Usain Bolt Lightning Power
description
Transcript of Usain Bolt Lightning Power
“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
22
32
76
39
0 9
Co
ve
r p
ho
tog
rap
hy
by
Jo
n E
no
ch
. Da
n K
itw
oo
d/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Re
x F
ea
ture
s
| 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
M
CD
ou
g P
en
sin
ge
r/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, B
ryn
Le
nn
on
/Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
, Ja
so
n F
ulf
ord
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
1914
/Co
mit
é I
nte
rna
tio
na
l Oly
mp
iqu
e (
CIO
)/P
IRO
U, A
lls
po
rt U
K, A
lek
sa
nd
ra M
ir, A
rie
l Oro
zc
o &
Se
lma
Fe
ria
ni G
all
ery
, Lo
nd
on
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
L
S
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
All
F1
pic
ture
s G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s
Must drive faster S
A
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
18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ
Telephone: 020 7959 7800
Fax: 020 7959 7942
Email: firstname.lastname@
sport-magazine.co.uk
Editorial
Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)
Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)
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)
Advertising Manager: Steve Hare (7930)
New Business Sales Executive:
Hayley Robertson (7904)
Brand Creative Director:
Adam Harris (7426)
Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852)
Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon
Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)
Head of Communications:
Laura Wootton (7913)
Managing Director: Adam Bullock
PA to Managing Director:
Sophia Koulle (7826)
Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd
Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd
© UTV Media plc 2012
UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for
the content of advertisements placed in
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
www.sport-magazine.co.uk
@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
Je
ff P
ac
ho
ud
/AF
P/G
ett
yIm
ag
es
How the vest was won: Wiggins’ Tour victory will surely boost cycling’s popularity in the UK
Reader comments of the week
Union flag hat?
check, Olympic Torch?
check, copy of
@Sportmaguk ? check -
bring on #London2012
@KWdotnet
Brilliant interviews in
today’s @sportmaguk
with six of Team GB’s
leading medal contenders,
from Cav to Dai to the
Brownlees. #timely
@jruskin1
Words by @simoncaney
in @sportsmaguk sum it
all up nicely - “We can
rejoice as Brits pile up
a huge stack of gold
medals” #london2012
#1week
@JLee_ROW
Getting very excited about
the Olympics this morning
thanks to @Sportmaguk -
interview with Victoria
Pendleton was brilliant.
#London2012
@simcevoy
Reading @sportmaguk and
can’t believe it’s 13 years
since Van de Velde and THAT
water debacle. It was yours
sunshine
#hopeswashedaway
@dannerskatz
Free iPad app available on Newsstand
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
Mic
ha
el S
tee
le/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
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
Vla
dim
ir R
ys
/B
on
ga
rts
/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s
28 | July 27 2012 |
Usain BoltS
tu F
ors
ter/
Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
, O
liv
ier
Mo
rin
/A
FP
/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s
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
Ro
be
rto
Sc
hm
idt/
AF
P/
Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
, S
an
dra
Be
hn
e/
Bo
ng
art
s/
Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
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
All
pic
ture
s G
ett
y Im
ag
es
London 2012
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
All
pic
ture
s G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s
Re
x F
ea
ture
s
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.
Fra
nc
ois
Xa
vie
r M
ari
t/A
FP
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
Fran Halsall
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
ion
el B
on
av
en
ture
/AF
P/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Ja
mie
Sq
uir
e/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Cliv
e R
os
e/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Cliv
e M
as
on
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s
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
Ka
rim
Sa
hib
/AF
P/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Ph
ilip
pe
Lo
pe
z/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, Bry
n L
en
no
n/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
, La
wre
nc
e G
riff
ith
s/G
ett
y Im
ag
es
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
Ga
reth
Co
ple
y/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, D
ea
n M
ou
hta
rop
ou
los
/Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
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
Advertising feature
Why do we need NeuroSport?
“When you’re training, just a 2 per cent drop
in bodyweight through sweat can really
affect your performance. That’s because
when you sweat, you’re losing more than
just water – you’re also losing important
electrolytes and minerals that are essential
to keeping your body functioning properly.
NeuroSport is a rehydration drink that’s
packed with an unparalleled total of 12
minerals and electrolytes to replace those
that you lose when you work out. You can
drink it before, during and after your workout
for effective rehydration that really works.”
What about when we’re having a day off
from training – do we still need NeuroSport?
“A lot of people working in office
environments these days can get dehydrated
quickly with the air conditioning. Water can
do a job, but NeuroSport ensures you’re
replacing the minerals and electrolytes
needed to keep you functioning at your peak.
And it only contains 37 calories with a low
sugar content too.”
How does NeuroSonic help?
“It’s designed to boost your mental function
in the face of today’s highly stressful
lifestyles. Whether it’s first thing in the
morning that you need that mental pick-me-
up or in the post-lunch slump, NeuroSonic
energises your mind, keeping you focused.
Containing Acetyl-L-Carnitine to speed up
your mental processing, Siberian ginseng to
improve mental performance and B-vitamins
to support the nervous system and boost
metabolism, NeuroSonic is the drink that’ll
leave you mentally alert and ready to tackle
whatever your day throws at you.”
Aren’t sport and energy drinks full of sugar?
“Both NeuroSport and NeuroSonic are low
in sugar and contain just 37 calories.
NeuroSonic is a lightly sparkling beverage
while NeuroSport is non-carbonated, so both
will leave you refreshed as well as boosting
your mental and physical performance.”
NeuroSport and NeuroSonic are part of a
range of NeuroDrinks available at selected
branches of Tesco, Waitrose, ASDA,
WH Smith and Sainsbury’s, or online
at www.drinkneuro.co.uk
DRINK, REPLENISH, REVIVEfuNctIoNaL DRINKS NEuRoSPoRt aND NEuRoSoNIc
caN HELP you DEaL wItH LIfE’S mENtaL aND PHySIcaL
cHaLLENgES IN a HEaLtHy aND REfRESHINg way,
SayS RENowNED fItNESS ExPERt, JamIE BaIRD
Jamie has been resident
head trainer at the
Sanderson Hotel for 10
years and has an
impressive 15 years'
experience at the
forefront of the fitness
industry. He's a fat loss
and fitness specialist
with an unparalleled
reputation that's
reflected in his client list
Ja
red
Wic
ke
rha
m/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, R
os
s K
inn
air
d/G
ett
y I
ma
ge
s, H
arr
y H
ow
/Ge
tty
Im
ag
es
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
catwalk
Helly Hansen beauty
and tHe beast
a 26.2 mulit-lap trail maratHon
cHallenge for induviduals and teams
22nd september 2012, stonor park,
Henley-on-tHames. sign up and join us
on tHe Helly Hansen catwalk at www.
HellyHansenbeautyandtHebeast.co.uk
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
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
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
International Sports Management MBALoughborough University
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.
n No. 1 UK university for sport
n Top-10 UK business school
n Part-time delivery over two years
n Unbeatable alumni connections
n Competitive scholarships available
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.
Hu
lto
n A
rch
ive
/Ge
tty
Ima
ge
s, J
am
es
Ba
rno
r/M
ag
nu
m P
ho
tos
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
Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand
Extra time Entertainment