LONDON 2012 GAMES ZONE 99 days to go
DOUGLAS FIGHTS FOR HIS RIGHT TO COX GB EIGHT
BRITAIN’S rowing squad are facing a protracted dispute over the cox’s position in the Eight boat, which is being tipped for gold at the Olympics. Rowley Douglas, who coxed the Eight to victory in the Sydney 2000 Games, has warned GB rowing chiefs that he is considering making an official appeal about the recent decision to pick Phelan Hill ahead of him for the crucial seat in the forthcoming World Cups leading into London 2012. Under the organisation’s rules, that could lead to a quasi-legal process which would oblige head coach Jurgen Grobler to re-trial him for a specified period at a time when the crew are building up to their most crucial racing in four years. Douglas (right) is within his rights to appeal to the governing body’s executive committee about the choice of Hill to cox the boat at next month’s World Cup in Belgrade, where GB intend to field their Olympic line-ups. The dispute process could take several weeks. ‘At the moment no appeal has been formally lodged but Rowley has had discussions with me about his position,’ admitted performance director David Tanner in Varese, northern Italy, where the whole squad have assembled for a training camp. ‘He was assessed at Caversham and that process came to a conclusion. Phelan has done a good job over the past two years and he is our preferred cox.’ Hill, who has taken a break from his job as a Treasury adviser to George Osborne, has been in pole position in the lead-up to the Games but had to see off competition from Beijing silver medallist Acer Nethercott and Douglas. While Nethercott has withdrawn from the contest, Douglas, 35, has been determined to compete at his home Games since coming out of retirement in 2010. Earlier this year he said: ‘Nobody is going to roll out the red carpet for me so I’m having to scrap and fight but I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ The British team confirmed their final selections for the Men’s Four and Eight yesterday, with Olympic champion Tom James going into the quartet and Alex Partridge settling for a place in the Eight.
BOLT: I’LL BE A LEGEND
USAIN BOLT aims to ‘amaze’ the world at London 2012 by running 9.4sec for the 100m and 19sec for the 200m to become a ‘living legend’. Jamaican Bolt, 25, is the Olympic champion and world-record holder over both distances, with times of 9.58 and 19.19. Talking on BBC1’S 100 Days to go, Bolt (left) said: ‘They want to see my personality, me enjoying it and doing crazy stuff, but they also want to see that time. If I dominate the Olympics, I’ll be a living legend. A living legend walking around. Sounds good.’
FLOWER POWER
LONDON 2012 yesterday marked 100 days to the start of the Olympics by launching the slogan for the Games: Inspire a generation. An event at Kew Gardens in London also saw the unveiling of giant Olympic rings created by flowers which will be visible from flights using Heathrow.
GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS?
GREAT BRITAIN’S men’s hockey players can choose how they find out whether they are in the Olympic squad. A group of 27 will be cut to 16 by coach Jason Lee (right) in June and all have the chance to be told by text, phone, email, or face to face. The squad of 28 women have decided to be informed via email. Both GB sides are strong medal contenders.