Month End - Number of Posts per Olympic Sport

You've guessed it, with 2007 coming to a close we are still awaiting news on our tickets from Sportsworld. We are still waiting for news on our second batch of requests as well as some possivilities on our original list. The Chinese second round of tickets completes on 31st December, so hopefully there will be some news soon.

On the sports front it's been a quiet month, with the only activity happening in the cycling velodrome. With just over eight months to go, things will be getting hot in the qualification stakes.

	Archery	10 posts		Athletics	27 posts
	Badminton	7 posts		Baseball	1 post
	Basketball	3 posts		Beach Volleyball	2 posts
	Boxing	7 posts		Canoe - Kayak Flatwater	8 posts
	Canoe - Kayak Slalom	4 posts		Cycling - BMX	1 post
	Cycling - Mountain Bike	1 post		Cycling - Road Race	5 posts
	Cycling - Track	21 posts		Diving	2 posts
	Equestrian	4 posts		Fencing	1 post
	Football	2 posts		Gymnastics - Artistic	8 posts
	Gymnastics - Rhythmic	2 posts		Gymnastics - Trampoline	0 posts
	Handball	3 posts		Hockey	8 posts
	Judo	10 posts		Modern Pentathlon	4 posts
	Rowing	7 posts		Sailing	11 posts
	Shooting	6 posts		Softball	0 posts
	Swimming	22 posts		Synchronized Swimming	0 posts
	Table Tennis	2 posts		Taekwondo	5 posts
	Tennis	1 post		Triathlon	6 posts
	Volleyball	1 post		Water Polo	2 posts
	Weightlifting	1 post		Wrestling	0 posts

Olympic Dreams

In the week before Christmas, BBC2 showed a series of programmes spotlighted Olympic hopefuls for Beijing and London. Some are established competitors whilst others were 2012 hopefuls. Each episode of Olympic Dreams in the week-long series focused on three seperate strands.

• Part 1; Rowing - Mens Four (Andy Triggs-Hodge, Alex Partridge, Peter Reed, Steve Williams), Cycling - Track (Ben Swift) and Paralympic Equestrian (Lee Pearson)


• Part 2; Rowing Mens Four, Paralympic Equestrian (Lee Pearson) and Cycling - BMX (Shanaze Reade)


• Part 3; Athletics Pentathlon (Jessica Ennis), Table Tennis (Darius Knight and Paul Drinkhall) and Rowing - Mens Four (Andy Triggs-Hodge, Alex Partridge, Peter Reed, Steve Williams)


• Part 4; Athletics Pentathlon (Jessica Ennis), Table Tennis (Darius Knight and Paul Drinkhall) and Diving (Tom Daley)


• Part 5; Table Tennis (Darius Knight and Paul Drinkhall), Diving (Tom Daley) and Welsh Gymnasts (Jessica Hogg, Lizzie Beddoe and Venus Romaeo)

Silver in Madison for Wiggins and Cavendish

The new pairing of Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish won Silver in the Men's Madison at the Olympic Test Event in Beijing.

Three teams gained a lap, the French, Ukraine and Great Britain to secure twenty bonus points. A single point in the first sprint by the French team, clinched the Gold for them. With neither the British or the Ukraine team scoring any points from the mid race sprints and it was the only the higher finish by WIggins and Cavendish that secuered the silver medal. Britain finished eight with the Ukrainian team twelfth.

The Men's Madison takes place on 19th August 2008.

Hoy wins Gold in Beijing

Chris Hoy struck Gold in the Men's Keirin at the Olympic Test Event in Beijing.

After winning in round 1, Chris beat French legend Arnaud Tournant to win in the second round and make the final where he continued to dominate the competition by winning the Keirin event for which he is the reigning World Champion.

Ross Edgar was unable to repeat his performance from Sydney. He finishing third in his heat and then third again in the repechages and so was out of the competition.

The Men's Keirin takes place on 16th August 2008.

Team Pursuit Gold in Beijing

Ed Clancy, Steve Cummings, Geraint Thomas and Paul Manning won Gold in the Men's Team Pursuit at the Olympic Test Event in Beijing.

Great Britain, Gold medallists at the first World Cup in Sydney, recorded the fastest time over the 4,000 metres, ahead of New Zealand and Denmark, despite two team changes.

In the final, the Great Britain team went even faster, completing in 4.02 to New Zealand's 4.05. The British team started fastest with a 1.04 opening kilometre, but it was back to level pegging at the half way stage. Team GB then accelerated away over the third kilometre to coast home in the final kilometre.

The Men's Team Pursuit takes place on 17th August 2008.

Romero takes Pursuit Silver

Rebecca Romero won a World Cup Silver in the Olympic Test Event in Beijing .

Romero finished second in qualifying to go to the final against Australian Katie Mactier. In the ride off for Gold however, Romero was unable to trouble the multiple medal winner and had to settle for Silver.

The Women's Pursuit takes place on 17th August 2008.