Reigning Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva showing off her skills
LONDON, England ● Another 18 gold medals are up for grabs and 20 sports are on the schedule as London 2012 enters its second full week.
Yelena Isinbayeva will be one of the biggest names on show in the Olympic Stadium as she aims for a third successive gold medal in the women’s Pole Vault.
The world record-holder is the only one of the 12 finalists to have cleared five metres but if she fails to produce her best form then Germany’s Silke Spiegelburg, Jennifer Suhr of the USA and Great Britain youngster Holly Bleasdale will hope to take advantage.
Great Britain’s team captain Dai Greene will get a chance to deliver further home success in the final of the men’s 400m Hurdles, although the Welshman will need to improve after only finishing fourth in his semi-final.
He faces competition from the likes of 2004 Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, who was the fastest qualifier with the quickest time in the world this year, and Javier Culson.
Other medals to be handed out in Athletics come in the men’s 400m, the women’s Shot Put and 3000m Steeplechase.
Three of the gold medals on offer on Day 10 are in Artistic Gymnastics, with the finals of the men’s Rings and Vault and the women’s Uneven Bars.
The home crowd will be hoping to cheer Beth Tweddle to victory in the latter, but He Kexin of China, the reigning Olympic champion, and Viktoria Komova of Russia will also be targeting gold.
In the women’s Hockey, Argentina and Australia go head-to-head for semi-final places in the final round of matches in Pool B. A draw would take Argentina through but Australia need to win, unless Germany beat New Zealand in which case a point would suffice.
The situation is equally tense in Pool A and much rests on China’s encounter with Japan. A victory will put the Beijing silver medallists into second place in the group, which would mean Great Britain would need at least a draw against defending champions the Netherlands to qualify.
In Shooting, the final of the men’s Trap follows the conclusion of the men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions and will bring the curtain down on 10 days of competition at the Royal Artillery Barracks, and the pick of the Track Cycling programme at the Velodrome is the men’s Sprint.
There are also three finals in the Greco-Roman Wrestling in the 60kg, 84kg and 120kg weight divisions, while the men’s Laser and the women’s Laser Radial classes conclude in Sailing.
The finalists in the women’s Football will be decided as France face Japan at Wembley before Canada take on the USA at Old Trafford.