Top Athletes: London 2012 Olympics Team GB
Team GB's Medal Hopes at London 2012
Any Olympics is very special for an athlete, but one in your home country is a once in a lifetime opportunity that many athletes never get to have. Team GB took home their best medal haul in a long, long time and there was huge focus on the British athletes. Here you can see who we thought would be Britain's medal hopefuls. Seehow well we did in our predictions.
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Athletics | Swimming | Cycling | Gymnastics | Sailing | Rowing | Tennis
Athletics
Jessica Ennis
Age: 25
Event: Heptathlon
Medal Hope: Gold
As the biggest favourite for a gold medal in the British team, there is a lot of pressure on Jessica Ennis's shoulders. However, as current world number 1 and world and European champion, she has the pedigree.
Dai Greene
Age: 25
Event: 400m hurdles
Medal Hope: Gold
After winning the European and Commonwealth titles in 2011, Dai Greene goes in to the Olympics as one of the favourites and most in form hurdlers, despite strong competition from USA.
Phillips Idowu
Age: 33
Event: Triple Jump
Medal Hope: Gold
After being hugely disappointed with the silver medal at Beijing, Idowu wants to make up for it in front of a home crowd. He has since won World and European titles, but faces stiff competition from a young French prodigy.
Mo Farah
Age: 28
Event: 5,000m and 10,000m
Medal Hope: Bronze
Mo Farah is undoubtedly Britain's best male distance runner in a long time. However, despite being European champion in both 5,000m and 10,000m, he will find it tough against the Ethiopians and Kenyans.
Alistair Brownlee
Age: 23
Event: Triathlon
Medal Hope: Gold
Undisputedly the best triathlete of the last four years, he has won 13 of the 17 races he has entered since the last Olympics. Improving all the time, not even injury could stop him last year.
Swimming & Diving
Rebecca Adlington
Age: 22
Event: 400m and 800m freestyle
Medal Hope: Gold (x2)
Rebecca Adlington came to the nation's attention in 2008 when she won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Despite some patchy form since then, she will be hoping to defend her two titles.
Tom Daley
Age: 17
Event: Diving, 10m platform
Medal Hope: Silver
A star since the age of 14, Daley has been one of the poster boys for London 2012. However, he has had a difficult last 3 years with a loss of form, injuries and the death of his father, so a medal will be a big ask.
Fran Halsall
Age: 21
Event: 100m Freestyle
Medal Hope: Gold
After sweeping away all before her in 2010 and 2011, winning numerous medals at the world and commonwealth championships in the process, Halsall is number 2 in the world and a favourite for London 2012.
Gemma Spofforth
Age: 24
Event: 100m and 200m backstroke
Medal Hope: Silver
As part of a brilliant British swimming team, Gemma Spofforth can often be overlooked. However, in 2009 she won the 100m backstroke world championship, breaking the world record in the process.
Cycling
Chris Hoy
Age: 35
Event: Keirin and Individual Sprint
Medal Hope: Gold
After his three gold medals in Beijing, Hoy became Scotland's most successful Olympian, the first Briton to win three gold medals in a single Games since 1908, and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time. Nothing more needs to be said.
Mark Cavendish
Age: 26
Event: Road Race
Medal Hope: Gold
After a record breaking Tour de France, Mark Cavendish proved that he is the fastest road sprinter in cycling. He is hoping to win the first British medal of the Games.
Victoria Pendleton
Age: 30
Event: Match Sprint and Keirin
Medal Hope: Gold (x2)
Victoria Pendleton plays a key role in the all-conquering British cycling team. With nine world titles and an Olympic gold from Beijing, she will be going for nothing less than gold at London 2012.
Shanaze Reade
Age: 22
Event: BMX
Medal Hope: Gold
At the tender age of 18 Shanaze Reade was just one corner away from taking the silver medal at the last Olympics. However, after a spectacular crash left her with nothing, she is hoping for redemption in 2012.
Gymnastics
Beth Tweddle
Age: 26
Event: Uneven Bars and Floor
Medal Hope: Bronze
Though reaching the end of her career, Beth Tweddle will be hoping to go out in style. She has been superb on the Floor in the last few years and despite tough competition she will certainly be challenging for a medal.
Louis Smith
Age: 22
Event: Pommel Horse
Medal Hope: Silver
After becoming the first British gymnast to win an Olympic medal in 100 years at the last Olympics, Smith has gone from strength to strength. In 2012, he will be hoping to improve on his bronze from Beijing.
Daniel Keatings
Age: 22
Event: Pommel Horse and All round
Medal Hope: Silver
As part of an up and coming British gymnastics team, Daniel Keatings won silver in the all round competition at the world championships in 2009 and will be hoping to go one better at London 2012.
Sailing
Ben Ainslie
Age: 34
Event: Finn Class
Medal Hope: Gold
A true Olympic legend, Ainslie has won gold at each of the last three Olympics. Already the most successful British sailor of all time he will be hoping for an historic fourth gold in front of a home crowd.
Iain Percy & Andrew Simpson
Ages: Both 35
Event: Star Class
Medal Hope: Gold
One of Britain's strongest gold medal chances for London 2012, the pair won the World Championships at the beginning of the year despite having barely sailed together for two years.
Rowing
Zac Purchase & Mark Hunter
Ages: 25 & 33
Event: Lightweight Men's Double Scull
Medal Hope: Gold
After winning gold in Beijing, the pair both took a full year off from the sport. Despite that, they still managed to win the World Cup regatta, and will certainly be challenging in 2012.
Katherine Grainger & Anna Watkins
Ages: 36 & 28
Event: Women's Double Scull
Medal Hope: Gold
After destroying all comers this year, they are firm favourites for the title at London 2012. Supreme individually, they are even better as a team and could well win Britain's first ever women's Olympic rowing gold.
Tennis
Andy Murray
Age: 24
Event: Tennis Singles
Medal Hope: Gold
As one of the top four tennis players in the world, Murray has reached Grand Slam finals three times. Still yet to win one, he is strongest on grass, and in front of a home crowd at Wimbledon, he'll be hard to beat.
