Countdown to Rio Olympics

The times time has come. The games are upon us. And although trust in

the truth of the Olympics may have wavered,

there is a desire deep within us

of sport, to rejoice in excellence, to praise effort and to gasp in awe

Here on Mount Corcovado, the torch begins the final

leg of its journey down there to the Marvellous City.

as the sun rises on 16 days of wonder, now is the time for Rio and

the Olympic movement to redeem themselves, for faith to be restored

and for this great sporting carnival to begin. The rhythm of life,

whoever you are, wherever you are, you have to go at your own pace,

play to your own beat. But the life of an Olympian is different. It's

all about timing. You can't go full pelt every day. Save it up, because

this is a long term thing. A four year project. At the start, keep

things simple. Metronomic discipline. Eat, sleep, train,

repeat. Focus. Hypnotic. Then raise the tempo, bit by bit. Beat by beat.

You're really building something now, building towards something.

Quicker still, and it's tough to keep the pace. A cacophony of energy

and emotion that grows and grows, faster and faster. Blink, and you'll

miss it. It's all about stronger, faster,

higher, muscles on fire, that two amplifier, pressures multiply. A

frenzied blur of limbs masked an inner calm, because these

performances are rehearsed over and over in body and mind. There are the

best of times and the worst of times. Four years of preparation, a

lifetime of sacrifice. So when the pressure is really on, that

overwhelming calm and pension is broken, an explosion of action.

Suddenly, it ends. But the beat goes on. For an Olympian, the rhythm of

life is a little faster than normal. But whatever the tempo, it will be

charming, enthralling, gripping. In a carnival of sport, that's the

beauty, that everyone plays to their own beat.

And that is the music that will be the soundtrack of these Games.

We are live in Brazil, four hours behind you at home

in the UK, and just less than four hours away from the start

Rio was awarded the Games in 2009 and since then

there's been controversies, political unrest and health concerns

surrounding the country as it's prepared to host this huge event.

But the venues are ready and it appears that Rio is too.

This city of six million people gives South America its first

Olympics, and for the next 16 days the focus will shift

from the troubles of the preparation to the delivery of a Games

28 sports, more than 10,000 athletes and 306 gold medals to be won.

And it's wonderful as you make your way along Copacabana beach, two and

a half miles of it, to see so many people actually playing sport. They

have playing Beach Volleyball Arena, paddle tennis, they have been

running. It is a place that looks to be active. They are fit and healthy

people, very excited about the sport, and so are my guests.

I have been joined by three familiar faces who have between them

won 12 gold medals at Olympics, from Barcelona in 1992

For Chris and Becky, how are you feeling about it as your first Games

as spectators? Grow I am loving it, I'm not nervous! There was a moment

of sadness with the realisation that your time in the sun has passed. But

you can have a lot of fun when you are not competing. Michael, any

advice on how to enjoy the Games? Take in everything you can. You will

find it is a lot more enjoyable and a lot less stressful when you are

not competing, and you can really take in the whole experience that is

the Olympic Games. I was travelling down here with Chris, and he was

going, I could cycle along here! You carried the torch. Yesterday, yeah.

It was amazing, very different to London, different to the experience

of Manchester. Not as big crowds as in London, but still fantastic. I

almost lost my eyebrows here! It is a big flame. I think they turned the

gas right up. I felt this heat in my face, but still in one piece. I hope

you enjoy it. We are thrilled to have you as part of the team.

Michael, we are going to talk about the problem the Games have had, but

what do you think will be the defining image of Rio 2016? That

will be determined over the next few days. We have had the opportunity

for them to show that they can organise this thing in a way that

will allow competitors to thrive on the track and in the pool and on the

court and all of the different sports venues, and also allow

spectators who have come to enjoy the Games to really enjoy them in a

peaceful manner. It is chaos, organising and Olympic Games, so

many people descending on one city. So it is all about how you organise

that chaos. This is a difficult time. I am sure lots of people are

on edge. Hopefully, they have prepared well enough over the last

few days, because ordinarily, this preparation would have been taking

place over months, but they have had issues with that, so a lot of

preparation has taken place over the last few days in terms of security

and bringing in the military and extra policemen and all of that. It

is a little touch and go. So that will be determined over the next

couple of weeks. There is a smell of fresh paint everywhere and

last-minute changes being made, but once the day of competition in

whichever venue comes, it will be ready.

We are on until 10pm here on BBC One, and we'll set

the scene for Games and highlight some of the stars to look out for.

Rio is ready, but are the residents happy?

We speak to the locals about the Games.

Team GB are targeting at least 48 medals.

We highlight who they are and when they compete.

If you want to be an Olympian, it means plenty of weight on your

shoulders. Usain Bolt is the fastest man

of the planet. Can lightning strike

for a third time? He is trying to do the triple

triple. For some, just being here

is a golden feeling, as Syrian refugee swimmer

Yusra Mardini will tell us later. For the first time, there will be a

team reflecting the refugees. I will tell you about that in a moment.

That's all to come in the next 80 minutes, and later, at 11:40pm,

And don't forget, you can join in the discussion

during the whole Olympics, and of course we'd love you to send

us your pictures and comments as you watch and enjoy the Games.

And you can keep up to date with social media.

All the details are on the screen now, and don't forget, the hashtag

As Michael says, it is starting right now. It is organised chaos. We

can only hope for the best! So far it's been a story of doom

and gloom, as the Olympic movement has never been

under so much pressure. Everywhere you look,

there is criticism and controversy. Four-time Olympic gold medallist

Matthew Pinsent reports. In every version of the Olympics,

the build-up time is beset with problems. In the past, we have had

sanctions, protests and unfinished venues. Let's not forget our own

problems in London four years ago. But Rio de Janeiro has had a

particular burden bear. So the question has to be asked - is this

the most troubled Olympics of recent years?

Some of these problems have been smaller than others. Some of them

incredibly small, like ten millimetres. But what the mosquito

lacks in size, it makes up for in impact. Despite being a very new

disease, Zika has already affected over a million people here in Brazil

alone, and with a risk of severe side effects to unborn children and

expectant mothers, it certainly couldn't be ignored. In Europe, when

we all heard about Zika, that was quite scary. What are the same in

Rio? To be honest, no. Zika was not that big for us. The number of cases

of Zika from January until July has gone down and down in Rio. Listen,

I'm here. I haven't got it, I haven't seen anyone who has got it.

We have thousands of people who have worked with us and I haven't heard

of anyone reporting getting Zika. So I think we are OK. Did it surprise

you when some golfers in particular stayed away because of Zika? Yes,

because I think they are lying. They are not becoming because of the car,

but because they have no interest. Regardless of the local perspective,

the risk of contracting Zika was too great for some, and they have

decided not to travel. However, for the thousands that have, there were

more problems to face, including the conditions at the Olympic village

where the Australians branded their quarters unliveable. And it isn't

plain sailing with the venues either. Amongst the issues, high

levels of pollution are still being recorded at outdoor aquatic venues,

where British sailing and growing golds Scandi won. But the story that

has dominated the headlines more than anything else in the run-up to

these Games is the alleged state-sponsored doping programme in

Russia that has led to one of the biggest controversies that the

Olympics has ever faced. The international athletics Federation

took the decision to ban any Russian track and field athlete, and this

was backed by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC, though,

didn't go as far as excluding the whole Russian team. Instead, that

decision has been made on a case-by-case basis. It's an issue

that President Thomas Bach has had to face when meeting the world's

media here in Rio. You have come in for some criticism over the Russian

situation. TRANSLATION: The Russian situation has exposed some division

within the IOC. How damaging to the credibility of the Games is this

confusion? I don't think that this will be damaging in the end, because

people will realise we have to take this decision now. How do you think

the International Olympic Committee have handled the Russian drug

situation? I would say they have failed to answer properly to the

real huge problem we are facing with respect to the whole anti-doping

system globally. Is this the most compromised Olympics? I would say it

is the biggest negative impact due to doping and corruption in sports,

and the IOC failed to address it in the proper way. From tomorrow, the

Games begin and we will all be deluged with the most amazing sport

and performances to enjoy. What Rio and its inhabitants will hope is

that all these problems in the next 17 days will be reduced to footnotes

rather than headlines. If the American press the same, is

it all, this is not ready? The world's press are focused on the

doping scandal with Russia, and given that this was last's left to

be last-minute, what will happen. That is what is the news, in terms

of the games, and whether the Russians will be participating. No

matter what performances we see here, and it is the Olympics, so you

will always see a amazing performances, that is what is great

about it, it does not matter what the scandal might be, or any of

those things, it is fantastic once the competition starts, but no sort

of amazing performances here will wipe away the problem that the IOC

still faces. It will still exist, regardless of what happens here.

Would you urge the IOC to absolutely address that on the day the Games

finishes? That is a great idea. They are not going to do that, they will

say, let's give ourselves a hand, this was amazing, and hope that it

goes away, and maybe deal with it in the weeks after. But this will take

the IOC, the IAAF, Wada, all of those organisations involved with

keeping sport clean in the Olympic movement, it will take a series of

correct moves, extreme transparency, and dealing with the situations as

they come, there will be more positive tests, people trying to

cheat, it is how the organisations deal with it, and they have to deal

with it in the right way, make steps in the right direction, before you

can re-establish consistency in terms of their ability in the

Olympic movement. It feels as if it is a virus that has spread across

all sports, Michael Phelps said he does not think swimming has ever

been clean, he does not think he has ever competed in a clean sport. It

is more than just Russia. Everybody is focused on Russia, but we have

had people who service bands who are coming back for this Olympics that

are not just from Russia. It must be so horrible as an athlete to stand

up next to someone and think, I can't win. How awful for that

athlete who has done all of those hours of being clean, pushing their

body, to stand up at the Olympic Games and think that. But hopefully

the British guys are just trying to see it as, whoever we have got to

race, we have got to race. There are questions about people, so you just

have to put it at the back of your mind, because if you are thinking,

they have done drugs, you are focusing on them, not you.

The British team hasn't been without its negative headlines,

Lizzie Armitstead only just cleared by Court of Arbitration

for Sport to compete here, having missed three drugs tests

Our cycling reporter Jill Douglas was granted an interview

It has not been the ideal preparation for an Olympic road

race. How much of an impact as it had new? It has been a difficult

time. I have kept it together, I have tried to keep it in

perspective, and I have trained very hard, I have not let it slip. It is

not ideal. It has been very emotional, a bit like a

roller-coaster that I have not been able to get off, but I have kept it

in perspective. I am grateful that I am here to race. People will be

sceptical about you and your career. How does that make you feel?

Devastated. Absolutely devastated. People are going to judgment, my

family. I would never treat, not in any walk of life. -- cheat. People

will think I am a cheat for the rest of my life. That is because of not

taking a form. I don't want to make it sound trivial. It is a fight we

have to take responsible to four, and I should take it higher anybody

else. But something happened to me and my family that I could not

control. That is more important to me than cycling. Do you think that

this weekend gives you the chance to prove something to yourself and to

others? No, because I am never going to win. If I win the race, people

will say it is because of something else, and if I lose, people will say

it is another reason. I am not at the point of accepting it yet, but I

will have to accept that people will doubt me forever. It is about me and

my family. On the verge of tears throughout

that interview, she was the first medal winner for Great Britain of

London 2012. Her race is on Sunday. How can she get into the state to

race properly? I don't think she can. You think of the week she has

had, we accept she is a clean athlete, people close to her do.

There is no accusation that she has been cheating, maybe from the odd

person, but the people that know her know she is clean, and to be branded

a cheat is one of the worst things you can experience. She has to be

the best she can, to focus on the race, deal with that and not think

about the bigger issue, but you can see it, she is not in a great place.

Is it sensible for her to be racing? The one thing that is odd, nobody

said a word about it until she was cleared, so nobody knew. Some people

within cycling must have known she had three tests, but it was kept

under wraps. I did not hear about it. They must have made sure only

very few people knew about it, presumably hoping they could sort it

out knowing that she was not at fault, they could clear it and get

on with the job, but it came out, and she is having to deal with the

consequences. You have got to feel for her, but I wonder what the

reaction is like. What have you gauged in terms of it? You are there

in the Maracana, ready for the opening ceremony. Yes, it is the big

night here. Going back to Lizzie Armitstead, it is inevitable that

there is a degree of suspicion. She admitted that. That has been the

case among some of her rivals. The woman she replaced as world

champion, the French rider, she tweeted that the decision to scratch

the first missed test, thereby allowing her appeal to succeed

against a possible ban and allowing her to compete, was just shameful.

The former rower Zac purchase ask the question, imagine the reaction

if she was Russian. That is the problem with the Russian doping

scandal that has dominated the build-up. Anything that occurs like

this adds fuel to the fire. It will be fascinating to see what reaction

she receives, if she does well on Sunday in the women's Road race.

This will not be the last negative news in the build-up and during the

Games, there will be more to do with doping over the weekend. But

organisers will hope that tonight gets off well and the focus can

shift to more positive news. In 16 days' time, what do you think Brazil

needs to achieve, what do you think these Games need to have shown that

would be regarded as its excess? This has been among the most

troubled build-up to an Olympics perhaps in the history of this great

spectacle, political unrest, recession, concerns over Zika and

security and pollution. On top of that, the integrity of the sport

itself is under question. The IOC will hope that there is no more

doping story, or very few, that there are lots of inspirational

sports stories for us to latch onto. But by allowing 271 Russian

competitors to take part in the athletes' parade behind me later

tonight, resisting those demands to ban the entire team after those

allegations of state-sponsored doping, they have opened rifts

within the Olympic family, Wilder at loggerheads with the IOC, and there

will be a cloud of suspicion with every Russian success. But once the

sport begins, and the excitement builds, and here in a city where

there is no equal in terms of a backdrop, the hope will be that that

takes over and the recovery can begin. But there are plenty of

issues to sort out beyond these Games. There is still a fair amount

of sunlight there, but it is getting dark behind us. It gets dark

quickly. The sunsets, and it is darkness. There is a long sunset in

some places, there is not via! Yes, everywhere in the world, it gets

dark, but it does it very suddenly! The world hopefully will be watching

wonderful sporting performances Their eyes will also be

on this city of Rio, so how important are these Games

to Rio and Brazil as a whole? It was the people that was born in

rear the junior row. They like to enjoy the sun, the heat, the beach.

We love having a good time, parties, and we love sport. That is it! The

happiest people in the world. Official! We are really proud, and

this is an opportunity to show that Brazil is a beautiful place that

everybody can have a good time in. We are very excited to show the

world what we can do. There is a big pressure, that is what makes us feel

excited and anxious. We are not in a very good moment, but the spirit of

the Olympic Games will reach all the people. Brazilians are resilient.

The Olympic flame can be something that will ignite everyone. Brazil

excels in difficulty. We like an opportunity to prove people wrong.

It is the first Olympics in South America. The right place, because

Rio has the party atmosphere up. It is the first Olympic Games in South

America, but we hope in the future other countries can do the same. I

am feeling real good now. It would be a good show, you will see a lot

of excitement. A big party. I believe it will be a very special

experience for all of the Brazilians. It will be an

exceptional moment in our lives. People, where ever you are, welcome

to Rio, it is a beautiful party. Welcome to Rio, welcome to Brazil,

welcome to Copacabana, welcome to the Olympics.

The Wellcome has been warm. Part of what made the spirit of London 2012

were the volunteers, and the volunteers here are so much fun,

singing and and sync and helping people out. You have been to Brazil

before, what has been your impression? It is a wonderful place.

I am down here a couple of times a year, my people that work here, they

say it is fantastic, the people are amazing. It is a wonderful

atmosphere. That is what the IOC had in mind when they boarded them the

Olympics in 2009. We saw it in the World Cup a couple of years ago. It

is an amazing place with amazing people. It has the makings of a

fantastic fan experience. You look out there and you see people having

fun and enjoying, and they love to welcome people to Brazil and show

them the culture here. The problem is, before you get to all of that,

it takes up that of organisation, and that is where they have fallen

down. We hope it is a last-minute scramble and it will be perfect. It

is also beautiful scenery, in terms of visual images, it might look

better than any Olympics ever. You have the best position, it is

incredible, but even yesterday, everywhere is breathtaking, you turn

a corner and there is another beautiful beach. You are dying to

run or cycle of these many mountains! It is the traffic, the

bike is the perfect way of getting around, I was looking if I could

cycle to the top of Christ the Redeemer. It is a bit steep! Don't

cycle up Sugarloaf Mountain, it is not a good idea! Not even Chris

Froome could! The other thing that will set the tone is whether people

embrace them, whether fans come and watch. The fans' Park has been

designed for people to come together. That is where we will

hide, into the city. Good evening, I am in one of the

Olympic fan zones. This beautiful area in the harbour-side Foster

relic is just a few years ago, but it has been revitalised, banks to

the Olympic Games. It is a gorgeous evening. I enjoyed by the BBC's Rio

correspondent. I was here in 2014 for the World Cup, there was an air

of tension, I don't get that feeling tonight.

Things are festive now, but they were not in the past weeks and

months. There was a very complicated period for Brazil. The country has a

difficult situation with the political crisis and the president

facing impeachment proceedings, a recession and on top of everything,

concerns about the Zika virus. But now the Olympics are here and people

are getting in the mood. There are a lot of troops on the road from

Copacabana to this area. Are we likely to see the Games disrupted?

Well, we do have groups protesting against the interim government and

calling for President Dilma Rousseff, who has been suspended, to

be reinstated. There were also questions about human rights

violations in the run-up to the Games. But we have not seen big

protests in the last few months and although people are angry for

several reasons, I think they are disillusioned and there is not the

energy to take to the streets. Now that all the investment has been

made and the venues are ready and the athletes are here, people will

want to enjoy the first Olympics in South America. And once the

Brazilian gold medals start rolling in, people will get behind that

country. How many medals does Brazil anticipate that they will win?

Brazil has big goals for their first home Olympics. They want to be in

the top ten, which would be their best result ever, but to do that

they need to get about 30 medals, which is seen as a bit too

ambitious, perhaps. Estimates go to around 22. Neymar was the poster boy

of the World Cup, who is the face of the Brazilian Games? Lots are

competing for that role. There is a judo athlete from the north of

Brazil, a poor state. In London 2012, she got the first ever Olympic

gold for Brazil in judo. She comes from a state that doesn't have

strong traditions in sport. Brazil. Have a strong tradition in football

and the other sports often go forgotten, so my best would be on

her. As Julia mentioned, this country is obsessed with football.

Look at these guys and the tricks they show it here. Back to you.

Wow, that is really good! Exports here include handball, basketball

and beach volleyball. That will be taking place here on Copacabana

Beach. That will be one of the hottest tickets in town. That is

chugged along mountain in the background. It is starting to get

dark, but people are still in the city, which is cold! That is

Sugarloaf Mountain in the background.

In three hours' time an estimated global audience of over one billion

And don't forget, live coverage is on BBC One from 11:40pm,

with commentary from Hazel Irvine and Andrew Cotter.

From 12:10pm tomorrow lunchtime on BBC One,

action including rowing, women's rugby sevens, Great Britain

BBC Four will have coverage for the whole Games,

of all sports live on the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport App.

So, from archery to weightlifting, you won't miss a thing.

And also, don't forget to go to the Get Inspired section

of the BBC Sport website to find out how you can take up any

Well, they're fine athlete you saw there is the man who is sitting on

the sofa now, Sir Chris Hoy, with Becky Adlington, one of the few

women to have won two Olympic gold medals. There are a couple who could

go to three or four over these Games, Charlotte Dujardin and Laura

Trott. Chris Hoy, you have won more medals than anybody else, for Team

GB in Olympic history. That is also a record that might go. Would you be

happy if that happens? If it's going to go, it's good when it's a

team-mate. It is lovely to have a record, but you know it will not

last. Bradley is on seven medals already, but he has less golds. But

he could get eight medals. And he could get a fifth gold. There are

very few who can stand toe to toe with Bradley Wiggins, but Chris Hoy

is one who can. Good to see you. Bradley Wiggins! I remember watching

you in 1995 for the first time. You were a typical teenager, quite

gangly, long arms, long legs, a little awkward, no offence. You got

on the bike and everybody that Soyuz said, this kid is going somewhere.

Did you think you were going to achieve what you achieved? It is

easy to look back now and go, I always knew I would, but I had no

other thought process at that time other than, I am going to the

Olympics in 2000. I want to ride the Tour de France and win an Olympic

gold and be a pro cyclist. It was either completely stupid or

delusional. Fortunately, I have done that so it is easy to say now. I

don't know what my mum was thinking. What was your experience in Sydney?

That was mind-blowing. Even to this day, it gives me goose bumps. The

bronze medal is going to go to Great Britain. I remember thinking, that's

it. I'm 20 and I have got an Olympic medal. Whatever happens for the rest

of my life, I can always say not just that I have been to the

Olympics, but I have got an Olympic medal. I remember thinking, I know

what I want to do for the next four years. Bradley Wiggins will be the

4000 metre Olympic champion! I haven't cried since then at a track

cycling competition, that is how emotional I was. You only get one

shot every four years to do it. Beijing was the year for the

British. I got one medal, chucked it in the draw. Then it was the team

pursuit, sending. Then we lost it, and that is the leaving point, huge

disappointment. You came away from the Olympics Root gold medals. How

could you not have been elated? Because you won three! What are your

main memories from 2012? The overriding memory is from that time

trial in London. All year, I hadn't given any thought to the Olympic

Games. I thought I would have to sacrifice them to win the Tour de

France. Then ten days later, I went to the Olympic Games. I knew

all I had to do was execute the ride I had done for the last three weeks.

Here comes Wiggins, winner of the Tour de France. Bradley Wiggins is

the Olympic champion! I said at the time, it is never going to get

better. Dave said, calm down! For all those things to come together

was incredible. Could you enjoy it afterwards, or was it to manic in

the first few days and weeks? I enjoyed it. That first week, I had

bodyguards. The Metropolitan Police followed me. I didn't get

bodyguards. Chauffeur driven car. I was hanging out with rock stars.

Then I thought I had better go home and get back to reality. I wanted it

to stop. And I realised you couldn't turn it off. Subsequently, I had a

massive dip that summer. I always wanted to come back to the track, so

I started coming back 12 months on. Do you have the confidence you have

after the World Championships in London, when you said you would bet

your house on it? I do, I believe in the group. A man for man, I can't

see anyone around the world that can beat my team. How much motivation is

the thought of becoming the most decorated Olympian in Rio? That has

never been a motivation for me. I always thought that five times

Olympic champion is a nice number am better than six.

It is the gold medal that really drives him. I think he is so rock

'n' roll, Bradley Wiggins, so cool! He is too cool, I feel like I can't

hang out with him! Chris can hang out with him. I'm not rock 'n' roll.

While you strike the general observer as being quite different,

you and Bradley, you are similar in character, in that the drive is

similar. And for him to come back to the track, it is a big risk to take.

Yes and no. I think it was the right move because he needed a change. He

is clearly enjoying it. He is with his friends in an environment he

thrives in. Obviously, it is the best thing to do. We will see when

they get into the team pursuit. I believe they will win gold. You can

see he is happy. When he was doing the Tour de France, with the world

on his shoulders, he seems like the old Bradley we all know and love. He

is very much a team man, the cycling team is very strong. It has been

Britain's most successful sport in the last two Games. What do you

think will happen this time? I think we will dominate. We would not have

been saying that two years ago. We have had a tough four years, a big

dip in form across the board. The only consistent performers have been

Laura Trott, women's team pursuit. Now that I am outside the team I can

say it, but I think they are going to win. Women's team pursuit, men's

team pursuit. I think Jason Kenney could be the massive surprise of the

Games. He could win three medals. You have got Mark Cavendish. Becky

James is back. It is her first Olympics. She made it back from

injury. She won a bronze medal at the World Championships in February.

There are so many medal opportunities. They have been

playing it down, but from what I have heard from the training camp,

the performances have been outstanding. In the team pursuit,

they have announced a world record in training. I am sure the

Australians are going as quick. They haven't said anything about what

they have been doing, but I think they should be confident that they

are in the best shape they can be in. The rest will take care of

itself. You can't control what your rivals are doing. But they have

arrived here in the shape they want to be in. The other challenge is the

velodrome itself. Is it going to be up to standard and does it matter?

That is the last thing the riders will be thinking about. They know

the track is 250 metres long. All they need to do is get on the track

and do their job. It is more the media that will be worried over

whether it is finished and what the paint is still wet. The track is

essentially the same as London, Manchester, the same tracks they are

used to riding on. The exciting thing for fans of cycling at home is

that it will all be happening in peak time, British time, evenings at

home. But before we get to the track, we have the road races.

We talked about Lizzie Armitstead earlier.

A big challenge for her to reset her mind, but will

She will give it her best shot. It is a lot to expect from her, to be

able to perform at the level we are used to seeing. It has been a hell

of It it is going to come right past

this studio, along Copacabana Beach. That is tomorrow afternoon from

1.30. Chris has been very positive about the cycling team. Becky, what

about the swimming team? We have two first timers in there who could win

gold medals, Adam Peaty and James Guy. When you won your two gold

medals in Beijing, it was your first Olympics. Can it help sometimes to

come in and go, it's just the Olympics? It can. The difference

with James Guy and Adam Peaty is that they are already World

Championship medallists and Commonwealth Games medallists,

whereas I was nothing. I had only been to one World Championships

before. But these guys are so blase. The nicest two blokes you will ever

meet. They have a heart of gold and they love their sport. They just

want to have fun. They are keeping it simple and just wanting to swim

their best. It is great for the swimming team. We have Hannah Miley

in the pool as well as them guys. It is nice to get that ball rolling and

gives the rest of the team a little list. That is what you need. And

they are sharing a room, Adam and James. Adam Peaty is going in the

100 metre breaststroke, which is Adrian Moorhouse's distance, and

that is the last time a British man won gold in the pool, 1988. It is a

long time. Although James Guy swims first 401st and 200 later, 200 is

his stronger. So Adam could be the one. They also have Ross Murdoch. It

is great that he and Adam are next to each other in the heats, of

course being the first races up, it is a bit like you feel under

pressure, that it is nice they are next to each other, it is that home

comfort, a bit of normality, and they will push each other. The heats

are happening later in the day than they would ordinarily. Is there a

chance that Adam could break a world record before we even get to a

semifinal? He wants to every time he gets in the Paul, that is what makes

him so special. He has practised, he has always had Rio in his sight.

Everybody else has thought about that meet, but he has swum fast

through the rounds to make it through. That is how he likes to

race, he wants to break the world record and have his hand on the wall

first every time. It sends a signal to everybody else, he is going that

fast? If you are going to adopt the Chris Hoy mentality saying anything

because you are not in the team, how many medals did you think will come

from British swimming? It is a bit more difficult, because there are so

many athletes. But we have the capability of winning at least four

or five medals. Whether we do is a different story, but we are capable.

We have Adam, James Guy, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, there are a

lot of the new guys. She is focusing on 200 medley. You have a lot of

guys who will come out of nowhere. Chloe Tutton has surprised everybody

in the Paul, exactly like I did in Beijing. If she carries on, I do not

see why she cannot get a medal either. Then you have got Fran

Halsall, so many people, we have more depth. It is a smaller team

than London, 26 athletes might compare to 40-something in London.

We have changed the mentality. The swimming team have been a case of,

my dream is to be here. Your dream should be getting a medal. The team

are more focused on that. Absolutely. For swimming fans it is

worth staying up late, the finals will happen quite a long time after

midnight, but worth it, and a rerun will go out on BBC One the next

morning. You can watch it all again. Michael Phelps will be a huge

headline, he is returning, having retired, he is carrying the flag

tonight for USA. In London, swimming and diving both

took place in the same pool. Here in Rio, the diving

is outdoors, and that means Tom Daley went to Beijing

at 14, world champion Now 22 years old, he has

grown up in front of us. Climbing the steps, I am visualising

my dive and looking over the edge and thinking, it is a long way down.

I have got to clear my mind of everything and think of the dive.

You don't hear any noise. You hear your feet on the board and nothing

else. In life, sometimes you need fear. So that you can face it. Good

work, Tom. Incredible. Yes, get end, that's the one we wanted! That's the

one we got! My whole world has changed. He has silenced his

critics, it is a gold medal for Tom Daley. Bang on the money. It is all

for you, Tom Daley! Amazing, he went to Beijing at 14,

world champion at 15, he is still only 22. I can't get over it! He has

been through so much, he has two macro shots at a medal.

10m synchro with Dan Goodfellow and 10m on his own.

The synchro is on Monday. I love how he stayed at that. It is so hard as

an athlete to stay at your best and to stay up there constantly. He has

never had a blip. He is so consistent and strong. What a role

model. What he has done is fantastic. You can see it with

certain people, their love and success spreads around the team. You

can see it in the diving, because he is not the only chance, we have lots

of good divers of. What he has done, from Little ones wanting to go

diving, which would have never happened before, the whole team have

embodied that, and it happens in swimming, it did with me, I am a

goal from Mansfield, and that is what Tom has done. I would say that

Chris, it was starting to happen before you came along, but you

expanded it, Katherine Grainger has done it for rowing, you look at how

many chances there are, it is seeing somebody, if they can do it... You

saw Jason queerly. He inspired me. He was perceived to be a normal

person, not some sort of Olympic gold. He was just Jason from

Chorley. He won a gold medal in Sydney, I thought, maybe I can do

it. It inspires you. It is amazing, not only is Tom consistent, he has

dealt with the media interest, and he is a phenomenon, he is almost big

about the sport. There will be a lot of people supporting him. He will

compete in the Olympic Park, the biggest hub of the lot. That is the

diving pool, it is very good. Water Polo will be there as well. You have

gymnastics, the aquatic centre, tennis, and you have Mark Chapman!

Thank you! Not quite as exciting as the events! It is quiet at the

moment, people taking photos of. The Opening Ceremony is taking place at

the Maracana, several calamitous away from here. -- kilometres. Sir

Clive Woodward is with me. What are you doing here now? I am commenting

on the rugby, the first time rugby sevens has been in the Olympics, so

I am looking forward to that. I work for the IOC, I do talks, so I am

doing bits and pieces. It is great to be here, an amazing venue. Let's

talk about your experiences with the POA. We fund a lot of sports, they

use the money to drill down into the minutiae, to make sure that no stone

is left unturned in helping performance. That can happen in the

four years leading up to the games, then you are at the mercy of the

facilities provided. It is fair to say we are well funded, UK Sport do

an amazing job. But in any sport, football, rugby, any Olympic sport,

the last couple of days are key. In Beijing I was the director of sport

for the team, I had been through two World Cups, I was pretty

experienced, but the Olympic world blew me away. The complexities, and

the distractions, because all of this preparation, if you get the

last few days wrong, the village is key. I saw stuff that I went, my

goodness, I could not imagine how this works. You have got to get it

sorted out. We spent a lot of time before London doing more than normal

to get rid of the distractions. People talk about the size of bets,

but you said earlier that sometimes you negotiate with host cities to

make sure you get countries either side of you that are similar to you.

You do. We negotiated with the Chinese, because there are 15,000

athletes, and your neighbours are important, so do try to get people

of similar culture to you. I was there this afternoon, it was

amazing, the Team GB house was great, but the Canadians are next to

us, they are pretty similar in terms of their culture. That was an

accident. Everybody tries to mix with the neighbours to make sure

nothing goes on that would be a distraction. On the rugby sevens,

the guys talked about how inspiring the Games are, and children can try

sports, it is a big opportunity for rugby sevens. Massive. Rugby as a

global sport. The rugby world does not understand the value of the

currency of an Olympic gold medal. Rebecca and Chris Noakes, their

sport is built around it. For rugby to join the Olympic family is

colossal. I hope they will see what great athletes the rugby players

are. I was with the men this morning, you see them in the gym,

they are incredible athlete. Rugby has got an opportunity of being a

big sport in the Olympic world. There is no doubt, kids watch this,

parents watch this, I hope everybody will watch the rugby sevens and say,

this is the sport I want my kids to play. A massive opportunity, no

doubt about that. Well done on concentrating on your answer while

they are playing a German version of Katy Perry here! High hopes for men

and women in the rugby sevens, as we do for all of Team GB.

It's an exciting to have so many ones to watch, not like it is just

one or two teams, not like the days when you had to rely on only Sir

Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent to win a gold medal. It is beautiful

out there, despite the fact that it is getting dark. There are people

fishing. Just like being at home(!). What have been your first

impressions? I got here on Tuesday. And I was here three years ago, so I

knew the layout of the city. It is a good feeling. There isn't as much

colour around as past games, but I don't have an issue with that. I

think the money is being spent in the right way. If you are coming

from a poor country and there are issues in the country, having flags

everywhere that cost a hell of a lot of money to put up -- not having

those flags is a good thing. We will talk about the rowing venue, which

is sensational to look at, in a moment. But you only get the chance

to be an Olympic champion every four years.

Former Olympian and author Matthew Syed takes a look

at the unique timeline of the Olympiad.

Four years, 208 weeks, 126,144,000 seconds. That is the time period,

the defining time period that articulates both the peril and the

privilege of being an Olympian. The thing that got me into cycling was

the dream of being able to go to the Olympic Games and compete for Great

Britain. Every year that you do, every day you train is for the

Olympics. It's going to be challenging and tough, but it's what

you live for. This creates the specs. One tiny error on the grand

stage, and you have to wait four years to correct it. The defending

champion, thrown out for two false starts. Sometimes, you never get a

chance to correct it. I never hit the wall we talk about in the

marathon, but I hid it in Athens, unfortunately. It took a long time

to mentally and physically get back. You get one shot to get it right in

four years. You always think, this could be my last chance to win an

Olympic gold. You could be known for the rest of your life as an

Olympian, and that means something. The Olympic Games is not

fundamentally about what happens in the spotlight, it's the stuff we

never see at the training bases, the altitude camps, the 5:30am on a

frosty morning in February when all you want to do is stay in bed. If

you have a life when you're preparing for the Olympics, you're

not doing it right. It's so hard to train and go up and down that black

line 400 times in one day. I get up savagely early every morning and we

flog ourselves up and down his leg. These are not things I enjoy in a

masochistic way, this is the price of success. What looks like an awful

way to live your life is normal for us. That routine is part of how they

live their life and therefore, you just get on with it. Once you get

that feeling of being on a podium, you're just like, I want that you

work. Even if you're tired, you go for a run. You have to sustain your

motivation for four years. You have to make sacrifices and make

strangers of your family for four years. My life has essentially been

overtaken by a long jumper. Greg missed our first scan. He almost

missed my low's first birthday. He does miss out on a lot, and I think

it's tough for him because, being a daddy 's more important than being

an athlete to him. As a mum, it's hard to fully switch off from

thinking about your child. If I didn't put 100% in and was just

wasting time, it would be awful. I need to know I am doing this for

good reasons and he will be able to look back and think, wow. On the

stage itself, the psychological danger flips. The problem now is not

motivation, but fear. You want to perform so much that you become

paranoid that you weren't. The key to being successful in that moment

is being able to manage your emotions, to be able to maintain a

sense of calm and being present. Now has to look like I know what I'm

doing, I'm in control. I love that adrenaline. I love the fact that

when I walk into the velodrome, I realise that this is happening, and

just that emotional feeling, I know I am so ready for that moment. There

is an essential cruelty in sport, the juxtaposition of the dreams and

sacrifices of so many, but the top of the podium is reserved for just

one. There is a cruelty too in that after an epic journey measured in

years, success and failure are measured in fractions. 1.8 seconds

is how long it takes to do one died. All six of my dives are over faster

than Usain Bolt's race it is not just starting at the bottom and

suddenly finding yourself on the top of the podium. It takes so many

setbacks and injuries and moments where you question whether you want

to continue doing your sport to get you to that point. That is what

makes it sweeter when you achieve it. Ultimately, it's how we deal

with the setbacks, how we deal with the consequences of losing and

winning that make us who we are. I suppose for a lot of athletes,

they have almost got to play the sport or run the race or hit the

ball, but not play the Olympics, do you know what I mean, Michael? The

Olympics can put you off track. Yeah. It's a delicate balance. You

get to the Olympic Games, what you have always wanted as an athlete.

Now the opportunity is there. You have to understand that, but also

balance it with, it if I got to this point, I have obviously been doing

something right. And you can't abandon that, so you want to produce

your best performance, but you can't abandon what you have been doing. It

is a delicate balance. I don't think many of the athletes who have the

opportunity to win medals are distracted by the spectacle of the

Olympics. Most athletes and their coaches will have prepared to come

here and focus on the objective. It is the balance of understanding the

opportunity you have and that you will need to produce your best

performance, but not abandoning what you have been doing. Steve, we saw

in the documentary 's leading up to your later Olympics how hard the

training is, how much it hurts, how difficult it is to be motivated to

do that every day. They don't hand out Olympic gold medals for nothing.

I have never met anybody within sport that hasn't trained harder

than anybody else to win. You have to put that sacrifice in. Michael is

right. Now, the athletes are better

prepared for their first time coming to the Games than when I started.

The whole process is bigger. So you know more about it before you get

here for the first time. It's not as unusual to perform well in your

first Games. You still perform better in your second Games than in

your first. Team GB's first gold medal of 2012 came from rowing from

Heather Glover and Helen stunning, but they have a different rowing

venue this time. Beautiful, but very wide. Normally when you look at a

rowing venue, it's like a big, long swimming pool. But here, it's a

massive open lagoon. Down the bottom, you have Christ the Redeemer

looking over it. But because it is so wide, if there are wave issue?

Could the weather be a problem? It's almost in the shape of a boot. And

the toe of the boot is pointing towards Copacabana Beach. If the

wind picks up from that direction, you will get this across chop.

Because it's wide, it probably makes it there for everybody. Everyone

will get similar waves, but it will not be pleasant. Two watersports,

one with sailing and one with rowing. One likes flat water, the

other likes win. They are within a mile of each other, so somebody is

going to be disappointed. In terms of medal projections, Chris Hoy was

very positive. I thought Becky was pretty upbeat about the swimmers as

well. How are you feeling about the rowing? Pretty good. There are 14

rowing events. We have 12 that have qualified. Our weakest boats are the

men's single reigning bronze medallist at the Olympic Games and

the women's double sculls. Those are our weaker boats. So when you look

at that, there is an argument that they could all win a medal. It will

not happen like that, but certainly two golds, men's four and women's

pair. Men's eight are going really well in training. And the field is

wide open. The Dutch are going in as favourites, but you can knock off

the Germans. They are not performing well. There is a good outside chance

for a gold medal there. Lightweight women's double have not performed at

all this year. Fastest time ever last year. Got a silver medal at the

World Championships. One of them is a reigning Olympic champion. That is

Cap Copeland. -- Katherine Copeland. And you have put me on the spot

about the other one. Charlotte Taylor, I got some help! Yes. They

have got the capability. This year has been awful for them, but they

are going better. It wouldn't surprise anybody if they won a

medal, and the medal could be a gold one. The safe prediction would be

James Cracknell, five medals. I am saying six or seven. And it could be

the first ever medal for a British women's eight, because they have

been going well. We have heard news. Greek athlete has tested positive

for a banned substance and has been expelled from the games. We have not

been told which sport yet or the gender of the athlete, but a Greek

athlete has been thrown out of the Games before they have even begun.

We have coverage of the opening ceremony coming up from 11.35

tonight, and the opening ceremony will include within it a team that

has never been seen before at an Olympic Games. They will be carrying

the Olympic flag. If they reach podiums, they will have the Olympic

anthem as their anthem. They are the refugee team of ten athletes. It is

an initiative that has been produced by the IOC to reflect the changing

nature of the world today. It includes a Syrian swimmer, Yusra

Mardini, who left her country because of serious problems in

Syria, a war-torn country. Little did she know that 12 months later,

she would be here as an Olympian. Swimming for me is the most

important thing in my life. When you're in the water, you don't think

about anything. It's a completely different world. When I had a normal

life in Syria, I had school, training, gymnastics and a lot of

friends. What happened was four years of war. We couldn't take it

any more. The streets are dangerous. There was bombing. Me and my sister

decided to travel. Of course we were scared, but we have to try. Maybe

I'm going to die on the way, but I am almost dead in my country. We had

four date in jungles, no water, no food. Then smugglers were like, I'm

going to get you on the boat. After that, the smugglers put 20 people in

one boat. After 15 or 30 minutes, the motor stopped. I was thinking

about me and my sister. We said it would be a shame to die in the water

when we are swimmers. My life was passing through my eyes. When we

arrived in Greece, I arrived in a T-shirt, jeans and not even shoes.

People in Germany told us what to do, you have to take this way. Of

course we were scared. They put you on a register, camping. I just knew

my trip was over, and I am in peace. That is it. In the camp, there was a

really nice man who was a translator. I told him I am a

swimmer and he was like, really? You are a good swimmer? I was like, I

swear, just find me a good club. In the club, they helped us. They make

you feel like it's your second family, but it will never be like my

home country. But it's amazing. I got an e-mail that I'm going to the

Olympics in the team of refugees, and it's like a dream come true,

because the Olympics is everything. I would be really proud to be in

this team, because all of them are special people.

Yusra swims in the 100m butterfly tomorrow and then the 100m

We'll catch up with her progress and all of Team Refugee as the Games

go on, and we wish them all great success.

Tonight, the refugees will march into the Maracana Stadium second

to last, with hosts Brazil the final country to enter.

And as for the opening ceremony, well, it will have a lot to live up

to after London's incredible start four years ago.

So, to get us in the mood, here's a quick reminder of Danny

To everyone in every city and village in the world watching as we

begin, welcome to London. I'd the Olympics rinks together what

is best about mankind. There is a truth to sport, a purity, a drama,

and intensity. A spirit that makes it irresistible

to take part in and irresistible to watch.

London 2012 will inspire a generation.

Every time I think about it, it makes me smile. It was four years

ago, it was so good. There is no point comparing Rio to London, just

like we should not have compared London to Beijing, but we will see

the Opening Ceremony tonight in the Maracana.

Hazel Irvine will be describing proceedings alongside Andrew Cotter

Hazel, you've seen some of the rehearsals, can you give

Following what you said about London, their Danny Boyle is an

Italian, the creative brain. He said after being asked, how will you

follow Danny Boyle, he said, we are not obliged to throw our president

out of a helicopter. But given the political difficulties, that may be

a moot point. He has half of the budget, he says it would not be a

great idea for Brazil to put on an opulent show. One of his creative

directors was asked to describe the last three summer ceremonies, they

said Beijing was muscular, London Wasps smart, they said there is will

be called, and I would have to agree. It sticks to it well

conceived themes of being kind to the environment, that is a heavy

theme, and also bringing together and making the most of what you have

got, that is a strong theme. You will have a lot of that. It is not

preaching, it is modest and understated, but it does convey

their absolute great joy in carnival, love, music and dance and

theatre. And the effortless, Serena, sensuous curves of the beach-front

city. It has got the lot in a very understated way, and it is probably

a less carbon emitting ceremony, and that is a hint of things to come. I

like that as a hint. I have heard that Dame Judi Dench, the coolest of

all classical actors, will be involved? Yes, she is, in a

voice-over. I don't think I can tell you much more than that. But it is a

significant part, and she performs a significant role in one of the

recurring and persistent themes of the ceremony. As to who will light

the cauldron, there is a divide, will it be Palais? We know he is

struggling physically, walking with a cane, but the man who has played

such a big party over the last 60 years has got to be a popular choice

-- Pele. He has said he will not be able to attend the Opening Ceremony.

Whether he is doing that as a smoke screen, we don't know. We will find

out. If he is there, you would have to think he will light the cauldron.

At the ceremony, 207 nations and territories

will be in attendance, with the athletes no doubt

In a moment we'll hear from a man who knows all about delivering

That's after we've highlighted more of Team GB's medal hopefuls.

There are so many strong contenders for gold medals amongst the British

team, but when all is said and done, there is one superstar, Hazel

mentioned the ceremony being called, there are three types of metal

music, it will be played for this guy. -- medal music.

Usain Bolt away from the field. It is gold for Usain Bolt! He has done

it again! He is going to do it again!

One man on the sofa knows what it is like to come to his third Olympic

Games of the face of the games. Is the pressure enjoyable? It depends

on the athlete. I have spoken to him about that, he enjoys the pressure.

He loves being the favourite. That was the same way that I felt, but

some athletes would rather not be the favourite. They would prefer to

sneak up on someone and have the attention on someone else. But he

handles the pressure very well. He is one of the few athletes who

really understands how to get the best from himself and put himself in

the best addition to have his best performance when it counts. He is

creating so much excitement, he has posted pictures of himself taking

the train, posing with athletes, he is a superstar.

The target for GB's track and field is seven to nine medals,

and who knows, it could be gold and silver for two women

Probably not since the days of Coe, Ovett and Cram have we seen British

Every year is towards the Olympics. As a young athlete, everybody wants

to be an Olympic champion. If you can get it right, it is the most

amazing moment of your life. The pride of Sheffield, the pride of

Great Britain, Jessica Ennis is the Olympic champion. After she won, I

was inspired. I knew that is what I wanted to do. Katarina

Johnson-Thompson has had three fouls. It is the end of her World

Championship. I am glad it happened. It changed me. I definitely

underestimated how hard it would be, coming back from having your first

child. Jessica Ennis-Hill is back on top of the world. My target is

Olympic Golf Course. -- and Olympic gold-medal. This is my last

Olympics, I will give it everything. I think I am capable of doing it. I

would love to defend my title and see what the future holds.

Really interesting. Jess knows she can do it, Katarina Johnson-Thompson

thinks she might be able to do it. Very different situations.

Advantageous situations for who they are and how they are positioned,

Jess relishes the pressure, she performs best under pressure, and

she is the defending champion and world champion, the focus will be on

her, and she performs well in that situation. Katarina Johnson-Thompson

has struggled under pressure. With all of the attention on Jess, and

having learned from the World Championships, when she crashed out,

she learned from that. It will be tough for her, she still has to

learn to produce a series of really good, strong performances on the

grand stage. It will be a fabulous competition to watch, over two days,

the climax is on the middle Saturday, we have the same Super

Saturday trio together. A* to watch out for, you will be the Superstock

of the Ring world? -- the Superstock of the ring world? The ones that

have been there for a long time is the kiwi pair. You might as well

give them the medal now. I would put my house on them winning. That is

firm! The Olympics is about all of the nations.

Thank you, Michael, Sir Steve and to all our guests tonight,

And I hope you'll come back and join us at 11:40pm here on BBC One