Day 15 - Saturday, August 28
LIAM KILLEEN
Mountain biking. Final: 9amThe absence of Filip Meirhaeghe has thrown this event wide open, for the Belgian, who last month admitting taking EPO, would have been a warm favourite. Roel Paulissen, his team-mate, now assumes the favourite’s mantle, ahead of Julien Absalon, of France. Liam Killeen would be a shock winner, but the Malvern rider may not be too far away from the places.
ARGENTINA v PARAGUAY
Football. Final: 8amArgentina has not won an Olympic title in any sport since 1952, but will be favourites to break the drought in the football. They also have the star of the tournament, the 20-year-old Carlos Tevez, who leads the tournament scorers with seven goals. Tevez, who plays for Boca Juniors, signed his first contract when he was just eight years old.
STEVE BACKLEY
Javelin. Final: 6.40pmBackley only just qualified for this, his fourth and final Olympic final. Whatever happens here, he will pack up his javelin after the sixth round (or the third if he is not in the top eight at that point) and never raise it again in international competition. The chances of the 35-year-old becoming the only British athlete to win medals at four successive Games are slim, as are the chances of Jan Zelezny, his friend, becoming only the fourth person in Olympic history to win four individual titles in the same event. But you should watch, just in case either happens.
Advertisement
LEON TAYLOR
Diving, 10m platform Final: 7pmHalf an hour after Kelly Holmes goes in the 800 metres, Taylor also attempts an Olympic double, though at a slightly more modest level. Along with Peter Waterfield, Taylor won Britain’s first medal of these Games, a silver in the 10 metres synchro. He has the semi-final first (at 10am), but should make the final, with an outside chance of a second medal.
KELLY HOLMES
1,500m. Final: 6.30pmHolmes talked sensibly after the 800 metres final about the adrenalin she had expended in winning the gold medal and the possibility that it could count against her in the 1,500 metres. Well, the following evening, the 34-year-old looked as fresh as ever in the first round of the 1,500 metres and, two days later, looked even better in the semi-final. Only one Briton had won the Olympic 800 metres before Holmes (Ann Packer in 1964) and none has won the longer event. For Holmes to do the double would be a monumental achievement, but it’s on the cards.
MEDAL RATING: GOLD
Trust us there will be one today - and it could be time to dust off those ‘Goldflinger’ headlines for Backley
JUST WHAT IS OPEN MULTIHULL TORNADO SAILING?
Essentially the catamaran subdivision of the sailing category, the twin-hulled Tornado boats are the fastest vessels in the Olympics. The Tornado made its Olympic debut at Montreal in 1976, and the boats are crewed by two-member teams, with women allowed to compete on mixed teams as well as women-only pairs. The entire sailing section has been an Olympic fixture since 1900, but before Sydney, all events in this category were known as yachting.
TELEVISION
BBC One Olympic Grandstand 7am-12.30pm; Olympic Report 12.30pm-1pm; Grandstand 1.40pm-5pm; Report 5pm-6pm; Grandstand 6pm-10.30pm (also BBC Two); Olympics Today 10.35pm-12 midnight. Eurosport 7.30am-11pm
Advertisement
Day 16 - Sunday, August 29
BRIT WATCH: MARATHON
Britain have not won a medal in the Olympic marathon since Charlie Spedding took bronze in 1984. Jon Brown came fourth in Sydney, missing third by seven seconds, and will be having another try today in the historic race, which celebrates the victory of the Athenians over the Persians. Forced to pull out of the 2002 European and 2003 world championships because of injury, the 33 year-old Welshman was the first Briton home in the London Marathon in April.
MEDAL RATING: BRONZE
It is unlikely to be an heroic ending to the Games for Britain - but give Jon Brown a cheer in the marathon anyway.
JUST WHAT IS THE CLOSING CEREMONY?
Exactly what the Athens committee have come up with for the finale to the Games we cannot possibly predict. But we’ll have a go anyway. Given that the Aussies’ ceremony peaked with Kylie Minogue singing Waltzing Mathilda, we’re tipping the Greeks to enlist their most famous son: Brad Pitt. OK, so he’s technically American, but his portrayal of Achilles in Troy means that as far as most of the rest of the world is concerned, he’s got more to do with the nation than philosophy and ruins.
TELEVISION
BBC One Olympic Grandstand 7am-12.30pm; Olympic Report 12.30pm-1pm; Grandstand 1.40pm-5pm; Report 5pm-6pm; Grandstand 6pm-10.30pm (also BBC Two); Olympics Today 10.35pm-12 midnight. Eurosport 7.30am-11pm