Thursday 21 September 2000
Coverage from the Olympic Stadium as the track and field events get underway. Women's 800m round 1; men's 400m round 1; men's 100m round 1; women's 100m round 1. Commentary by Stuart Storey, David Coleman, Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson, Brendan Foster, Sally Gunnell and Christina Boxer.
Friday 22 September 2000
Featuring women's 5000m round 1; men's shot put final; women's 400m round 1; women's 100m round 1; men's 100m round 2; men's 10000m round 1. Commentary by Stuart Storey, David Coleman, Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson, Brendan Foster, Sally Gunnell and Christina Boxer.
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| 14:00-15:30 |
| ATHLETICS: Olympic Games at Sydney's Olympic Stadium |
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Women's 5000m Round 1; Men's Shot Put Final; Men's High Jump Qualifying Round; Women's 400m Round 1; Women's Triple Jump Qualifying Round; Women's 100m Round 2; Men's 100m Round 2; Men's 1km Round 1. Delayed.
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| 20:30-22:15 |
| ATHLETICS: Olympic Games at Sydney's Olympic Stadium |
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Highlights and interviews.
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Olympic
Games: Sydney: Men's 800m
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Wilson
Kipketer
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This is a close
one to call, but Denmark's Wilson Kipketer, world record holder and reigning
world Champion, will be the athelete that everyone else will want to beat.
The 29-year-old defected from his native Kenya four years ago, causing him
to miss out on the chance to compete in Atlanta.
Kipketer set
his world best of 1:41.11 in 1997, but was still good enough to win gold
in Seville a year ago, ahead of South Africa's Hezeikel Sepeng, and young
Algerian Djabir Said-Guerni. Said-Guerni is the second fastest in the world
this year, whereas Sepeng's best time of 1:43.98 in Zurich places him seventh.
The South African
is no stranger to the silver medal position, after being pipped by surprise
winner Vebjorn Rodal four years ago.
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Andre
Bucher
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The Norwegian,
who turns 28 on the day of the opening ceremony, looks unlikely to repeat
his success - his best this year - a third in Oslo at the Bislett Games,
places him 20th on the 2000 timesheet. He'd become only the second athelete
to successfully defend his 800m gold if he does - Kenya's Paul Ereng repeated
his gold in Seoul with another in Barcelona.
The formidable
Kenyan challenge this time out is spearheaded by 21-year-olds Noah Ngeny
and Japeth Kimutai.
But they'll
all have to watch out for Switzerland's Andre Bucher - who set the fastest
time in the world this year when he win in Lausanne in July.
Olympic Games:
Sydney: Women's 800m
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Ludmila
Formanova
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Like the Men's
800m - it's difficult to predict an easy victory for anyone - although 1999
World Champion Ludmila Formanova and Seville silver medallist Maria Mutola
are the names to beat.
The duo head
the IAAF world rankings, ahead of Austria's Stephanie Graf, and Russia's
Natalya Tsyganova, who ran the fastest 800m of the year in their Olympic
trials, just ahead of second-fastest Olga Raspopova, just 21 years old.
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Maria
Mutola
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Young Maroccan
Hasna Benhassi, the experience Laetitia Vriesde of Surinam, and Belgium's
Sandra Stals are all good enough to make an imkpact in the final, whilst
Australian youngster Tamsyn Lewis went under 2:00.00 for the first time
this year. She's currently ranked ninth in the IAAF points table, but with
the uproarious support of the home crowd, who knows what she could acheive?
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