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Preview of events on Aug. 21 at Athens GamesPosted: Friday August 20, 2004 2:23AM; Updated: Friday August 20, 2004 2:23AM  
 ATHENS (Reuters) -- At least 29 gold medals could be won on Saturday at the Athens Olympics, including three in the athletics and four in the swimming: Expected medal times (all in GMT and estimates except for swimming, rowing medals)
0538 - Women's single sculls, rowing ATHLETICS - Women's discus Olympic champion: Ellina Zvereva (Belarus) Belarus's Yatchenko became the oldest female world champion last year at 37. One year on, she has thrown further than anyone else again this year. Anastasia Kelesidou and Ekaterini Voggoli, however, second and third behind her in Paris, will make sure there is plenty of home interest. In-form Natalya Sadova of Russia, the 2001 world champion, should also be in the mix. Heptathlon Olympic champion: Denise Lewis (Britain) Carolina Kluft, pulling faces and dancing jigs of delight, has breathed new life into this event. She recorded five personal bests on the way to the world title last year and has the two best performances of 2004. She looks sure to depose the ailing Denise Lewis of Britain, while Eunice Barber of France has already scratched. Women's 100 metres Olympic champion: Marion Jones (U.S.) A wide open event after Sydney Olympics champion Marion Jones failed to qualify for the U.S. team while team mates Kelli White and Torri Edwards, the first two over the line at the 2003 world championships, will not compete because of drugs bans. New U.S. champion LaTasha Colander, a former hurdler and 400 metres runner, comes into the frame as do Zhanna Block, Ukraine's 2001 world champion, and France's Christine Arron. Gail Devers, the fastest hurdler-sprinter in history and still going at 37, is aiming for a third Olympic title. SWIMMING - Women's 50 metres freestyle - Inge de Bruijn, who eclipsed all opposition in winning three titles at the 2000 Olympics, is the reigning Olympic and world champion and world record holder (24.13). She also shares the fastest time in the world this year with Australia's Libby Lenton (24.70). Australia's Michelle Engelsman is third fastest this year (24.80). Men's 1500 metres freestyle - Olympic champion and world record holder Grant Hackett looks certain to make it successive Olympic titles. In a class of his own, the Queenslander's world record of 14:34.56 is seven seconds more than anyone else has ever swum and 22 seconds better than his biggest rival in Athens, American Larsen Jensen (14:56.71). Britain's David Davies and Russia's Yuri Prilukov have both broken the 15-minute barrier this year. Women's 4x100m medley relay - Another relay that looks to be between Australia and the U.S. with Germany a possible danger. Men's 4x100m medley relay - The U.S. set the existing world record at last year's world championships and look certain to go even quicker in Athens. Australia and Russia should fight it out for silver. - - - - ROWING - Women's single sculls - Three scullers have dominated the women's single event for the last eight years and they should continue that trend in Saturday's final. Germany's Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, the 2001 world champion, looked very impressive in the early rounds but has not been pushed to the limit. Double Olympic champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus and two-time world champion Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria will start as joint favourites and there will be little between the three. Men's single sculls - World champion Olaf Tufte of Norway will start as the clear favourite for the men's single after his closest rival, Germany's Marcel Hacker, failed to make the final. Tufte, world champion in 2003 and 2001, moved through the earlier stages with ease. The Czech Republic's Vaclav Chalupa, who won silver at the 1992 Olympics, also looks strong and Bulgaria's Ivo Yanakiev could be the surprise package. Women's double sculls - New Zealand twins Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell are the clear favourites for this event after winning the 2002 and 2003 world championships. The Germans, who changed their crews before the Olympics to strengthen their quadruple sculls top boat, should finish in the medals with either Britain or Bulgaria. Women's pair - Olympic champions Romania entered the regatta as favourites to defend their title but they will be pushed all the way by Belarus who set a blistering pace in the heat. Britain, who had legitimate hopes of a gold medal after winning the 2003 world championships, will have to perform a lot better than they did in their heat if they are to win a medal. Belarus beat Britain by almost seven seconds in the heat. Men's pair - This final should be one of the highlights of the Olympic regatta, with the Australians Drew Ginn and James Tomkins tipped to win ahead of Germany and Croatia. Ginn and Tomkins have three Olympic gold medals between them and won the 2003 world championships in some style. South Africa could also feature in the medals. Men's double sculls - For the first time in the Olympic Games, seven crews will contest a final after Norway dead-heated with the U.S. in the semi-final. Italy start as the favourites after beating the Olympic champions Slovenia twice this year and world champions France should also feature in the medals. Men's four - Britain's Matthew Pinsent will bid to win his fourth Olympic gold when his crew take on world champions Canada. The British crew suffered a difficult season marred by injury and, for the first time in 13 years, Pinsent entered the regatta as the underdog. But the British crew of Pinsent, Olympic champion James Cracknell, Ed Coode and Steve Williams are a lot more experienced than the Canadians and this could tell in the final. FENCING - After finishing the men's individual foil with silver and bronze, the Italians will aim to go one better in the team competition. A team comprising of Salvatore Sanzo, who took the silver in the individual, Andrea Cassare, who won bronze, and Simone Vanni should be too strong for all-comers but defending champions France, with individual champion Brice Guyart, as well as the Germans, Russians and Chinese will pose a threat. - - - - WEIGHTLIFTING - The biggest night of the competition with Greece's Pyrros Dimas taking to the stage for the men's 85 kg competition seeking to become the sport's first four-times gold medallist. Dimas, who carried the Greek flag in the opening ceremony, will be hard-pressed as Yuan Aijun will be out to add another gold to China's total. The women's super-heavyweight +75 kg competition will provide the warm-up act to the evening's main event. - - - - SHOOTING - Russia's reigning Olympic champion Sergui Alifirenko, 45, was top qualifier for the 25-metre rapid fire pistol and looking to defend his title in the only gold medal up for grabs as competition winds towards Sunday finale. - - - - TABLE TENNIS - Top seeds Chen Qi and Ma Lin of China face a strong challenge from Hong Kong pair Lai Chak Ko and Ching Li and the two pairs have been kept apart in the semi-finals. - - - - CYCLING - France are the favourites for the men's team sprint with Germany and Britain their main challengers. In the men's individual pursuit Robert Bartko of Germany is the defending champion and will struggle to beat 2004 world champion Sergei Escobar of Spain - - - - TRAMPOLINING - Russia's Alexander Moskalenko will look to retain his Olympic crown four years after winning the inaugural trampolining event. Ukrainian Yuri Nikitin and 2003 world champion Henrik Stehlik will provide strong opposition. - - - - BOXING - Two of the favourites for the flyweight title, Thailand's Somjit Jongjohor and Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa, clash for a place in the quarter-finals. - - - - BADMINTON - Indonesia could have both finalists in the men's singles while China has a stranglehold on the women's doubles title with three pairs in the semi-finals led by top seeds Zhang Jiewen and Yang Wei who play Ra Kung-min and Lee Kyung-won of South Korea. - - - - DRESSAGE - Anky van Grunsven won the individual gold in 2000 and is probably the favourite in Athens. The Dutchwoman has won four team and individual silvers over the past three Games although her great horse, Bonfire, has now retired. German Ulla Salzgeber, who won bronze four years ago, has been the most consistent dressage rider since Sydney, winning the World Cup finals in 2001, 2002, 2003. She was stripped of the 2003 title after her horse Rusty tested positive for testosterone and Salzgeber was banned for two months. Germany have won six of the last seven team Olympic gold medals. - - - - SAILING - Gold medals will be decided in the Finn and men's 470 classes. Briton Ben Ainslie is set to secure a second successive Olympic gold as the 2000 Laser champion holds a 14 point lead over Spaniard Rafael Trujillo in the Finn dinghy. The final men's 470 race will be a tense affair with Americans Paul Foerster and Kevin Burnham leading British pair Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield by two points. The Tornado and Star classes get under way while the Yngling and women's 470 reach a conclusion, with silver and bronze positions up for grabs. - - - - ARCHERY - South Korea's trio of record-breaking archers look to atone for disappointing performances in the men's Olympic individual competition when they defend their country's teams title. - - - - SOCCER - Iraq will try to exceed their performance at the Asian Cup when they play Australia in the men's quarter-finals. They lost to China in the Asian Cup quarters. Mali play Italy and Argentina take on Costa Rica in what looks the pick of the games. - - - - TENNIS - Top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium and Amelie Mauresmo of France, seeded second, are favourites to clear the semi-finals of the women's singles. - - - - Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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