Among all the fairytales that Great Britain’s success at London 2012 seems to be throwing up by the day, the triumph of a fifty-something who have battled back from career-threatening injuries surely ranks among the most remarkable.
Nick Skelton (above), who at the age of 54 is competing in his sixth consecutive Olympic Games, drew on all his experience in a nerve-jangling jump-off to help deliver Great Britain’s first showjumping gold medal in 60 years at a euphoric Greenwich Park on Monday.
Having produced a flawless display in the qualifying stages, Skelton, along with team-mates Scott Brash and Ben Maher, will go for gold once again in the individual showjumping competition, in what could be GB’s only realistic prospect of gold on day 12.
Since winning canoe sprint gold in Beijing, it has been an eventful four years for Britain’s canoe sprint champion Tim Brabants.
In that time he has gone back to his medical career for two years, returned to canoeing, come through a shoulder injury that nearly took him out of the sport, fought off young rival Paul Wycherley for the one place in the team, and now he lines up to defend his Olympic K1 1000m title at Eton Dorney.
At the Olympic Stadium, 10,000m champion Mo Farah returns to the scene of his magnificent triumph just days ago as he goes in the first round of the 5,000m, beginning his quest for a second gold medal of these Games.
The men’s decathlon also gets underway and the men’s 200m reaches the semi-final stages, featuring Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.
Britain’s Andy Turner and Lawrence will aim to make the men’s 110m hurdles final, and if they get through they will face strong competition from the likes of Cuba’s Dayron Robles and Aries Merritt.
Sadly for Team GB, Perri Shakes-Dreyton narrowly missed out on a place in the women’s 200m final, which takes place at 8.45pm.
One of the highlights of the evening’s athletics looks set to be the women’s 200m final, with American’s Sanya Richards-Ross the fastest in qualifying.
Off the Weymouth coast Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes will go in sailing’s 49er medal race, and in Greenwich Park the individual jumping final ought to include Nick Skelton at his sixth Olympics.
Following the conclusion of the track cycling inside the Velodrome yesterday, the BMX bikers take centre stage as they begin their competition with the qualifying stages. Britain’s Shanaze Reade is one of the favourites to claim the women’s title.
Leeds flyweight Nicola Adams has been the most successful of Britain’s trio as women’s boxing makes its Olympic debut. With a bronze medal guaranteed, she takes on Mary Kom, a five-time world champion and one of India’s sporting greats, for a place in the gold medal match.
Light-welterweight Tom Stalker is Britain’s other fighter in action on Wednesday. He is up against Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg of Mongolia (22:00), with at least a bronze guaranteed for the winner.
In Hockey, Great Britain’s women are through to the Olympic semi-finals for the first time since 1996, but they face a tough task against Argentina.
‘Las Leonas’ are ranked number two in the world and on a mission to finally win Olympic gold for hockey superstar Luciana Aymar. Argentina beat Britain 1-0 in the Champions Trophy final in Rosario earlier this year, so expect this one to be tight.
Horse Guards Parade will have an American flavour on Wednesday night when 2004 and 2008 Olympic champions Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor take on compatriots April Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the first beach volleyball final at the iconic venue.
Plus there is also plenty of action from other team sports, including basketball men’s quarter-finals, handball men’s quarter-finals, volleyball men’s quarter-finals, and water polo men’s quarter-finals.
Ensure you don’t miss another busy day of Olympics action, all live on the BBC. You can make your choice of Olympic viewing by pressing the Red Button on your digital remote, or by accessing the BBC’s Olympics channels or the BBC Sport website.
You can follow all the action from Day 12 at the London 2012 Olympic Games across the BBC. Details below:
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News round-up from the Games and beyond, plus a look ahead to today’s events.
9.00am-11.30am – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Mishal Husain Canoe Sprint & AthleticsCoverage of the opening sports on day 12 of the Games, featuring men’s canoe sprint and men’s athletics.
The first of the live action comes from Eton Dorney, in the final of the men’s K1 1,000m discipline at 9.38, where Britain’s Tim Brabants will be aiming to retain the title he won at the 2008 Games.
Then the focus moves to the Olympic Stadium, and the decathlon 100m from 10.10 and round one of the men’s 5,000m from 10.45, with Mo Farah involved for Team GB.
. 11.30am-1.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Matt Baker Athletics & EquestrianFurther coverage of the athletics at the Olympic Stadium, followed by the first stage of the individual show jumping final at Greenwich Park.
The athletics continues with Jonathan Edwards at 11.30 with the decathlon long jump, and the first round of the women’s 800m from 11.35.
Lynsey Sharp was a controversial choice for Britain in the 800m, and the 22-year-old will hope to justify the selectors’ decision and progress to tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Clare Balding presents the first phase of the show jumping at 12.25, with the top 20 riders moving through to this afternoon’s concluding second stage.
Coverage continues on BBC Two at 1.00pm (details below).
. 1.45pm-4.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Jake Humphrey, with Clare Balding Boxing & EquestrianThis afternoon’s coverage features the semi-finals of the three women’s boxing divisions, and the individual show jumping final.
The boxing at the ExCeL London provides the first action, as the women contest the semi-finals of the flyweight class from 1.45, lightweight division from 2.00 and middleweight category from 2.30.
Great Britain’s Nicola Adams will feature in the flyweight division, meaning she is guaranteed at least a bronze medal should she lose, whereas a victory will see her go on to box for gold or silver.
The concluding session of the show jumping comes from Greenwich Park from 2.45, as the leading 20 riders vie for the medals. Tim Stockdale and Ben Maher reached this stage four years ago, and Maher is in the British squad again, along with Nick Skelton, Peter Charles and Scott Brash.
. 4.00pm-6.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Sue Barker, with Helen Skelton BMX Cycling & BasketballAction from the second men’s basketball quarter-final, and the men’s and women’s BMX seeding runs.
Helen Skelton is at the BMX Track at the Olympic Park, which is the venue for the seeding runs in the men’s and women’s events, which will determine the rankings of the riders ahead of this week’s knockout stages, with Liam Phillips and Shanaze Reade representing Team GB.
The basketball tips off at 4.15 at the North Greenwich Arena, where France face Spain, plus action from across the Games, as some of the team sports continue to head towards a conclusion.
Coverage switches to BBC Two at 6.00pm (details below).
. 7.00pm-10.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Gary Lineker, with John Inverdale AthleticsThis evening’s athletics schedule at the Olympic Stadium, which includes the finals of the women’s 400m hurdles and men’s 110m hurdles.
Team GB entered three athletes in the men’s 110m hurdles – Andy Turner, Andrew Pozzi and Lawrence Clarke – and Turner, the 2010 European and Commonwealth champion, was expected to have the best chance of being involved in the final.
The full schedule features the men’s 110m hurdles semi-finals from 7.15 and final at 9.15, women’s 1500m semi-finals from 7.45, women’s long jump final from 8.05, men’s 200m semi-finals from 8.10, women’s 400m hurdles final at 8.45 and women’s 200m final at 9.00.
Coverage continues on BBC Two at 10.00pm (details below).
. 10.40pm-12.00am – OLYMPICS TONIGHT Presenter: Gabby LoganIn the company of star guests from the world of sport and beyond, Gabby Logan looks at the stories and personalities that have made the headlines on day 12.
. 12.10am-12.55am – OLYMPIC SPORTSDAY Presenter: Dan WalkerFinal round-up of the day’s events, with guests from the world’s of Olympic sport and sports journalism.
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Further coverage of the individual show jumping final at Greenwich Park. The second phase of the final takes place later this afternoon, and only the top 20 riders from this session will make the cut and be in contention for medals.
. 6.00pm-7.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Sue Barker, with Jake Humphrey Athletics, Handball, Water PoloLive sport continues across day 12 of the Games, including the decathlon high jump, and men’s handball and water polo quarter-finals.
The high jump at the Olympic Stadium is the fourth of the 10 disciplines to take place, and the men’s handball and water polo third quarter-finals take place at the Copper Box and the Water Polo Arena respectively.
. 10.00pm-10.40pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Gary Lineker BoxingCoverage of this evening’s boxing bouts at the ExCeL London, in the light welterweight and light heavyweight quarter-finals.
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BBC Three’s opening action on day 12 features three canoe sprint finals and the sailing 49er medal race.
Eton Dorney is the venue for the first live action in the canoe sprint discipline, with the finals of the 9.56 men’s C1 1,000m, 10.24 men’s K2 1,000m and 10.44 women’s K4 500m.
Water-based coverage of a different kind follows from 1.00 at the Weymouth and Portland National Academy, with the medal race in the 49er class.
This is the only open discipline of the sailing regatta, and Britain are represented by Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, who tasted world championship glory in 2007.
. 2.00pm-7.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Manish Bhasin Hockey, Basketball, Handball, Volleyball, Table TennisThis afternoon’s coverage from across a number of team sports, including the first women’s hockey semi-final (Push-back 3.30pm).
The Riverbank Arena hosts the fixture, as the Netherlands take on New Zealand for a place in Friday’s final.
Plus, action and updates on the quarter-finals of the men’s basketball from 2.00, and the final of the men’s table tennis from 5.00.
. 7.00pm-11.00pm – OLYMPICS 2012 Presenter: Jake Humphrey Hockey & Beach VolleyballCoverage featuring the bronze-medal match and final of the women’s beach volleyball, and the second women’s hockey semi-final.
The beach volleyball fixtures at Horse Guards Parade can be seen at 7.00 and 9.30 respectively, with the pairings aiming to succeed American duo Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor as champions.
The hockey begins at 8.00 at the Riverbank Arena, where Great Britain’s women play Argentina for a place in the semi finals.
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