The Year of the Gold At the 2008 Summer Games, the competition gets fiercer every day. With countless athletes competing in more than 32 events in Beijing this summer, you may not know what to watch first. From seasoned pros looking to break records to new names preparing to shake up the veterans, one thing is definite: the agenda is packed with phenomenal athletes who are sure to provide some memorable moments. Here is a rundown of contenders with some of the greatest potential for what will be some of the most talked about performances of the summer. So set your Tivo. You won’t want to miss a minute. Cycling The One to Beat on the Track: Recently picking up the title of 2007 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year, Victoria Pendleton of Great Britain can add this to an already lengthy list of monikers, which includes queen of the track and gold medal winner in the team and individual sprints thanks to last year’s World Championships. After a disastrous performance at the 2004 Olympics, with her slowest finishing time ever, Victoria considered retirement but came back with a vengeance this year to sweep the sport, and she’s hungry for gold this summer. With only one event available to women in this category, all eyes will be on Victoria as she mounts her throne for the event. The One to Keep an Eye On in BMX: With a second-place finish at the Union Cycliste Internationale (the governing body of international BMX racing) Supercross competition at the Laoshan Olympic course last summer, Sarah Walker of New Zealand will ensure that the inauguration of BMX will not go unnoticed. Currently ranked number three in the world, Sarah is the Oceania champion and has proved she is not afraid to stand her ground. “I hope to make it to the podium and would really love to get the gold medal,” she says, “but BMX is pretty unpredictable. It has a little added difficulty as it is a contact sport, so your performance isn’t entirely up to you.” Sarah will take on some of the biggest names in BMX in what is sure to prove to be a fast-and-dirty turn to the formerly pristine world of Olympic cycling. The One to Keep an Eye on On the Road: Poised for greatness simply in name, Kristin Armstrong is not, in fact, related to Lance, but her cycling skills may make you think twice. A budding triathlete, this future Olympian discovered at the ripe age of 28 that she had osteoarthritis in her hips and could no longer run. Fortunately, she quickly realized she had another talent: road biking. Within two years of her switch, she was cycling professionally and won herself a national championship title. With a respectable eighth-place finish in Athens, Kristin knew she was on to something. Since Athens she has continued to climb the ladder to take a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships and finally a gold in 2006. This born athlete has proved that you only get better with age and experience, and she is sure to not let down the fans in Beijing. The 2008 Olympics will inaugurate BMX into its lineup for the very first time. Though some expect downhill to be the focus, the BMX event will actually involve a flat course with jumps, bumps, and obstacles. The event will be scored as a race as opposed to a freestyle format used in sports like gymnastics. “The addition of BMX to the Olympic Games is expected to have a profound effect on the awareness of the sport and of cycling in general,” says Andy Lee of USA Cycling. “The games provide an opportunity to showcase the sport’s unique athletes and personalities.” Swimming The One to Beat: After a standout performance in the 2004 European nationals, 21-year-old Laure Manaudou—known as L’or Manaudou (L’or meaning “gold”)—quickly became a household name in France. Not only did she take three medals in Athens in 2004 and another four in the 2007 World Championships but she also broke an 18-year-old world record for the 400-meter freestyle. No stranger to the feeling of gold in her name and around her neck, Laure will be the one to watch in the individual freestyle events. The One to Keep an Eye On: In place to be declared the next swimming great, 19-year-old Kate Ziegler of the United States broke famous athlete Janet Evans’s longest-standing world record in swimming history when she set a new record for the 1,500-meter freestyle last June. Although swimming records are usually broken by mere tenths of a second, Kate sent it shattering to smithereens when she broke it by 10 whole seconds. She won the event again in the 2007 World Championships, which set her up to take a stand in Beijing. Though the 1,500 meter is not an Olympic event, Kate’s outstanding performance here has paved the way for her to excel in a race of similar discipline: the 800 meter. The One with the Comeback up Her Sleeve: Forty-one-year-old Dara Torres swam in her first U.S. Nationals swim meet at the ripe age of 14. Twenty-five years, one baby, one Olympic comeback, and nine medals later, she is back for more. Initially hoping to make the U.S. 4 x 100 freestyle relay team, Dara had such an amazing performance at last summer’s national competition with a first-place win in the 100-meter free that she now may be looking at more than one Olympic event on her dance card this summer. “Dara is a very talented swimmer with great technique,” says Mark Schubert, USA Swimming National Team head coach and general manager. “She has great medal possibility in the 50 free.” Competing against girls born after she had already competed in her first Olympic Games, Dara is out to show the pool that you only get better with age. A 10-kilometer open-water race will come to Beijing for its first Olympic appearance, where athletes will battle currents and variable temperatures. The event will have a mass start and could take competitors up to two hours to complete, depending on conditions. Triathlon The One to Beat: It seems that Australian Emma Snowsill hasn’t met a sport she didn’t like. Racing triathlon since the age of 16, the now 26-year-old quickly became a world champion and World Cup champion in 2003. Despite her World Championship title, Emma was controversially left off Australia’s 2004 Olympic team roster. She has been training hard ever since to earn the Olympic spot she knew she always deserved. With a reputation for pushing her pain threshold for the sake of training, Emma knows no bounds for what she is capable of, and she is expected to go head-to-head with Portugal’s top racer Vanessa Fernandes in a heated race for the top podium place this summer. The One to Beat: Winning her first-ever triathlon World Championship title in Germany in September 2007, 22-year-old Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal beat out former two-time champion and favored athlete Emma Snowsill. Fernandes has four consecutive European titles and 12 consecutive World Cup wins, with 19 World Cup wins in all. Though Vanessa is strong in all legs of the race, she is known for her strength in the third leg—the run—where she frequently gives that final push to leave her competition in the dust. Look for Vanessa this summer as she battles Emma and transitions from athlete to Olympian. The One to Keep an Eye On: The third time is the charm for 32-year-old U.S. triathlete Laura Bennett. After being a second alternate at the 2000 Olympic Games and then a first alternate in the 2004 Olympic Games, Laura was the first American woman to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games, with a third-place finish in the 2007 World Cup in Beijing. Daughter of a marathoner and wife of a top Australian triathlete, Laura is a born athlete. Currently ranked number one in the United States, she now awaits word of who her five American teammates will be as they make a run for the podium. The United States so far has had only one Olympic medal in triathlon, so Laura and the U.S. triathlon team will be working hard to bring home another. Last year’s World Cup took place in September and served as an Olympic qualifying event for many contenders. It occurred on the same route as the Olympic race, making the athletes no strangers to the course and leaving room for fast, smooth transitions on familiar terrain. Beach Volleyball The One to Beat: The two-woman team of Misty May-Treanor, 30, and Kerri Walsh, 29, dominated the 2004 Olympics with a 7−0 cruise to the gold medal. Aside from setting out to break an Olympic record—no team has ever hung on to the gold for two Olympics in a row—the fearsome queens of the court also have the potential to break a slew of other records, including most career wins and most gold medals in the sport. Since the 2004 Olympics, Misty and Kerri earned themselves 50 straight match victories over the next year. They were ranked the number one team of the Association of Volleyball Professionals four years in a row and are easily still the undisputed best female beach volleyball players in the world. “The Olympics brings out the very best in every competitor and we have to always be playing our best whenever we step out onto the court,” says Misty. “We are not guaranteed a medal but we are aiming for the top.” One thing is certain: their presence will be heating up the sand in Beijing. The One to Keep an Eye On: As all Chinese teams attempt to kick it up a notch to be a notable presence on their home turf, no sport has felt the rise quite like beach volleyball. Though beach volleyball in China is still in its infancy, the dynamic duo of 27-year-old Jia Tian and 22-year-old Jie Wang won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships right behind Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. After the two athletes struggled eardlier to keep their careers going and considered retiring, they were introduced to one another in 2006 and have been on the rise ever since. Canoe and Kayak The One to Beat: Currently ranked number two in the world for K1 whitewater slalom, Jana Dukatova represents her nation of Slovakia with the power and the precision it demands. Though she finished in first place for the gold medal at the China Open last summer (a competition that helped test the manmade whitewater course), Jana says she was still unhappy with her performance. After a strong showing in the canoe and kayak categories by the Slovakian team in Athens, the sport has gained popularity among its citizens, and the competition for Jana is almost as fierce at home as it will be this summer in Beijing. The One to Keep an Eye On: Carrie Johnson may be the one big hope for the United States to take a medal in the flat-water competitions. The United States has not come home with bling in these events since 1992, but that could change if this 22-year-old Olympic veteran has anything to say about it. Carrie narrowly missed the Olympic finals in 2004 in both K1 and K4 races, but the experience she picked up should come in handy. “Carrie’s potential is huge,” says Olympic high-performance director for USA Canoe and Kayak, Chris Hipgrave. “She shared the podium with the Germans and the Hungarians at the Beijing test event, so she has a real shot at medaling. We have a great deal of confidence that Carrie will do very well in Beijing.” Her fifth-place finish at the Flat-water Racing World Championships last summer in the K1 500-meter race assured her a lead spot on the U.S. team and put her in position to make U.S. history. (read more about Carrie on the US Olympic Team website: http://www.usoc.org/11789_39518.htm) Track and Field (aka Athletics) The One to Beat: Twenty-four-year-old Meseret Defar of Ethiopia currently holds the prestigious title of World Athlete of the Year by the International Association of Athletics Federations. In her signature event, the 5,000 meter, Meseret won the gold medal in 2004 in Athens, a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships, and the gold medal in the 2007 World Championships. At the start of 2008, she shattered the world record for the women’s 2-mile race, with a time of 9:10:50, clearly showing that she is starting the season early, trained, and ready to take on the world. Literally. Meseret will be competing in the 5,000 meter this summer, and if her reputation succeeds her, she’ll be finishing it fast. The One to Keep an Eye On: American Allyson Felix was only 18 years old when she claimed the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in the 200 meter. She has since won two world titles and three national titles, proving that she has graduated from team sweetheart to team leader. Allyson has swept three World Championship gold medals in 2007 for the 200, 4 x 100, and 4 x 400 and has won the title of the United States’ Athlete of the Year for 2007. Watch for Allyson, now at a seasoned 22 years of age, this summer in her specialty event—the 200 meter—as well as possibly an anchor leg in both women’s relay events. Diving The One to Beat: From a country that has always shown dominance in diving, 26-year-old Guo Jingjing does not expect to let her country’s reputation falter this summer. After double gold medals in Athens in both the synchronized and individual 3-meter springboard, there was rumor that younger Chinese athletes might push Guo out of the running for this year’s Olympics. After a first-place win at the 2007 World Championships, however, Guo proved she is still on top and plans to represent her country well as she sets out to add to her medal collection and go out with a bang before she retires after the Summer Games.
The One with the Comeback up Her Sleeve: At the age of 30, American diver Laura Wilkinson will be heading up against athletes only half her age. But in Laura’s case, she is using her experience to her advantage. Laura won the gold medal in Sydney in 2000 to gain the first U.S. diving medal since 1977. After a fifth-place finish in Athens four years later, she knew she still had more to accomplish in her diving career. She is using her talent and experience to perform what is known as one of the most difficult dives in the world. Keep an eye on Laura on both the springboard and the platform as she attempts to make Olympic history with her backward 3.5 somersault pike. Watch a montage of Laura competing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYdLNQnIkcQ)
|
The Best of Both Adventures - Trips designed just for you. Women's Adventure Magazine readers get 10% off any trip package booked by July 2008.