By Jennifer Lukas and Dean Campbell
CTVOlympics.ca Staff
The London 2012 Olympic Games get underway in exactly six months time and to mark the occasion, the CTVOlympics.ca staff have compiled a list of the top five things that they are looking forward to.
Lukas’ top five:
1. British heptathlete’s Jess Ennis on home soil
Britain’s poster girl for the 2012 Olympics has gone from zero to hero since 2008. After a stress-fracture ruled Jessica Ennis out of the Beijing Olympics, the Sheffield, U.K., native returned, altered her technique and proved herself the best all-around female athlete on the planet. The reigning European champion and 2009 world title-holder slipped slightly in 2011 to silver, and as a rivalry with new world-champ Tatyana Chernova blossomed, Ennis’ resolve seemed to grow in strength. Less than one month into 2012, 26-year-old Ennis remains focused on beating her Russian rival in front of a home crowd. “I suppose some people want to think that Tatyana Chernova winning gold at the Worlds has taken the pressure off me,” Ennis recently told the BBC, “but for me it’s put pressure on in a different way — ‘can Jess do it again? Can she beat Chernova?'”
2. Canadian women’s soccer: World Cup redemption
Canada’s women’s soccer team was ranked sixth in the world before they flubbed out of the Women’s World Cup tournament in the first round last year. The embarrassing result was the precursor to bringing in British coach John Herdman, a strong communicator who, judging by recent results has already made an impression on the team. With Herdman on the bench and the best women’s footballer in Canada’s history, Christine Sinclair, on the field, Canada is looking to improve on its eighth-place finish in Beijing. First, though, they’ll have to defeat Mexico in Friday’s Olympic-qualifying match in Vancouver.
3. Women’s boxing debuts
Women’s boxing makes its official Olympic debut this summer in London. Canada’s Mary Spencer still needs to officially qualify, but she is considered the gold-medal favourite ahead of the Games. Spencer has already proved that she will do anything for gold — the 27-year-old recently defeated her good friend-turned-fiercest-rival, Ariane Fortin, to become Canada’s national champion in the 75-kg division. As a result, Fortin will not be able to qualify for the Games.
4. Swimming comebacks
Australia’s Ian Thorpe and Janet Evans of the United States are among several athletes looking to come back from retirement to compete in the London Olympics. Thorpe was Michael Phelps’ biggest rival before he retired in 2006, and it’s tough to say whether he’ll be able to regain his form in time to qualify for the Games. Evans is a 40-year-old mother of two who retired after the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. To put things into perspective, Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington only just beat out Evans’ 800m freestyle record at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Evans had set that record in 1989 when Adlington was just six months old. Even if they don’t qualify for a single ‘A Final’ race, it will be inspiring just to see these swimmers in the pool once again.
5. Emilie Heymans goes for four
No female diver has ever won medals in four consecutive Olympic Games. Emilie Heymans could have two chances at accomplishing this feat in London — she is expected to compete in the 3m springboard and, with teammate Jennifer Abel, the synchronized 3m springboard.
Jennifer Lukas is the Digital lead Aquatics sports producer for CTVOlympics.ca. London 2012 will be Jennifer third Olympic Games.
Campbell’s top five:
1. Pendrel goes for gold in women’s mountain bike
I love this sport, and Canada’s team is looking really good for London. Our headliner, Catharine Pendrel, won the 2010 World Cup title, the 2011 World Championships and even won the test event on the London course. The only thing left is Olympic gold. With a second spot on the squad open, Pendrel’s teammate will likely be either veteran Marie-Hélène Prémont who won a silver medal in Athens 2004, or young Emily Batty, who has become an increasing threat in the World Cup series in her first year competing in the elite class.
2. Changing of the guard in triathlon
Watching Simon Whitfield win gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, in the first ever Olympic triathlon was inspiring. It was also incredible to watch his fight to win the silver in Beijing 2008. Whitfield represents the best of his generation, and Canada’s Paula Findlay is the next rising star in Canadian triathlon. She’s had to fight some injuries but is almost unequalled as a runner, and has enjoyed incredible success in a short period of time.
3. A few centimetres more for Dylan Armstrong
Armstrong missed a bronze medal in the shot put event at Beijing 2008 by just one centimetre. Since then, he’s set a Pan-Am Games record en route to the gold medal, and in 2011 claimed the Diamond League title. He’s a big man with big ambitions, and while he was more or less unknown prior to Beijing 2008, he’s stepped up his training to make certain he’ll make his mark in London 2012.
4. Clara Hughes on two wheels
Right, so this one’s a bit of a gimmie. Hughes is the only Olympian to earn medals in both summer and winter games, and she’s tied with fellow speed skater Cindy Klassen for a Canadian record six medals. In London, Hughes will be back in the saddle — literally — in cycling. She’s earned two bronze medals in cycling, both at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. This time around, she’s focused on just one event, the Time Trial, and just one goal, a seventh Olympic medal.
5. “The Missile” launches
Mark Cavendish, the man known as the “Manx Missile,” won the Olympic test road cycling event and went on to win the World Championships in 2011. Cavendish also won the sprinting title at the 2011 Tour de France. However, just like most of his competition, he’ll only have six days after the end of “le Tour” before he competes in London. But he’s going to have the help of four other riders on Team GB to help him get to the top of the podium. A win here, on the first day of competition, would set the tone for the British team.
Dean Campbell is the Digital lead Cycling sports producer for CTVOlympics.ca. London 2012 will be his second Olympic Games.
