0:00:02 > 0:00:04'Here comes Kelly Holmes, the crowd are on their feet!'
0:00:04 > 0:00:06'Good footwork, but again, what a start!'
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'Denise Lewis, Olympic champion!'
0:00:09 > 0:00:12'And Rebecca Adlington is bringing it home to Britain!'
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'Great Britain get the gold medal!'
0:00:27 > 0:00:28'Yes, yes, yes!'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'Kelly Holmes for Great Britain, what performance!'
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'James DeGale is the Olympic champion!'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36'You are absolutely brilliant!'
0:00:36 > 0:00:38'Great Britain till it's gold!'
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Proud, driven and the ultimate goal.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an athlete and for a spectator.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05We've got a great chance of getting gold, probably the best chance of getting gold
0:01:05 > 0:01:07that we've ever had in the road race.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Er, I'm very excited, is that OK?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I want to be able to look back in 10 years' time,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20if I don't get the medal I want to look back and, sort of, say,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"I tried", rather than wish I'd tried.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27It has been an incredible 12 months for Britain's prospective Olympians.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Some have already secured a spot at the games,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33a few coming serious medal contenders,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37others are still in the battle to book a place at London 2012.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39We're in the Olympic velodrome,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43so let's kick off our look back at a year of British Olympic dreams,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47with one of the cycling stars of the Beijing games, Bradley Wiggins.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'm enjoying cycling more than ever now.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I've really found a happy balance of the outside of it and cycling,
0:02:00 > 0:02:01and I don't see any reason to stop.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03I always thought I wanted to stop at 2012
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and I'd be burnt out and walk away from cycling,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09but I'm just loving it at the moment, I want to continue as long as possible.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Bradley Wiggins is back on track for 2012.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22After two years on the road in Tour de France,
0:02:22 > 0:02:27the man who won two gold medals in Beijing's velodrome has returned.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30He's preparing to defend Britain's Olympic team pursuit title
0:02:30 > 0:02:33on the track at the London Olympics.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Four years was a long time to stick around the track to the next Olympics
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and I thought, "Well, it's now or never to, maybe,
0:02:40 > 0:02:41"try and to something on the road
0:02:41 > 0:02:46"and venture off into the likes of Tour de France and leave the track behind
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and concentrate on that, and try and lose a bit of weight, and try and improve climbing."
0:02:49 > 0:02:51And actually coming back here now,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54I feel a lot stronger having done the Tour de France.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Can you imagine Contador coming down the track
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and doing 12, eight standing starts
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and just jumping in at a team pursuit
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and being the strongest rider after two years on the road?
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Brad can do it, that, kind of, makes him very, very unique,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08there's nobody else who can do that.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36His teammates know Wiggins is something special on the track,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39but there are up to 10 other cyclists
0:03:39 > 0:03:42battling to get into Britain's world beating team pursuit line-up,
0:03:42 > 0:03:47so he has to keep up appearances to ensure he keeps his place.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Luckily for Wiggins,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52he finds this almost relaxing compared to road cycling.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57The road is so stressful at times, with everything that goes and associates with the road
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and this is fantastic, such a positive atmosphere.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Just being able to ride in front of that many people,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05not a word of doping and questions about Contador or Armstrong
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and it's just fantastic and back to the day job tomorrow.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It's been a real good laugh with the boys.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18But Wiggins has become a father of two
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and family off the track is now as important to his success.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I was, kind of, thrown into fatherhood, really, at 23
0:04:24 > 0:04:30and that was...like a changing point for myself and me wife, really,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and we threw ourselves into it and, perhaps, to start with,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36at the sacrifice of my cycling,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39but as they got older I started to become more, kind of,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43conscious that, you know, what I was doing as a trade and my job,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and that's when I really concentrated on it, knuckled down.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43If I could have pushed the delete button on so many occasions,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46in memory sense, of what you've achieved in the past,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48stop thinking of the past and dwelling on what you've achieved.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51You know, like this today,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53if you could just forget about it and move onto the next thing,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I think that's just such a great way to sum it up, really.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You know, never dwelling on the past and your victories and that.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02You're only as good as your last race and it's always about looking forward
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and just keep on achieving, you never stop achieving.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Away from the velodrome, Wiggins celebrated world time trial silver,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15but it was Mark Cavendish who is king of the road in 2011.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17You know, I'd like to leave a legacy in this sport,
0:06:17 > 0:06:18it's a sport I grew up loving.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21'The mighty express, Mark Cavendish on the left...'
0:06:21 > 0:06:25A Tour de France green jersey and world road race title
0:06:25 > 0:06:28among his accolades as Britain racked up the medals on two wheels.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33In triathlon, sibling rivalry helped push the Brownlee brothers to ever greater heights.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37We're the two lads who can hardly play Monopoly without throwing the board at each other.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I've got a feeling we probably race!
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Big Brother world champion again, Jonny, hot on his heels.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Helen Jenkins topped the tree too, in a clean sweep for Great Britain.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Mixed doubles pair Adcock and Bankier were surprise silver medallists at the World Championships,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55but another badminton star was Piggy French,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58second in the prestigious three-day event.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Meanwhile, our dressage riders set out their stall
0:07:02 > 0:07:04with European team gold
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and there was hockey bronze for Britain.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08There were ups...
0:07:09 > 0:07:13..and downs so Britain's gymnasts at the World Championships.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Lewis Smith reached the podium,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17but the men's team failed to match the women's squad
0:07:17 > 0:07:20in tying down a qualification for the games.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The last chance for the lads is at January's test date.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27And amongst the British medal success at the Taekwondo world championships,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31one truly heartbreaking story emerged above all others.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Nick Hope joins Sarah Stevenson in Korea.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44This has been, like, the worst year of my life.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48My mum got ill in January, she got diagnosed with cancer,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50like, really tough one for her
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and not only that, like,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55I found out that my dad's also got a brain tumour as well.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58So, both my parents have got cancer.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02It's been a hard decision to even be here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I think it was lovely that my family actually made that choice for me
0:08:05 > 0:08:06and said, you need to go
0:08:06 > 0:08:10because your parents want you to be there and they want you to fight.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I found it hard to focus in the morning
0:08:15 > 0:08:18cos I was worried about not hearing from my mum and dad
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and thinking about how they were.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24I called home, as well, and my mum cried when she heard my voice.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28At first I thought there was something wrong, but she just...
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Hearing my voice made her cry, which was really nice,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35so I'm going to have to sort myself out today and try and cheer up.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Let me show you what I can't have and it's like torture.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Sarah can't eat yet!
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Look, mum, look, I've still got point seven!
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And this is what I have to see every time I come to breakfast.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Winning a medal at the World
0:08:52 > 0:08:55will make it a little bit easier, I think,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58you know, it'll be, it'll bring a smile to my face and all my family's faces,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00so I'm doing it for them really.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Because I've just been holding everything in,
0:09:09 > 0:09:14I knew when I finished I'd just cry, so, I'm allowed to now, so I'm really glad.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The last few months have been so tough, you know, I think, erm,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20for the whole family and, you know, I'm emotional myself here...
0:09:20 > 0:09:22He didn't cry on our wedding this much!
0:09:25 > 0:09:29'In first place for Britain, Sarah Diana Stevenson.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It was pretty much back to reality the day after
0:09:34 > 0:09:38because all I wanted to do the day after I fought was go home and just be with them.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Get my dad up, give him his tablets, make his breakfast,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43tick off which tablets he's had,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45see who's taking him to the hospital.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It's like, new world champion, but...
0:09:55 > 0:09:59My dad was just, like, so strong and everyone loved him.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Every single photo that you see of my dad, he's always smiling,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07like, such a big smile he had.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And my mum, she became an angel really.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12My angel on earth and now she's my angel in heaven, so...
0:10:12 > 0:10:15they're back together now, so that's something to...
0:10:15 > 0:10:17to take a positive from I think.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21I was going to World to fight a few girls
0:10:21 > 0:10:26and they were suffering from a horrendous disease that,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30you know, in the end they couldn't win their battle with it
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and I think, "Well, what have we all got to complain about?"
0:10:33 > 0:10:35And that's what kept me going
0:10:35 > 0:10:37because there's no point in me sitting here thinking,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39"Oh, I can't do this, I can't fight, what if I lose?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42"What if, you know, I don't fight very good?",
0:10:42 > 0:10:44it's like, "So what? I ain't got cancer, have I?"
0:10:54 > 0:10:55I'm very proud to be a woman,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59I'm very proud to represent this for all the women out there
0:10:59 > 0:11:03that have achieved so much this year in their sport.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06When my mum got diagnosed and she said, you know,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08"I want you to go to the Olympics,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11"I want you to do it for me and to do it for me and your dad."
0:11:12 > 0:11:15A gold would be perfect, after I finish my job,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19you know, at the Olympics, then I'll relax and let go
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and, yes, hopefully have some peace then, yeah.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38A cracking year for Britain's athletes
0:11:38 > 0:11:40began with a golden team display at the European indoors
0:11:40 > 0:11:43before Mo Farah showed us the true benefits
0:11:43 > 0:11:46of his new training camp in the USA.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Mo has just got two miles of really hard running left,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but at this pace he's going to smash the British record,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54and I mean smash it.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56COME ON, MO!
0:11:57 > 0:11:59He went on to claim world gold
0:11:59 > 0:12:02in a season packed with success for some relative newcomers
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and the return of some familiar faces,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08with heptathlon star attraction Jessica Ennis
0:12:08 > 0:12:12turning Sheffield steel into world silver.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Sorry, it's the lens, I can't quite see...
0:12:37 > 0:12:40What's the best thing about being Jess Ennis?
0:12:40 > 0:12:45The best thing in my life would be, obviously athletics,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47wedding on the horizon and just the people around me,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49great friends and family.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57'Over time I've learned that I do have to give her orders.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00'"Do this, do this," keep the message succinct
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'cos that's how it's best received.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- That is so typical of you!- What?!
0:13:08 > 0:13:09We're working on something there
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- and you moan about something there. - That's the last thing I feel.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Yeah, it is, think about the first.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- It ain't all about how... - Yeah, I said that bit was all right.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18It's not where you finish, it's where you start.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20How much, you know, at the start of each week,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23does Tony, your coach, give you a shout on Sunday evening and say,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25"Right, this is the plan for the week ahead,"
0:13:25 > 0:13:27or do you just turn up and he unveils the horror?
0:13:27 > 0:13:31I need to know exactly what I am doing every day,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34you know, weeks in advance so I can just get it right in my head
0:13:34 > 0:13:38and I have to know what session I'm doing on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40If I just rocked down to the track and didn't know what I was doing
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and then he just surprised me with a session,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I'd, yeah, there'd be outroar! I'd absolutely hate it!
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Yeah, wait though, hold that a second and then go.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Not a second, even, it's 100th of a second.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Sometimes she needs a bit more convincing, as does anybody,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00"Where have you got that from? What's that about? What's that going to do for me?" so on and so forth.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Which you come to understand, when she was 11...
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and you got this guy, six foot tall,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09it's just fear, so you do what you're told, so you're pretty much teaching.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12You get a bit older, you're coaching. Now, in fairness,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16she's Jessica Ennis, businesswoman, world champion type of thing.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21I used to be able to bully her, I can't any more. I am now the bullied!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23There must be a real bond of trust between the two of you?
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Yeah, I think there has to be a lot of trust between an athlete and a coach
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and just because Tony's coached me for so long
0:14:30 > 0:14:32and every year, year upon year, I've improved
0:14:32 > 0:14:36and, you know, the programme that he's put together has obviously worked really well,
0:14:36 > 0:14:37so I've got a lot of trust
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and, you know, I'm just happy, as long as I've got a programme,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42you know, I've got complete trust in the programme
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and I know that if I follow that and I can train hard then I'll improve.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47What was it like when you first met each other?
0:14:47 > 0:14:51I guess you were part of a big training group then, were you?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Groups change so much over the years, and when I started,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58I was obviously one of the youngest, and there were older girls there,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and people moved on and stopped training and doing athletics.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04So, yes, it changed a lot over the years,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06but I am the last one standing!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So I think I deserve a medal for that!
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Come on, girl! Come on, come on!
0:15:13 > 0:15:15'It doesn't spur me on.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'It just makes me angry because I just think, why am I doing this?
0:15:18 > 0:15:22'They're blowing a whistle.'
0:15:22 > 0:15:25To someone who has never done a session like that, try and describe the pain.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29The pain is indescribable.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33It builds up in your legs, the lactic acid.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And your arms are tired, you are out of breath,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and your body just deals like it is going to collapse. It's a horrible feeling.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44You cannot get your breath back quick enough before the next run.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46And then you are building up more and more lactic up on each run.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48So by the end of it, you are just dying.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51One more, one more, one more.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52- I can't.- You can!
0:15:52 > 0:15:56So when you go to the major championships, and you might be feeling anxious,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59you can think back to a session and think, I've got that in the bank?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Yes, I always think that.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I think before an 800 metres at a Championships, I'm always
0:16:04 > 0:16:07really anxious and really nervous, and that is one thing that I do
0:16:07 > 0:16:12tell myself is that I have done all these running sessions in horrible conditions,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15but I know that I have done all those sessions,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19so I should be able to cope with two laps of the track at the end of heptathlon.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22I invite the athletes of the world to
0:16:22 > 0:16:26participate in the games of the 30th Olympiad in London one year from today.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Good luck, London!
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Summer also marked one year to go to the Games
0:16:35 > 0:16:38with a series of exciting test events being staged across the country
0:16:38 > 0:16:40as the venues gradually took shape.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44We were given an access-all-areas pass.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Welcome inside a very colourful handball arena.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51- The British Olympic ball. - Dorney Lake, Eton.
0:16:51 > 0:16:572,000 metres of lung-bursting effort every race for GB's rowers.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00This is our first glimpse inside the new basketball arena.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It is about time I welcomed you to the canoe slalom course
0:17:03 > 0:17:06here at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08The Serpentine here in Hyde Park
0:17:08 > 0:17:11will be the venue for the open water swimming events.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14One person who will definitely be there is Keri-Anne Payne.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17She became the first GB athlete to qualify for the games
0:17:17 > 0:17:20after her success in the 10 kilometre event in Shanghai.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24In the pool, Liam Tancock, Ellen Gandy
0:17:24 > 0:17:26and Hannah Miley all reached the podium.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29But the story of the championships was Rebecca Adlington,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33who rediscovered the sort of form that made her a reluctant star in Beijing.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It's just bizarre. It's just like, why do people want to talk to me?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I just couldn't understand it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I just couldn't get my head round the whole interview
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and photos and people wanting my attention.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Becky, do this. Becky do that.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04And I'm like, why are people interested in talking about me?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07I'm just from Mansfield, why are people talking to me?
0:18:07 > 0:18:08I was just so baffled.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Adlington coped with the attention which followed her Olympic achievements as best she could.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16But Becky could not repeat the brilliance of Beijing in Budapest,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21finishing seventh in the 800 metres at the 2010 European Championships.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- You've got bigger things to come. - So disappointing.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28You trained so hard...
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'Even if I have a really tough meat like the Europeans last year,'
0:18:31 > 0:18:35I got so many nice messages that it just picked me up.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40If you look at Rebecca, she is Britain's most successful ever swimmer,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42and one of the most successful ever female athletes.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44And yet people say, well,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48she has not quite won this medal or she has not quite won that medal.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53If you look at that in context over a five-year career at the top so far,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58this is just an unbelievably high achievement and consistency.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09I remember we were just on holiday with the family,
0:19:09 > 0:19:10and I have got two older sisters.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12My older sister is five years older than me,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15so she could swim pretty well by the time I was younger,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20and I can just remember hating being the baby because I want to do what they want to do,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and I remember being on holiday,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25my mum was blowing my armbands up, and my sisters were in the pool,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27and I ran and jumped in the pool without my armbands.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29And everyone just stopped,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and I came back up and started swimming and carried on.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Everyone was like, "Oh, my God! she'd obviously doesn't need the armbands!"
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Let's stretch this freestyle out a bit more, everybody. Don't get sloppy.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45'I started coaching Rebecca at 12.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49'First impression really is someone who was totally focused,'
0:19:49 > 0:19:52totally dedicated.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Somebody who knew that they were prepared to pay the price, even from a young age.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00She wanted to be good, and she was prepared to do anything to be good.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Bill is... We have such a good relationship.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07We don't say many things to each other. We are quite like... All right, Bill? Yep.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10We can just read each other so well, which is what is so good about it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13He knows I'm tired. I don't have to go up and tell him.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16He knows when I'm happy, when I'm sad. He can read that straight away.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19That's so sweet!
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I was never that big.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I was always big. I swear I was born this big.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Family life is important to Becky.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Her sister Chloe runs a bridal business.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Clothes provide a refreshing change to chlorine.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I value her support massively, along with all of my family.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37She's very honest, so it is nice to have Becky involved,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39because she'll always tell me what she thinks,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and give me the right opinion.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It is lovely to have her support,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and be able to work together on things.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48The support is just amazing that I get from my family.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And I give it to them as well.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I can go over to my sister's and she cooks for me some nights a week,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57so I can go straight over to hers and the food is on the table.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Amazing! I didn't, honest to God, think I was going to win
0:21:02 > 0:21:07going into the Worlds, and I just wanted to go and race well.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Rebecca Adlington, world champion of the women's 800 metres freestyle.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13What a superb swim that was!
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I was more relieved than anything else after my race.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I just went, oh! and then the joy came. Yay!
0:21:19 > 0:21:23It was nice to get back and see where the rest of the world were at,
0:21:23 > 0:21:29and get an understanding of a year to go, how everyone is looking.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33A new world record for Thorpe. Absolutely amazing.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I'm Ian Thorpe. I'm five-time Olympic gold medallist.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41I think people here can be excited about what's going to happen with the British swim team.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45You've got some really talented swimmers, especially amongst the girls.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47It is going to be Adlington. What an amazing swim.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Becky Adlington, Fran Halsall.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Is Fran Halsall going to be European champion? She is!
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Also Hannah Miley. This is a time that we can really look that there can be some great results,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03but they also have the added pressure that this is a home Olympics, and the expectations that come with it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Hopefully they do well, but not as well as the Aussies!
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The Thorpedo became our new best friend in 2011, inviting us
0:22:11 > 0:22:15on an exclusive trip to his secret Swiss training camp
0:22:15 > 0:22:17as he returned from retirement to competition.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22The chances are I am going to fail at this, and I have become comfortable with that.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28The new diving combination of team star Tom Daley and veteran Pete Waterfield clicked straight away.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35But it was on the water where Britain enjoyed strongest returns in 2011.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38And Matt Langridge hits the water.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40It is going to be a photo finish!
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Executed with such class.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Great Britain will have it on the line.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Yeah!
0:22:47 > 0:22:51The first names on the Team GB squad list for 2012 went to sailing,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53with Ben Ainslie the star of the show.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Well, that is until he tangled with a TV crew at the World Championships,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00ruling him out of the list of successful Brits.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Another Beijing gold medallist, Dr Tim Brabants,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07has much to do to resuscitate his Olympic campaign,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12as he slipped behind rival and cross-channel canoeist Paul Wycherley in the rankings.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18Meanwhile, Ed McKeever flew the flag for Britain at the World Championships.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22And our boxing teams showed their fighting spirit.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Nicola Adams skirting events outside the ring to be crowned European champion
0:23:27 > 0:23:33as well as a record-breaking medal haul for the men at the European and World Championships.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Now, boxing could be a key sport for Britain at the London Games,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42as their four-medal haul at the World Championships in Azerbaijan recently proved.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Despite it being only his first trip to the Worlds,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Anthony Joshua was one of the big success stories.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the ring,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56representing England, Anthony Joshua!
0:23:58 > 0:24:03My style? Assassin on the outside, and a warrior on the inside.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06Very much a mummy's boy.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08But to see him in the boxing ring,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11a totally different person!
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I thought, is he going to be serious enough to box?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17But then you see a different side to him when he got in sparring,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and that friendly side goes, and he is Mr Nasty.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Silver medal, Joshua Anthony, England.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It is surprising.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I was ranked number 46 in the world before I went,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34which I thought, fair enough.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37It is amazing to be ranked number two in the world now.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I was just one point away, so it is an amazing accomplishment.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47- Steve O!- Well done.- Thank you very much.- I'm proud of you.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The Finchley ABC.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Where the hard work started.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55My gym where I train, where I get down and dirty and put in work.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00This is the beginning. My heart and love.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I've never trained someone with so much power.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07He has broken my wrist, so I know he can punch.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And just that will and that... He just won't give up.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16What all great fighters have got.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I'm sure everyone will advise me,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and I advise myself to keep my feet on the ground as well.
0:25:21 > 0:25:27Especially my family, the people that care, my coaches.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31When he comes in the gym, he is not a star, he is just another boxer.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33And if he starts thinking he is a star,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36he is soon told and put into line.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38How good could he be? How far can he go?
0:25:38 > 0:25:39As long as he lives right,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42doesn't get carried away with what everybody is saying,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45knuckles down in the gym, he'll go to the top.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I see him going as far as Lennox Lewis.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I'm very proud.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Very, very proud of what he has achieved,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57although I still say to myself, why boxing?
0:25:59 > 0:26:01When I watched the fight.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04But I am very, very proud of him,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and I think he has achieved quite a lot in a very short space of time.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11How often have you allowed yourself to visualise standing atop
0:26:11 > 0:26:13that gold medal rostrum?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15What, at the Olympics?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17This is the first time, when you asked me, just then.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20That is the first time I have pictured myself standing on
0:26:20 > 0:26:24the gold, on the number-one podium, holding a gold medal.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27That is the first time I have actually envisioned it.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29What does it feel like?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33It feels like what I should be doing!
0:26:33 > 0:26:34It feels right.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Throughout 2011, when our Olympic hopefuls were busy with
0:26:42 > 0:26:44intense preparation and training,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47we made sure we were there behind the scenes with them,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and it certainly gave us something to talk about.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Hi, my name is Richard Alexander, and I am part of the England hockey team.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58And we will go through and see what the lads are up to.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05- So this contraption here dries horses?- Yes!
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Father, coach, inventor and helicopter pilot?!
0:27:10 > 0:27:13That pays the bills!
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The thing about tweed is that it is a strong look wherever you are.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19We are just outside Pete's place. It is a bit like BBC Cribs.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Let's go in and see what is going on.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26I have to say, I am going to blame this all on Christopher.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's none of my fault!
0:27:28 > 0:27:30You do not get the smell on camera.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32THEY CHANT
0:27:36 > 0:27:38There will be more British Olympic Dreams in January,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42when we return to BBC One with a winter youth Olympic Games
0:27:42 > 0:27:45special on the 28th at one o'clock.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Then Ore and I will be back on your screens in mid-February
0:27:48 > 0:27:51with more from our Olympic hopefuls
0:27:51 > 0:27:54as the countdown to the Games begins in earnest.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Well, what a year for British Olympic Dreams.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00It has certainly been a memorable 12 months, and next year?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03That is going to be unforgettable! See you in 2012.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17We play things like ladies over here!
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Yeah, I am going to be quite smiley now!
0:28:31 > 0:28:36I was hoping for just the one foot slip there, just for the camera!
0:28:41 > 0:28:43If you don't mind, I'll just watch.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46No, definitely. It is -170 degrees.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:54 > 0:28:57E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk