London and indeed Great Britain as a collective is beginning to garner an air of Olympic anticipation. The English football team once again flattered to deceive, whilst Andy Murray’s foray into the Wimbledon final met a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of an experienced and ingenious Swiss man. It would seem the British sporting scene is suffering.
Fear not. 7 years subsequent to the announcement of London as the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games, we as a nation have another chance to re-affirm our respect in the sporting world. Yet in which areas can we hope to see our athletes shine? I bring to you, the 5 most anticipated events of the 2012 games…
5. BOXING
For the first time in Olympic History, the exciting Men’s event will be joined by a Women’s card to the field of Boxing, with a Women’s fly, middle and lightweight division expected to be an exciting one. Perhaps we will be seeing the likes of the talented Nicola Adams emulating Amir Khan’s rise through the ranks…
4. FIELD HOCKEY
The high tempo, end to end sport of Field Hockey makes it to our screens this Summer at the Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park. Germany and Netherlands took the men and women’s Gold medals in Beijing respectively, so we can only hope Great Britain’s side, who will be arriving at the Games in strong form, will have more to show for this time around.
3. FOOTBALL
With the likes of Neymar, Alexander Pato, Ryan Giggs, Luis Suarez and Juan Manuel Mata gracing the Olympic stage, we are sure to have a spectacle on our hands regardless of the omission of the national institution that is David Beckham. All the flair and skill that has been on show for the majority of the domestic and international season throughout World Football will re-emerge for a Summer of Olympic Football…Golden Balls or no Golden Balls, it isn’t to be missed.
2. SWIMMING
All time Olympic Great Michael Phelps returns to the stage in the Men’s division seeking to further add to his bottomless pit of Olympic Medals, whilst Double Olympic Gold medalist Rebecca Adlington seeks to re-create her 2008 antics back on British territory.
1. TRACK & FIELD (100/200 METRES)
Not to be missed. With the likes of Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay clocking up impressive speeds in recent times, it is the duopoly of Usain Bolt and his party crasher and training partner Yohan Blake that is stirring up such attention and excitement. Bolt has taken the world by storm over the last few years, being so impressive that his ability had led many to question whether the fastest man alive could ever be outshone. The answer to these questions though, is Blake himself, who has already beaten Bolt in the Jamaican trials in both the 100 and 200 metre races. It appears for as much as Bolt has continually defied the laws of physics with his prowess, Blake is determined to defy the status-quo. It is certainly not beyond him.
Written by Hayel Wartemberg
TweetMe: @HayelNupeW