Summer SportsWeightlifting

GREAT Britain’s Gareth Evans is already targeting gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games after his London 2012 campaign ended without a medal.

LOOKING AHEAD: Evans exits Olympics without medal but targets Commonwealth Games

The Scotland-born Welshman was drawn in group B in the 69kg category and wasn’t expected to contend for a medal.

Still he produced an impressive performance to secure a clean and jerk record for Wales and finish eighth in his group.

And the 26-year-old, who won a bronze medal at last year’s Commonwealth Championships, is vowing to come back stronger following his first Olympic appearance.

“Next on the list is the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and that gold medal has my name on it,” he said.

Evans took the Welsh record with his opener of 153kg in the clean and jerk before going one better in his next lift of 158kg, as an earlier 130kg snatch lift took his overall score to 288kg.

And the former painter and decorator hopes he will be able to continue lifting weights full time when the next round of UK Sport funding is announced.

“I would love to. I can’t spend much more time away from my little girl, but I want to keep at it,” he said.

“I will cross that bridge when I come to it. If it comes to picking up the paint brush again then so be it.”

Charismatic Brazilian President Lula kisses football legend Pele after Rio were awarded the 2016 Olympic Games during the IOC Congress in Copenhagen (Getty Images)

Barack Obama was to jet into Copenhagen, deliver his tried and tested rhetoric and be back in the White House by nightfall , having secured Chicago the 2016 Olympics.  Sadly, no-one told Mr President that sport and politics don’t mix.

Obama’s presence in the Danish capital dominated news channels and front and back pages alike but, to global astonishment, the International Olympic Committee were not impressed and duly handed Rio de Janeiro the chance to host the first ever South American Games.

As Olympic shocks go this certainly belongs at the top table. Rio were the eye-catching but risk-laden option while Chicago were the bankers.  Seemingly the Windy City’s bid could not be blown off course, yet it was first to be eliminated in the IOC ballot.

The Rio 2016 team pitched up in Copenhagen intent on making their presence felt. They hammered home their slogan ‘live your passion’ and convinced the voting IOC members to sample their sun, sea and sand.

It was a wonderful decision, not only for taking a chance on a passionate, rapidly developing city that had far more to gain than its three rivals [Tokyo and Madrid being the others], but also for so deliberately shunning yet another American Olympics.

By Gerard Meagher,

AT 12 minutes past eight on Monday July 27, it was years to go until the London 2012 opening ceremony gets underway.

CLOCK IS TICKING: It’s exactly three years to go until the London 2012 opening ceremony

Last year the Beijing Olympics began on August 8 (08/08/08) at eight minutes past eight o’clock – celebrating the significance of the number eight as a lucky number in China.

But this time around, Olympic fans will have to wait an extra four minutes as London 2012 organisers look set to keep up the tradition.

One thing is for sure – it will be upon us before we know it. It’s now very nearly a year since Beijing 2008 – where 27 British athletes contributed to 19 gold medals.

For some, that was enough – they had reached the pinnacle and it was time to stop. Others have continued to go from strength to strength while some have seen their careers plateau.

Here’s reminder of all of last year’s heroes and an insight into what the last year had in store for them.  

1. NICOLE COOKE – ( Cycling – road race)

 SETTING THE TONE: Nicole Cooke grabbed Great Britain’s first gold medal of the Beijing Games

It was this Welsh cyclist who set the ball rolling Beijing, collected Great Britain’s first gold of the Games and she has continued her dominance on the road.

The 26-year-old has been inundated with accolades in 2009 for her Beijing exploits but she has backed that up back in competition and she captured her tenth British title last month.

She also picked up the prestigious Giro del Trentino crown in June and she will be among the favourites to retain her world crown in Switzerland in September.

2. REBECCA ADLINGTON – (Swimming – 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle)

BACK IN THE HABIT: Rebecca Adlington has not had it all her own way since her double gold at the Beijing Olympics

It has been a tumultuous 12 months ever since this teenager from Mansfield became Britain’s most successful swimmer for a century in the Water Cube.

Adlington’s two gold medals were without question worth dining out on but she did so until the New Year and after Christmas lunch on top of all that, she was notably out of shape at the start of 2009.

But it’s fair to say she’s come in for a bit too much stick because of it. The second fastest ever 400m freestyle time at the British Championships in March was seen as a failure because she didn’t win.

And her 400m bronze medal at the World Swimming Championships was achieved in a personal best time – and after all, her lucrative Speedo contract puts her at a disadvantage in the swimsuit wars.

3. CHRIS HOY, JASON KENNY, JAMIE STAFF – (Cycling – team pursuit)

THREE AMIGOS: Chris Hoy, Jamie Staff and Jason Kenny have raced at just one competition together this year before Hoy’s injury (Getty Images)

As sure as death and taxes, Great Britain monopolised proceedings in the Laoshan Velodrome last year. And perhaps it was fitting that Sir Chris Hoy laid the ground work along with Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff.

While Staff – the veteran of the trio – was a member of the silver medal winning team at the World Championships, the 36-year-old is living on borrowed time.

Hoy, as I’m sure you’ll remember, returned to the track to pick up a couple of other gold medals so he’ll get a mention later. 

4. TOM JAMES, STEVE WILLIAMS, PETER REED, ANDY TRIGGS-HODGE (Rowing – coxless four)

ALL FOUR ONE: The coxless four grabbed gold in Beijing against the odds but have since moved their separate ways

Perhaps the most dramatic of sagas for Team GB at the Beijing Games was that of the flagship coxless four.

James was injured – then he was back, Triggs-Hodge was a major doubt – then he was back, Alex Partridge was in, then he was out, but the final four eventually romped home to gold.

Relief was the buzzword among the quartet after victory however, not joy. And it was enough of a trauma to force James and Williams to remain on dry land until at least the end of 2009.

Reed and Triggs-Hodge have teamed up in the pair and made an impressive start to their new-look partnership, even if they have come a little unstuck against top quality opposition.

5. BRADLEY WIGGINS – (Cycling – individual pursuit)

CHANGE OF SCENERY: After mastering the track, Bradley Wiggins has fully focused on the road (Getty Images)

A year of relative mediocrity for Wiggo finally came to fruition in the 2009 Tour de France – and boy was it worth the wait.

The three-time Olympic champion, while comfortable enough as an also ran in the Grand Tours, was never expected to make the step up to being a contender.

That was at least until he abandoned the track and fully committed to the road. And his fourth place finish in Paris and his visible weight loss proved what he can do when he puts his mind to it.

Wiggins is contemplating calling time on his track career to fully focus on the road and while he would forgo a crack at London 2012, he may just achieve something no other Brit has ever done before in Paris.

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Summer SportsWeightlifting

BRITISH Weightlifting have explained their decision to enter Zoe Smith in the London 2012 58kg category rather than elevate her to the 63kg division, where she would have faced a less competitive field.

FIRST GAMES: Zoe Smith makes her Olympic debut and will compete in the 58kg weightlifting

The 58kg category is made up of 19 lifters, with 11 in the A group and eight in the B group – there are only 10 lifters in the 63kg category.

In a statement British Weightlifting said: “Zoe is a young athlete in her first Olympic Games, and the most important thing for her long-term development is that she has a positive experience and lifts to her potential.

“In the 58kg group she is in a very competitive B group including (Hidilyn) Diaz, ranked sixth in world in 2012, and (Maria Alexandra) Escobar Guerrero, ranked four in the world in 2012.”

Smith broke six British records at the final Olympic trials in May and will be looking to repeat that at the lower weight category.

They added: “This gives Zoe the opportunity to challenge those athletes that are around her in the world rankings and go for PBs (personal bests) in the weight category she will be most competitive in in the future.

“Zoe will be looking to set British records at 58kg.

“You will see from the 63kg start list that although Zoe would have made the A group, she would have ended up following herself (her three snatch lifts would have been consecutive).

“Zoe sees her long-term future in the 58kg category and has worked hard with the BWL (British Weightlifting) nutritionist to ensure that she performs well at that weight. Her focus when the Games were announced was always to lift at 58kg, and we have stuck with that plan.”

British Weightlifting performance director Fiona Lothian, said: “The plan was to lift at 58kg, and we’ve stuck with that looking forward to Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”