the

best swim I could have had because nothing

NO PAYNE, NO GAIN

has been anywhere near as bad as that ever

since. After that, it was the Beijing Olympic

trials, then suddenly: ‘Ooh, it’s the Olympics!’

I’ve learned to love it, and it is my main focus

now. Those who know me will know that for

me to say that is a really big step forward.

And I think embracing it is only going to make

things better for me.”

The 10km open-water swim is a relatively

new event – Beijing was its Olympic debut.

So are you one of the more experienced

swimmers doing it?

“Certainly not in world terms. There are a

lot of open-water swims in Europe, but I

just don’t get the chance to go and do them

because I prefer getting training in at home.

In terms of Britain, I probably am one of

the more experienced – but not in terms

of the world. I’m like a junior compared

to the other girls.”

Training takes up the bulk of your time.

Do you prefer training to competing?

“Training is the most fun part for me.

I love the feeling of having done hard

work, going home and feeling really tired –

the satisfaction you get from that is

brilliant. So I probably would say I enjoy

the training more than the competition, but

I’ve been working really hard with Simon

Middlemas – the sports psychologist for

the British swimming team – and he’s

been brilliant at trying to help me

understand the feelings I have before

a race. I won’t go too much into it –

I don’t want to give too much away –

but I’m really happy with the place I’m

at right now.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Keri-Anne Payne is a Speedo-

sponsored athlete. For more

info, see speedo.co.uk

As the first Brit to qualify for the Games, Keri-Anne Payne has had more time than most to prepare herself for London 2012. But, she told Sport, no amount of preparation can make one of the Games’ most gruelling events any easier

SEE HER IN10km marathon swim

WHENThursday August 9,

12pm

CHANCESThe silver-medallist

in Beijing is hotly

tipped to win gold in

the Serpentine after

winning her second

world title in China last

year. Expect Payne to

lead from the off and

try to control the race

from the front. Italy’s

Martina Grimaldi and

world 25km champ

Ana Marcela Cunha

from Brazil are the

biggest dangers.

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40 | July 27 2012 |

You’re racing in five events at the Olympics.

Is there a chance you’re spreading yourself

too thinly?

“Ever since the previous Olympics, I’ve done

five events in every major international I’ve

competed at – so it’s something I’ve had

lots of practice in and I can do. The 100m

freestyle is the event I’m best suited to, but

I do the butterfly as well to get me into the

week for my main freestyle events. And in

training, if I’m not having a good freestyle

session, I can do butterfly and still knock

out a good session – so I go home happy.

It works well for me having the different

events to mix it up a bit and keep me

entertained in training.”

What did you make of the Olympic Aquatics

Centre when you raced there at the trials

earlier this year?

“The first time I saw it, the screen wasn’t up

at the end and the starting blocks weren’t in

and it looked really long. I was like: ‘How am I

gonna finish two lengths of that?’ [Laughs]

But with all that in and it being dressed for

the event, it looked really good. The first

swim I walked out for, I was like: ‘This is it –

this is where we’re gonna have the Olympics.’

It was all really bright and clean and airy, and

it just gave me goosebumps. It was a perfect

dress rehearsal for the Olympics, too,

because the schedule was all the same. So I

know exactly where I’ll need to be and when.”

You reached the 100m freestyle final in

Beijing, which was your first Olympics. What

did you take away from that experience?

“Beijing was all a whirl, to be honest. There

were so many things to see, so many things

to do and the whole experience of being in an

Olympic final is totally different to any other

competition final I’ve ever been in. There’s

just something about an Olympics – it’s the

most special one, so the atmosphere in

a final is totally different. Having the

experience of knowing what that feels like

is really going to stand me in good stead.”

Had you gone there with any expectations

of how you might do?

“I had the same expectations as I do for this

Games. I wanted to get in and win my races.

Every time I get in the pool and swim, I want

to win. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, but as

long as you think you can – and try to – it’s

gonna pay off at some point. I came home

from Beijing a little disappointed with my

swims, but it was nice to have gone and

had that first-time experience.”

How different are you as an athlete going

into London compared with four years ago?

“I’m not as naive in my racing or what I need

to do to be as good as I want to be, and I’ve

got a lot more weapons in my armoury than

I did as a little 18-year-old going into my

first one. In one sense, Beijing feels like

an age ago. But in another sense, I feel like

these past four years have gone so fast.

Sometimes I wonder if I will be able to do

another four years to Rio? But then I think

these past four years have flown by, so

I think I will do another one.”

And you’re still only 22 years old...

“I know, but I’m like one of the veterans on the

team now – it’s crazy. I’m the one planning

the team initiations. [Laughs] I was only 15

when I went to the Commonwealth Games in

Melbourne, though, so it feels like I’ve been

competing internationally for a long time.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Fran Halsall uses Multipower Sportsfood.

For sports nutrition tailored to your individual

needs, visit multipower.co.uk

Five For FranThe only British swimmer to qualify for three individual disciplines at London 2012 is known for her non-stop chatter. But, chasing five medals, Fran Halsall could soon be famous for what she does when her mouth closes

See Her in 50m freestyle,

100m freestyle,

100m butterfly,

4x100m freestyle

relay, 4x200m

freestyle relay

WHenFrom July 28 (100m

butterfly heats) to

August 4 (50m

freestyle final)

CHanCeSHalsall says her

main hope is for

gold in the 100m

freestyle, where

she’s ranked three in

the world – but she

could also challenge

over the single-

length 50m, in which

she’s second in the

world. World record

holder over both

distances (and

double Olympic

gold-medallist) is

Germany’s Britta

Steffen, who bombed

out at the worlds in

Shanghai last year,

but looks to be back

on track in 2012.

Halsall could also

face competition

from veteran

Swedish sprinter

Therese Alshammar,

now 34, who won

50m freestyle gold

in Shanghai last

summer.

42 | July 27 2012 |

London 2012: The Week Ahead

Box of delightsSaturday

11.30am TennisLess than three weeks

after Wimbledon, many

of the same names will

rock up at the All England

Club for the Olympic

tennis tournament. Will the grass have

recovered? Can Andy Murray claim gold,

or anything, for Team GB? Does anyone

actually care? It all starts here and now.

3pm ArcheryIn 2008, the British men's

team of Simon Terry, Alan

Wills and Larry Godfrey

went to Beijing as medal

hopes but bombed out

before the quarters. The very same trio

are back for London – should they make

the last eight, this is the time to tune in.

And the final is at 6.01pm – on the dot.

5.15pm FootballThree days after beating

New Zealand in their

opening fixture (we're

assuming a lot here),

Team GB's women

welcome Cameroon to the Millennium

Stadium. Hopefully the home crowd

won't mind that there isn't a single

Welsh player in Hope Powell's squad...

10pm Beach VolleyballThe first evening session

of the women's beach

volleyball from Horse

Guards Parade. As the

sun goes down and the

floodlights go on, pour yourself a glass

of brandy, sit back and enjoy. Who's

actually playing, you ask? Well, there

are definitely two teams involved.

Day-planner

Cycling: Men's Road Race Box Hill, 10am

Can Mark Cavendish

earn Team GB their

first gold of the Games

over nine laps of a

testing Box Hill course

in the men's road race? The bookies

say so – and, bearing in mind he

altered his entire approach to this

year's Tour de France in a bid to

improve his chances in London, we

tend to agree. Peter Sagan, the

22-year-old Slovakian superstar

who claimed the Manxman's Green

Jersey in Paris last weekend, is

the chief danger – you can find out

more about him on page 11.

Swimming: Men's 400m Individual Medley Final Aquatics Centre, 7.30pm

It's hard to imagine a

more exciting race with

which to kick off the

swimming at this year's

Games: take one in the

intriguing battle between Michael

Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Phelps is the

defending champ and in possession

of more Olympic golds than any other

athlete, but his compatriot Lochte won

gold at last year's World Championships

and bested the Baltimore Bullet in this

event at the recent US trials. Two

giants of the pool going at it paddle

and trunks for just over four minutes

– you won't want to miss a stroke.

Don't missOur pick

Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of top-rate sport on offer at the London

Games? Allow us to guide you through week one with our day-by-day pick of

the action – and it all starts, at least in theory, with gold number one for Team GB

Sunday

12pm CyclingIt's the turn of the girls

to have a crack at two

laps of Box Hill, as

defending champion

Nicole Cooke and Lizzie

Armistead go for gold in the women's

road race. The main danger, so we

believe, is two-time Giro d'Italia winner

Marianne Vos of the Netherlands.

2.30pm BasketballA first chance to see

LeBron James, Kobe

Bryant, Kevin Durant and

the rest, as the United

States get their Olympic

carnival under way against... well, it

doesn't really matter who the hell it is,

does it? France, it says here – as if

anyone will notice.

3pm ArcheryWhat, more archery?

You bet – this time the

quarter finals of the

women's team

competition, in which

Great Britain came a heartbreaking

fourth in Beijing. Can the team of

Naomi Folkard, Amy Oliver and Alison

Williamson go at least one better?

7.45pm FootballWembley Stadium is

the venue as Stuart

Pearce's ragtag bunch

of Brits take on the

mighty United Arab

Emirates in their second group game.

Something to keep an eye on while

you're waiting for Adlington to take

to the pool, perhaps. >

Day-planner

Swimming: Women's 400m Freestyle Final Aquatics Centre, 8.15pm

If Michael Phelps

hadn't been in Beijing,

then Rebecca

Adlington's astonishing

gold in the women's

400m freestyle, overhauling her US

rival Katie Hoff with a phenomenal

final 50 metres, would have been the

enduring swimming image from the

2008 Games. Sunday sees the now

23-year-old attempt to defend her

title; we shall be tuning in to see if she

can defeat world champion Federica

Pellegrini and Camille Muffat, the

fastest girl in the world this year –

we suggest you do likewise.

Don't missOur pick

| 43

Sailing: Men's Finn Race 1 Weymouth & Portland, 12pm

Ben Ainslie's bid to

emulate Matthew

Pinsent as a gold-

medallist at four

consecutive Olympic

Games begins down off the south

coast on Sunday lunchtime. Granted,

sailing isn't the most riveting

spectator sport in the world; heck,

it's possibly one of the worst – but

this could be history in the making,

and the early races will probably be

the ones to watch. By the time Ainslie

and his fellow Finn competitors get

to the medal race on August 5, gold

could already be his.L

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10.20am RowingNo medals to be won yet,

but two of Team GB's

strongest boats kick off

their quests on Monday

morning. Perennial

nearly-woman Kath Grainger and Anna

Watkins go in the women's double sculls

heats at 10.20am, with the men's four

due 20 minutes later. No dramas, please.

9.30am JudoTeam GB's best hope for

a medal in judo probably

lies with Euan Burton

in the -81kg division.

Tuesday morning is

when it all starts for him, with the

semis (hopefully) at 2.03pm and the

final (optimistically) at 4.10pm.

3.30pm WeightliftingBritain's highest-profile

weightlifter, 18-year-old

Zoe Smith, goes in

the women's 58kg

division. She won't

win a medal, we wouldn't think, but

that shouldn't stop us crossing our

fingers as she powders her palms

and puffs her youthful cheeks out.

3.30pm FencingTime for the quarter

finals of the men's

individual foil, which in

theory should feature

28-year-old Londoner

Richard Kruse. He finished 14th in

Beijing, but is a much improved

swordsman these days.

4.30pm GymnasticsTime for the medals to

be decided in the men's

team competition at the

North Greenwich Arena.

A chance to see some

of the most impressive athletes – and

biggest guns – at the entire Games.

Louis Smith leads an improving British

team on the hunt for a gong.

7.47pm SwimmingThe men's 200m

butterfly final – an event

in which Michael Phelps

hasn't been beaten for

about a million years.

After he's won that, hang on to see how

Hannah Miley gets on in the final of the

200m individual medley at 8.39pm.

7pm HockeyOver to the Riverbank

Arena, where Great

Britain's men get their

Olympic campaign under

way against Argentina.

We do hope Barry Davies is back in the

commentary box for this, even if we're

pretty sure neither Sean Kerly nor

Imran Sherwani are in the team.

10pm VolleyballOf the men's indoor

variety, where the top

two teams in the world

rankings – Brazil and

Russia – spike off in

a preliminary round encounter. Could

easily be a rehearsal for the gold-medal

match, this one. >

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand 44 | July 27 2012 |

London 2012: The Week Ahead

Day-planner

Day-planner

Diving: Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final Aquatics Centre, 3pm

The Chinese will

win, because the

Chinese always win

everything at the

diving, but this will

be our first chance to see young

Tom Daley in action at London 2012.

It would be pretty awesome if he

and the other fella – otherwise

known as former Olympic silver-

medallist Pete Waterfeld – could

sneak on to the podium.

Equestrian: Team Eventing Jumping Final Greenwich Park, 10.30am

The British eventing

team has medalled at

the past three Games

(two silvers and a

bronze), but it's now

40 years since they struck gold in

Munich. Can the team of William

Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Tina Cook,

Piggy (yes, Piggy) French and the

galloping royal herself, Zara Phillips

(left), bring an end to that hoodoo?

We'll find out on Tuesday morning.

Swimming: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Aquatics Centre, 7.56pm

A national record

wasn't enough to

earn Liam Tancock

a medal in the 100m

backstroke final four

years ago – but the two-time world

champion over the shorter 50m

(a discipline not included in the

Olympic programme, sadly) will

be back for more in London.

Currently ranked seventh in the

world, he has a squeak.

Canoe Slalom: Men's C1 Semi Finals Eton Dorney, 1.30pm

We fully expect to be

cheering on David

Florence (left) in the

semis of the men's

canoe slalom singles

on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Scot won

silver four years ago and has been

in excellent form this year, claiming

gold across two classes at last

month's World Cup event in Cardiff.

If all goes to plan, he should go in

the final an hour and a half later.

Don't miss

Don't miss

Our pick

Our pick

Monday

Tuesday

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Super League clubs are entering the final straight of a long, tough campaign – but, with

just six rounds left, there’s still a lot to play

for in terms of qualifying for the playoffs.

An intriguing battle takes place on Sunday

evening, when St Helens take on Huddersfield

Giants (and Leroy Cudjoe, above). Following a

spectacular recent loss of form, the Giants

dispensed with the services of coach Nathan

Brown earlier this month. He’d already

declared his intention to leave at the end of

the season – to become head coach at Saints,

no less – but a run of eight defeats in 10

league and cup matches convinced the club

the time was right for him to go.

In contrast to Huddersfield’s fall, the

rise of their Yorkshire neighbours Leeds

Rhinos over the past few weeks has

been spectacular. The Rhinos will look

to continue their march up the table at

the expense of Wakefield Trinity

Wildcats at Headingley on Monday

night (Sky Sports 1, 8pm).

Elsewhere, having been dumped

out of the Challenge Cup by the

Rhinos, Wigan Warriors will be

determined to hang on to top spot in

the league, which would give them

the best chance of reaching the

Grand Final at Old Trafford on

October 6. They currently sit three points

clear of second-placed Warrington, and

should extend that lead with a home win

against Castleford Tigers (currently 12th)

at the DW Stadium tonight.

Should the Warriors emerge victorious

from that clash, two sides still chasing them

will look to follow suit over the weekend.

Warrington Wolves will hope to keep the

pressure on in their home game against the

troubled Bradford Bulls on Sunday afternoon,

while Catalan Dragons should remain within

six points of the tabletoppers as they

welcome bottom club London Broncos to

the south of France on Saturday night.

That just leaves Hull KR aiming to keep

playoff hopes alive with victory at Widnes

Vikings, and Salford City Reds looking to do

exactly the same at Hull – both those games

are 3pm kick-offs on Sunday.

64 | July 27 2012 |

7 Days

SUNDAY RUGBY LEAGUE | stoBARt sUpER LEAGUE: st HELENs v HUDDERsFIELD GIANts | LANGtREE pARK | sKY spoRts 2 7.45pM

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Giants moving on

With two fights in the past nine months postponed by injury, British super-middleweight

champ George Groves is

raring to get back into the

ring this weekend. It’s been a

doubly frustrating hiatus for

Hammersmith’s ‘saint’ as he

was on a hot streak in 2011,

following a close decision

win over bitter rival James

DeGale with an eye-catching

two-round Ko of paul smith.

His next opponent,

Francisco sierra, has a

respectable record of 25

wins and five losses – but

of the five fights he’s had

outside his native Mexico it’s

telling that he’s won only two.

He was outboxed by world-

rated thomas oosthuizen

last November, eventually

being stopped in 11 rounds.

However, he showed a decent

chin in that bout – and his 22

knockouts shows that he can

punch at a certain level.

Groves will be looking to

shake off ring rust and

impress the Us crowd, but

he mustn’t be overeager.

Despite his fine fundamentals

and good amateur pedigree,

Groves has been hittable in

the past.

Night owls who stay up for

this are also advised to keep

their eyes open for the main

event, as classy Californian

Robert ‘the Ghost’ Guerrero

makes his own comeback

from injury, taking on

unbeaten selcuk Aydin.

the turkish boxer is one

of several fighters with

the ‘Mini-tyson’ nickname –

but probably the only one

who was once suspended

following a physical

altercation with a referee.

Let’s hope Aydin ignores

the ref and focuses on

the ghost-busting

on saturday.

SAtUrDAY BoxING | GEoRGE GRovEs v FRANCIsCo sIERRA | sAN JosE, CALIFoRNIA | BoxNAtIoN

Back into the Groves

| 65

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66 | July 27 2012 |

7 Days

FRIDAY BASEBALL | NEW YORK YANKEES v BOSTON RED SOX | YANKEE STADIUM | ESPN AMERICA 12AM

Olympic fever might have bitten the nation today, but

when it comes to football the next three weeks isn’t

all about Team GB (that’s what David Beckham told

us, anyway). That’s because the Premier League’s

finest (or at least some of them) go head to head this

weekend, with the main focus of the first match

sitting on his sofa back in north London.

Arsenal’s place among the elite has been chipped

away over the past few seasons, and the movement

of players from the red half of north London to the

blue half of Manchester is starting to rankle with

Gunners fans. After Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael

Clichy, Samir Nasri, Kolo Toure and (in a roundabout

way) Patrick Vieira all swapped Wenger for

victories, Robin van Persie is the latest name on

City’s radar. And, while he decides his future, his

suitors and his owners are kicking off in China.

For City, the van Persie chase appears to be their

main transfer focus at the moment – so their current

strike force will find themselves under pressure to

perform here today. With Sergio Aguero never likely

to face the axe, all eyes will be on Edin Dzeko and

Mario Balotelli. Across the rest of City’s squad, it’s

as you were for the men in sky blue, with Micah

Richards (playing for Team GB) the only absentee.

For Arsenal, it’s a case of preparing for life

without their talisman. Jack Wilshere continues to

struggle for fitness and Aaron Ramsey is on Olympic

duty, so the middle will need a reshuffle, but it’s

up front where new boys Olivier Giroud and Lukas

Podolski will attempt to take up RVP’s mantle.

Elsewhere, it’s over to America on Saturday,

as Liverpool and Tottenham take to the field in

Baltimore with both sides under new management

(ESPN 6pm). Spurs have been facing transfer sagas

of their own, with Luka Modric holding the club to

ransom – but Lilywhites fans are nevertheless

looking forward to life under Andre Villas-Boas,

and the likely debuts of Jan Vertonghen (to replace

Ledley King) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (to replace Modric)

are both keenly anticipated. Brendan Rodgers’

Liverpool, meanwhile, face their first public outing,

and are likely to line up with Fabio Borini leading the

line. On the back of disappointing seasons last time

round, both sides will look to flex their muscles.

Don’t expect either team to give an inch.

FRIDAY FOOTBALL | ARSENAL v MANChESTER CITY | BIRD’S NEST STADIUM, BEIjINg | ESPN 1PM

It’s been a tough season for the Boston Red Sox. They were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays

last weekend and sit bottom of the AL East,

their squad decimated by injuries. They will

be hoping the return of big-name players

Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford (above),

as well as closer Andrew Bailey, will see

their form improve. Although, judging by

recent results, there is a lot of work to do.

They travel to New York tonight for a

three-game series against the New York

Yankees – their biggest rivals, and the

side that currently comfortably tops the

AL East. Even if the Red Sox can’t catch

the Yankees, the additional wildcard spot

added this season will mean the battle

for post-season action should continue

well into September.

On the west coast, the San Francisco

Giants host rivals LA Dodgers in a vital

series for both teams (Sunday, ESPN

America 9.30pm). The Dodgers started

this season the better of the two, but the

Giants battled back from a six-game deficit

and will be determined to make use of their

homefield advantage – at the time of going

to press, they were 29-16 at home.

East coast rivals square up

Football (sort of) returns!

Adam Scott needs a pick-me-up right now, and next

week’s return to Firestone Country Club in Ohio

could be just what the doctor ordered.

It was here last year that Scott put in the

performance of his life to win the WGC-Bridgestone

Invitational. He opened with a peerless 62 and never

looked like being caught; his weekend 66-65 made

sure of that, despite the best efforts of Luke Donald,

who tied for second with Rickie Fowler some four

shots back.

Firestone has long been a course where the best

golfers come to life. Since it first hosted the World

Series of Golf in 1976, when Jack Nicklaus was the

victor, its roll of honour reads like a Who’s Who of the

sport. Jose Maria Olazabal shot out the lights here

in 1990, with a remarkable 61 that remains one of

golf’s greatest rounds, but it is Tiger Woods who has

dominated at Firestone in recent years. Since the

tournament took on World Golf Championship status

in 1999, Woods – now the world number two – has

been the champion seven times. If he can only get the

ball off the tee – something he struggled so badly

with at the Open, despite tying for third – he will

approach this week with a spring in his step.

Surprisingly quietly, Woods is having the sort of

season that most mortals would give their right arm

for – and clearly he feels right at home in Ohio.

But he’ll have to get past Scott first – there is

no better place for the Aussie to shake off the

trauma of Royal Lytham.

| 67

THURSDAY GOLF | WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL | FIRESTONE CC, OHIO |SKY SPORTS 1 7PM

Can Scott bounce back?

Helly Hansen

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22nd september 2012, stonor park,

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FRIDAY

GOLF Senior Open

Championship

Day 2, Turnberry,

Scotland, Sky Sports 3 12pm

CRICKET CB40:

Netherlands v Gloucestershire,

Amstelveen, Sky Sports 2 1.30pm

CRICKET

West Indies v New Zealand: 1st Test

Day 3, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium,

Sky Sports 4 2.55pm

AUSSIE RULES Geelong Cats v Adelaide

Crows, Eithad Stadium, Melbourne,

ESPN 4.30am

SATURDAY

RUGBY UNION Super Rugby Semi Final:

Chiefs v Crusaders,

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton,

Sky Sports 2 8.30am

RUGBY UNION Super Rugby Semi Final:

Stormers v Sharks,

Newlands Stadium, Cape Town,

Sky Sports 2 10.30am

AUSSIE RULES Carlton v Richmond,

Melbourne Cricket Ground,

ESPN 10.30am

CRICKET CB40:

Somerset v Welsh Dragons,

County Ground,

Sky Sports 2 1.30pm

FOOTBALL MLS: FC Dallas v LA Galaxy,

FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, Texas,

ESPN 1am

SUNDAY

AUSSIE RULES St Kilda v Western

Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne,

ESPN 6am

CRICKET CB40:

Worcestershire v Essex,

New Road, Sky Sports 2 1.30pm

CRICKET West Indies v New Zealand:

1st Test Day 5, Sir Vivian Richards

Stadium, Sky Sports 4 2.55pm

GOLF Senior Open Championship

Day 4, Turnberry, Scotland,

Sky Sports 1 4pm

MOTORSPORT Porsche Supercup,

Budapest, Hungary,

British Eurosport 2 10.45pm

MONDAY

CRICKET CB40: Lancashire v

Gloucestershire, Old Trafford,

Sky Sports 2 4.30pm

BASEBALL MLB: Arizona v LA Dodgers,

Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles,

ESPN 3am

TUESDAY

CRICKET CB40: Derbyshire v Kent,

County Ground, Sky Sports 1 4.30pm

WEDNESDAY

CRICKET CB40: Nottinghamshire v

Surrey, Trent Bridge, Sky Sports 1 4pm

THURSDAY

FOOTBALL MLS: LA Galaxy v Real

Madrid, The Home Depot Center,

Los Angeles, ESPN 3.30am

CRICKET West Indies v New Zealand

2nd Test Day 1, Kingston,

Sky Sports 3 3.55pm

BEST OF THE REST

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Extra time Gadgets

68 | July 27 2012 |

Making the most of your time and money

Olympic gadgets

Are we allowed to say that? Here’s our

pick of top tech to take to that summer

event Sport is in no way affiliated with

Making the most of your time and money

1. Olympus Super Zoom SZ-31MR CameraPacking a massive 24x optical

zoom into a compact body,

this camera is perfect for

capturing the action from afar

– whether you’re snapping

athletics from the cheap seats

in the Olympic Stadium, or

ogling the beach volleyball

players from the windows of

nearby Downing Street, David.

£300 | olympus.co.uk

2. Nikon Sportstar EX Binoculars A good pair of binoculars could

prove handy, too. This pocket-

sized pair of peepers are

waterproof – ideal for viewing

the rain-soaked opening

ceremony. Unless it falls so

hard that the stadium fills with

water, in which case you’ll

probably want the official

Olympic flotation device.

£99 | shop.london2012.com

3. Samsung Galaxy SIII The swanky SIII is perfect for

the Games, because as the

quad-core smartphone’s slogan

tells us, it’s “designed for

humans”. And, according to

official LOCOG data, more than

90 per cent of tickets have gone

to humans. So... who have

Samsung been designing

products for up till now? Apes?

£29 on £33 per month

contract | t-mobile.co.uk

4. Canon EOS 7D DSLRThe (semi) professional’s

choice, this high-end DSLR will

give your photos the edge if

combined with the right lens.

And, in a first for this page,

here’s some genuinely useful

advice: any camera equipment

you take into the park must

all fit into a bag no bigger than

30 x 20 x 20cm.

£1,450 with 18-135mm EF-S

lens | currys.co.uk

5. Panasonic HX-DC1EB-W CamcorderOf course, if you get the Canon

or Olympus, you could be turned

away by a barely trained

security guard because

sponsors Panasonic have

exclusivity in the venues. We’re

joking, but this one is seriously

good for easy filming of events.

Don’t even think about putting

them online, though. Or else.

£160 | panasonic.co.uk

2 3

4

1

5

P76

Hear the sound of thunder?

Don’t you get too scared –

just grab your thunder buddy

| 69

Competition

To celebrate their partnership with the Olympic Games, Panasonic has

teamed up with Sport to give away

100 pairs of their special edition HS200

headphones to lucky readers. Panasonic

is the Worldwide Olympic Partner for

audio and video, and it shares the

passion of the athletes in providing

first-class performance. That’s why, to

celebrate London 2012, they’ve given

each of the 555 Team GB athletes a pair

of these special headphones.

Thanks to their unique shape, the

HS200s stay firmly in the ears and their

sweat-resistant design makes them

perfect for athletes. The HS200s are

joined by three other London 2012

special-edition sets of headphones –

giving athletes the widest choice.

For your chance to win your very

own pair, just answer the simple

question below:

Who composed the official song of the

London 2012 Olympic Games?

A Muse B The Monkees C Metallica

TO enTer, juST Head TO SPOrT-MaGazine.cO.uk/

cOMPeTiTiOnS nOW!

competition closes at midnight on Thursday

august 2 2012. Full terms and conditions at

www.sport-magazine.co.uk

Win! Panasonic sports headphones!

Completely free everyFriday.

iPad edition on Newsstand now

The UK’s top sport magazine The biggest interviews The best previews

On yourMarksW

ith the Olympics now literally

hours away, what better way

to celebrate than with a girl,

her gun and a mankini?

First – the girl. Lauryn Mark is a three-time

Commonwealth gold medal-winning women’s

skeet shooter ready to represent Australia

this summer. She is also one half of the Marks

– her husband, Russell Mark, is a double trap

Olympic gold (Atlanta 1996) and silver (Sydney

2000) medallist who made headlines recently

after complaining that he and his wife

were ‘forbidden’ by the Australian Olympic

Committee from sharing a room together

while competing in London.

Second – the gun. Mr Mark is convinced that

the AOC’s decision was influenced by Lauryn

having posed for the front page of the

Australian edition of a popular men’s magazine

in a stance not unlike the one you see before

you. Except she was wearing a bikini and

carrying a gun beneath a slogan that read:

‘Girls with Guns – they go off with a bang’.

Third – the mankini. Russell Mark has

apparently lost a bet with a teammate, the

conditions of which mean he must now wear

a mankini at the Games’ opening ceremony.

Thank goodness the IOC have cut it short.

70 | July 27 2012 |

Picdesk.com

Extra time Lauryn Mark

| 71

Extra time Kit

72 | July 27 2012 |

Life in the fast laneStrap on a pair of these and run like our

cover star (disclaimer – lifestyle, talent,

training and diet might affect results)

1

45

2 3

Adidas AdiZero spikes

weigh in at just 99g – the

equivalent of 22 pieces of

A4 paper, if you wondered 99

1. Adidas AdiZero Prime SPThe lightest sprint spike

in the world right now, the

AdiZero – in red to represent

the fire and passion of the

Games (apparently) – will

be worn by Tyson Gay and

Yohan Blake on the track

this summer.

£212 | sweatshop.co.uk

2. Saucony Shay XCOne for the cross-country

fanatics out there – named,

as they are, in honour of

nine-time All-American long-

distance runner Ryan Shay.

Lightweight and flexible, the

XCs offer extra grip without

compromising on comfort

over long distances.

£54 | prodirectrunning.com

3. Puma Bolt EvoSpeedAll eyes will be on a certain

Jamaican athlete next week –

and, with a Jamaican flag on the

lacekeeper, the Bolt signature

and ‘lightning bolt’ pose on the

tongue, and a Puma ‘lightning

bolt’ logo, these eight-spike

beauties are his footwear

of choice. Go Asafa! Wait…

£100 | startfitness.co.uk

4. Nike Zoom MatumboNike’s lightest distance spike

offers comfort over the longest

runs thanks to a foam midsole,

Sharkskin heel pad and flywire

construction. The left shoe also

inverts the colours of the right

(above), so you will stand out.

Just make sure you’re damn

good if you wear them.

£56 | prodirectrunning.com

5. Asics Hyper Sprint 4 Friends and family coming to

watch you compete? These bright

numbers – ideal for distances

from 100m up to 400m – boast

a nylon spike plate, rubber sole

and breathable upper. Their

colour also means your loved

ones can’t miss you, no matter

how quickly you cross the line.

£39 | prodirectrunning.com

In storenationwide

By phone0800 111 4184

MobileJJBsports.com

OnlineJJBsports.com

BE INSPIREDgo the distance

Nike Miler Tee £19.99 / Run Short £24.99Flex Run £54.99

New Nike performance running range available now

THE GOLD RANGE

Ole Henriksen skin care

Champneys High Performance Sports Therapy

Champney’s Anti-

Chafing Protective

Balm is designed to

address one of the

most common sports

complaints. No, not

the design of Team

GB’s kit; we’re talking

about protecting

your skin from

discomfort, soreness

and blistering with a

soothing, non-greasy

formula. The Dual

Action Face Wash

and Energising Face

Scrub, meanwhile,

will keep your visage

as fresh and shiny

as Tom Daley’s boyish

enthusiasm.

boots.com

You are, it’s said, cheating only yourself if you don’t

put the hard yards in. Can you honestly say you are?

Ole Henriksen’s Truth Creme can’t, despite its name,

help you with that – but it does contain vitamin C to heal

and brighten skin. And if you are putting in those yards,

the non-greasy Body Comfort Lotion will moisturise

and relieve muscle fatigue with peppermint oils.

Add a Loofah Body Scrub with mentholated jojoba

beads to smooth skin, and a non-drying On The Go

gel cleanser, and all that effort seems worthwhile.

Available from Harvey Nichols, 020 7235 5000

THE BRONZE RANGE

74 | July 27 2012 |

Medal winners

Wind, rain, sandpits, swimming pools and

mile after mile of speed and stamina... and

that’s just your journey to work. Join this

lot on the podium – you’ve earned it

THE MOISTURISERTHE SILVER RANGE

NGT by Nougat for Men

Were Sport an

impressive enough

beast to even consider

weightlifting, we’d like

to think – as we stood

with barbell aloft, teeth

gritted, clenching

places we’d never

clenched, every sinew

and tendon at breaking

point – we’d choose

Nougat for Men’s NGT

talc as part of our

armoury. It’s only right

after that effort that

we scrub up with

the NGT shower gel

and shave cream –

classily scented

with an invigorating

grapefruit and

cedarwood fragrance.

nougatlondon.co.uk

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Extra time Grooming

£10 for 200ml£6.50 for 150ml

£7 for 150ml

£52 for 50ml

£12 for 100g

£31 for 350ml £31 for 355ml £21 for 355ml

£12 for 250ml £15 for 150ml

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Part-time MBA/Full-time MBA (new)/International Sports Management MBA (new)

Put your career in the fast lane with an MBA specially tailored for managers in the rapidly expanding global sports industry.

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We also offer: full-time MBA part-time MBA

lboro.ac.uk/mba

MBA/6237

Another London Tate Britain

London will be swarming with snappers over the

Olympic weeks, but they will have to go some to

match the photos on display at Tate Britain’s new

show. From 1970s punks to effusive newcomers

(Ghanaian Mike Eghan is pictured above, having

moved to present a talk show for BBC World

Service), the exhibition covers capital life from

1930 to 1980 through the eyes of international

photographers. Encapsulating grit, glitz and

growing diversity, it looks a fascinating journey.

TedSeth ‘Family Guy’ MacFarlane dips

a furry paw into the film world

with this guffaw-inducing buddy-

comedy with a twist. Namely, Mark

Wahlberg has a lonely youth until

he wishes his teddy into life.

Problems arise later, when he’s in

his 30s and his foxy girlfriend Mila

Kunis isn’t too impressed by Marky

Mark’s furry best pal taking drugs,

buying in hookers and generally

being a woeful influence. Some of

the dialogue via Seth’s obscene

Ted – none of which we can print

here – is superbly crass. It might

descend into a formulaic warm,

fuzzy ending, but it’s very funny

getting there. Out on Wednesday.

Ashes Kyla La Grange

This singer of exotic

heritage with Watford

roots does a fine line in

breathy, impassioned

vocals on her debut

album. There’s also a sly

wit to her songs, such

as Vampire Smile –

which is less Twilight,

more wanting to bite

some annoying chap on

the neck. It’s a wee bit

angsty; but, backed by

some splendid hooks,

it’s a bit great too.

Barbarella

Camper than Graham

Norton in a tent – but

far sexier – Barbarella

is the 1960s sci-fi film

that falls firmly into the

so-bad-it’s-brilliant

category. Jane Fonda is

almost preposterously

beautiful as the space

adventurer who battles

tyrants (and escapes

a machine designed to

pleasure her to death).Searching For Sugar Man

A pair of South Africans go in search of Sixto

Rodriguez, a mysterious 1970s folk musician who

flopped in the US but whose songs, unbeknown to

him, became protest anthems in

apartheid South Africa. The minor

problem the makers of this award-

winning documentary face is that

no one has a clue where he is – or

if he’s even alive. A powerful story

with some seriously sweet tunes.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

Old pizzaface is truly a monstrous villain (we mean

Freddy Krueger – definitely not Sir Alex). So we’re big

fans of this lengthy documentary, which gets under

the icky skin of the Nightmare on Elm Street film

franchise. Robert Englund, Wes

Craven and Alice Cooper all pitch in

as the doc covers everything from

the choice of Freddy’s jumper to a

forgotten Brad Pitt bit-part. It’s the

definitive guide to a fantastic teen

slasher original and its increasingly

cheesy sequels. Out on Monday.

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76 | July 27 2012 |

FILM

Bear necessities

Freddy Krueger, Jane Fonda and a potty-

mouthed teddy. It may sound like a weird

dream, but it’s all you need for next week

FILM

DVD

EXHIBITION MUSICBLU-RAY

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