Beijing Olympic Games

Paul Weaver hears how Rebecca Adlington won two Olympic gold medals and stunned the nation

Rebecca Adlington

It was strange at the Olympics because all the heats were in the evening and the finals in the morning. I had trained mornings and evenings but the atmosphere was very different there.

Sharron Davies

BBC's poolside reporter

Before the Games I didn't expect her to do this well. But she is a very good racer. She is always calm and never seems to get flustered in a race situation.

Adlington's first race was the 400m freestyle. She came second in her heat to the Italian Federica Pellegrini with a Commonwealth-record time to qualify for the final the following day

Bill Furniss

Adlington's coach

I didn't really expect her to win the 400m, even though she had won it at the national championships in Liverpool four weeks earlier. She is driven, though. And her performance in the heat, where she broke the Commonwealth record, shook up some of her opponents, made them think about their approach and tactics and convinced me that she could win it.

Adlington Joanne [Jackson, her fellow British swimmer in the final] and I didn't panic when we were behind. Neither of us are what I'd call real sprinters but we are suited to the back half of the race, and that's where it happened for us.

Davies Becky had nothing to lose in the 400m. It was a bonus. I thought the gold might go to America or Italy but Rebecca won it because she was very tough at the end and swam with total conviction in the final yards.

Adlington won the 400m freestyle but it was so close that she looked bewildered at the end, unsure whether she finished ahead of the American Katie Hoff.

Adlington I still thought I was second, that I had the silver, and was delighted with it. Katie was not in the next lane to me so I couldn't see her properly but I thought she had won gold. Then I realised I had won and there was Jo hugging me, which was so, so nice. Gold and bronze, amazing.

Cassie Patten

10km open water bronze medallist

I remember jumping up and down and screaming "Go Becky, go" during the last 100 metres. I was so excited and then hysterical to see my best friend win gold. I cried for so long.

Furniss She won the race with a slower time than she had managed in the heats. It was a cat and mouse race but Becky closed the others down in the last 50 metres. It reminded me of Coe-Ovett because she had won the one she wasn't meant to win.

Adlington Even when I watched the BBC playback afterwards I didn't think I'd won. But I had, by a few hundredths of a second!

Jackson took the bronze medal, only 0.3sec behind Adlington's winning time.

Kerri-Anne Payne

10km open water silver medallist

I got this picture of Rebecca and Jo together and it was the happiest they had ever been. And I felt so pleased for her because she is this wonderful, funny, bubbly friend, one of those special friends who doesn't need to be reminded of stuff.

Patten Clive Woodward took a picture of Becky and then turned and took a picture of me. Then we all bellowed out the national anthem, out of time and out of tune. We were so happy but, unlike the Americans, we hadn't had much practice with the anthem. I think Becky was embarrassed. She told us we were rubbish. Her win came early in the Games and lifted the whole team.

Adlington I remember the whole British team singing the national anthem out of tune as the flag went up and I took my medal. I thought that was very funny. Then, suddenly, I was crying. It was just so emotional. I didn't take the medal off for six hours.

Adlington, now catapulted into the media spotlight, had three days to wait before her next event — the 800m freestyle — for which she was the favourite. She watched CSI Miami in the village to try to take her mind off swimming and it worked: she won her heat with an Olympic record time of 8:18.06. The final was two days later.

Adlington There was so much expectation for me to do well and I was so nervous before the race that I thought I was going to throw up. I had never been so nervous in my life. Then I thought I was going to burst into tears. I had to lie down. Bill, who calls me Chick, patted me on the head and told me my body was getting ready to race.

Furniss I had to calm her down. I had to sell her the idea that this was all perfectly normal.

Patten I went up to Becky, gave her a hug and told her "You can do this". I was in the final with her, though I shouldn't have been as I was ranked 20. Just getting there was my medal.

Adlington Once I got in the water I was telling myself "Don't mess this up". I was thinking strokes and consistency. I got to 400 metres and I thought "This is only halfway." Then, at 500 or 600, when the pain set in, it was "Oh my God, is this not over yet?"

Furniss She went out and destroyed the field. Some swimmers stand on the block and crack. Becky stands there and gets better.

Davies I remember watching her and thinking "Your life will never be the same again." And it never will be. But what a great ambassador for British swimming she is proving to be.

Patten I was four lanes away from her and had my head down so I didn't see much of her. But when I finished I looked up and saw "WORLD RECORD" on the board.

She was more than six seconds ahead of silver medallist, Italy's Alessia Filippi.

Adlington This time I knew I had won gold as soon as I touched. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. But I didn't expect the record. I can't really say which race I preferred. The 400 was so close then, in the 800, I was much further ahead and to do it all in front of my parents and my coach made it very special. I didn't leave the pool for ages. But there are times when you don't want to go home.

Patten I went over and gave her a massive cuddle. "Fucking hell Becks," I said, and I never swear normally. This was the win that was closer to her heart.

Furniss It was one of the all-time great swims which should be remembered up there with those of Phelps and Spitz. It was an awesome achievement.

She broke the world record by more than two seconds and the Olympic record by five and waved to her parents, who had missed her 400m victory

Adlington You just want to sit in the pool area with everyone. I went over to see my mum and dad and the crowd mobbed me.

Kay Adlington

Her mother

We were the proudest parents in Beijing. Mrs Phelps must be pretty proud too but we were overjoyed. It was unbelievable. I felt like someone was going to pinch me and wake me up.

Payne The atmosphere when she won was magic. Becky was always our best shot in the Games. But what she did lifted not only the other swimmers but the entire British team.

Furniss She had to do a drug test after the race but she couldn't do the business with the urine so she was hanging around for a long time. I remember thinking that no one deserved these medals more than her. She had worked so hard for this moment. I sometimes really have to tell her to take a day off. The great thing about her is that she's a Mansfield girl and she always will be a Mansfield girl. But I told her "I'm going to have to start saying, 'Would you like to go to the pool, Ma'am?'."

During an interview with Davies, Patten looked into the camera and gave a certain someone a nudge for the New Year's honours list

Patten If the Queen was watching, I thought, this girl Adlington should be made a Dame. She's a great friend of mine so I was allowed to say that.

Adlington When the swimming was finished there was a party and Janet Evans was there [Adlington was six months old when Evans set the 800m record in 1989]. She was absolutely lovely and down to earth. And so tiny! She had this long-standing world record for swimming — I was expecting someone old and out came this stunning young woman.

Anita Lonsbrough

Gold medallist for Britain in 1960

I was delighted that the records I held for being "the last British woman to ..." were finally gone. And they could not have gone to a more deserving athlete.

Adlington This was the best British team we had ever had. Personally, the most satisfying thing was realising that all the hard work had paid off. And I'm not just talking about the couple of months of preparation, I mean the four to five years of hard training that led to this. People don't see you getting up at five in the morning, six days a week.

Furniss I can't really say I was surprised by what she did because I knew how good she was, but I didn't expect it all to come together at the same time like this. She's got great physical talent but the same could be said about a number of swimmers I've coached. Rebecca, though, has great psychological talent as well. The training has sometimes been brutal, punishing, but she has this inner strength.

The numbers

0.3
Time in seconds between Adlington and bronze-medal winner Jo Jackson in the 400m final

1
World record set

2
Olympic gold medals won

2.12
Seconds she took off Janet Evans' world record in the 800m

3rd
Her position in the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, behind Chris Hoy and Lewis Hamilton

6.13
Seconds ahead of the swimmer in silver-medal place in 800m final in Beijing 8th Adlington's position in the 400m race after 150m which she improved to fourth after 350m

10
Total number of long-course and short-course records - world, Olympic, Commonwealth, European and British - she has broken

19
Years that Janet Evans held the 800m record, swimming's longest-standing world mark, before Adlington broke it

48
Years since a British woman swimmer, Anita Lonsbrough, had won a gold medal at the Olympics

100
Years since a British swimmer had won more than one gold medal at an Olympics, Henry Taylor in 1908

1,100
Pounds Adlington's parents were swindled out of in an internet fake ticket scam for The Olympics

12,000
Adlington's annual UK Sport lottery funding in pounds pre-Beijing, since doubled

Great Britain's 27 gold medal-winning Olympians reveal their hopes and dreams for the year ahead

Athletics

Christine Ohuruogu 400 metres

'I'd like to put aside more time for just watching TV. In the past couple of months things have got really hectic and you don't realise how much time you don't have to yourself. It is pretty hard to have to go back into full-time training so it is good to give yourself a chance to rest and chill out as well'

Boxing

James DeGale

69-75kg

'I'm going to try not to speed in my new Range Rover Sport. I'm training twice a day and it feels nice to be sweating again and have my heart pumping. I'm pleased to be back in the gym and I'm looking forward to my first professional fight in February'

Cycling

Victoria Pendleton

Sprint

'I'm going to give myself time to chill out and do my nails – a bit more Vicky time, because I'm not very good at that at the moment. That's not necessarily because of the Olympics, it's just generally the type of person that I am. I never schedule in enough time for me to do the things I want to do'

Bradley Wiggins

Individual pursuit, Team pursuit

'I've nothing in mind at the moment. I never have had any. I think it's just a load of rubbish, to be honest. No one ever keeps up their New Year's resolutions'

Ed Clancy

Team pursuit

'I'm going to watch more TV. My coach is always getting on to me because a big part of our training is resting. The more time we can rest on the sofa when we're not training is obviously beneficial. I'm into my toys and I've got a few motorbikes and mountain bikes and I'm always a bit restless and running around, doing things'

Paul Manning

Team pursuit

'I don't really do New Year's resolutions. I just think it's best to get on with your life. I have retired from cycling and I am starting a new job in the New Year, working for the company building the velodrome for the 2012 Olympics – so that's my big change for the year. I am approaching it with a little bit of trepidation because it is such a change, but I still keep in touch with the guys from the cycling team'

Geraint Thomas

Team pursuit

'I'm just keen to get back to being a proper athlete – training and cycling and just doing what I do best. I'm heading out to my base in Tuscany, Italy, in January, where I live and race and train. Not such a bad life, is it?'

Rebecca Romero

Individual pursuit

'I'm going to get some new hobbies and interests, because I've committed the last 2½ years so intently to what I've been doing in sport. I've been saying for the last four years that I'm going to learn to speak Spanish properly because I'm half Spanish and I'd love to be able to speak it a bit better and get out and visit my family a bit more'

Jason Kenny

Team sprint

'I don't smoke, I don't drink too much and I don't need to go on a diet, so I'm really struggling to come up with a New Year's resolution. I suppose it couldn't do any harm if I did a bit more training'

Jamie Staff

Team sprint

'I have just bought myself an acoustic guitar so my resolution is to find the time out from training to practise playing the guitar and stick with it'

Chris Hoy

Team sprint, Keirin, Sprint

'It would be great to be able to find more time to spend with my friends and family – the last year has just been a blur'

Nicole Cooke

Road race

'It may seem a little strange, but in 2009 I am determined to moisturise more'

Rowing

Zac Purchase

Lightweight double sculls

'The same as every year, which is not to have a New Year's resolution. I just get on with it and when you want to do something just do it, no excuses, and if you want to quit something just quit it there and then – don't wait for January'

Mark Hunter

Lightweight double sculls

'I don't think I could give anything up because life is really good at the moment. My plan is to just keep living my dream in California, and enjoy Vegas while celebrating New Year. I'm loving my job coaching rowing at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles], the lifestyle out there is just amazing, so my other resolution is to keep sunbathing on the beach'

Andy Hodge

Coxless fours

'To not forget how hard it was. Looking forward to the next four years it is important to remember how hard we trained to achieve what we did in Beijing. It's quite easy to look back and think 'we won the gold medal so we can slacken off' and forget how hard it was'

Tom James

Coxless fours

'To get organised. I've had three months of unconstructive – but you could say necessary – time off. I'm taking some time out of rowing before I come back next autumn. I'm going to do a marathon, some strengthening and conditioning and will bulk up a little bit. I'm just going to enjoy myself – I played rugby for the first time in about 10 years last week, but I was really annihilated. I had no speed in running or coordination, even something like falling was incredibly awkward'

Peter Reed

Coxless fours

'To stay in touch more with my brother and sister – we're all in the same country, but we're all very busy. The important things in my life are my family, my girlfriend and training. My brother wants to be an Olympian in 2012, in the cycling team. He's got his foot in the door now, he's extremely talented but it's just being noticed'

Steve Williams

Coxless fours

'I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no intentions of making any New Year's resolutions. I can't think of anything and if you can't think of a resolution you clearly shouldn't make one up for the sake of it'

Tim Brabants

K-1 1000m kayaking

'To get a job. I didn't apply for a new job at my last hospital when my previous contract ran out because I knew I'd be going back into full-time sport. I hope to get a job as an accident and emergency doctor in the Nottingham area. Training is just going to be once a day, or whenever I can muster the motivation and energy outside of work and then in February 2010, if I keep my body ticking over until then [and] hit training hard again from there'

Sailing

Iain Percy

Star class

'Celebrating should definitely be on the list of things to cut out. If it wasn't for London I might consider calling it a day with two gold medals – but London is such a massive pull, to be doing it back home, and me and Andrew [Simpson] are really fired up. To get back into training is my New Year's resolution, really. Physically, I'm back in training, but to get back out on the water in New Zealand with Team Origin in preparation for the America's Cup is my resolution'

Andrew Simpson

Star class

'From January the really hard work starts – getting back in the boat, getting fit and no more drinking and getting back on with the job. I can imagine all the guys are in the same boat, no pun intended – crack on and get on with it and get back to normal'

Paul Goodison

Laser class

'I'd love to try and make it into the Sheffield United team but I don't think my skills are quite up to it, so it will be just back to the sailing. I've only sailed once or twice since the Olympics as I've been taking time out to really appreciate what we've done. The biggest bad habit I have to rectify is losing my gym routine and also my diet, I've been a bit slack and put on a bit of weight'

Ben Ainslie

Mixed finn

'To get back into fitness training. I haven't had any time to do that since the Games and it doesn't feel great, to be honest. It's been quite a busy time since Beijing, probably even busier than it was before. I've been doing some racing but not in the Olympic classes, more match racing which is along the lines of the America's Cup, which takes place in 2010 and is the next real goal'

Sarah Ayton

Yngling class

'To begin dieting in earnest. It's about time I kick-started my Olympic diet. In the build-up to and during the Olympics all three of us were on a pretty strict diet to ensure we were at an optimum weight for the Yngling. Since returning from Beijing I have got married and been on my honeymoon'

Pippa Wilson

Yngling class

'Between training and competing and the post-Beijing events and celebrations I really would like more time for myself. Two things I really want to do are to read more, nothing in particular but just a variety of books, and also I would love to learn a language'

Sarah Webb

Yngling class

'To read more, in particular history books on different countries. The second thing is perhaps a little more optimistic and more of a challenge, but no less enjoyable: I really want to do one thing per month to encourage more kids to take up a sport'

Swimming

Rebecca Adlington

400m freestyle, 800m freestyle

'I've always been this energetic, go-go-go person who has done everything for herself, so in 2009 I am going to ask for help. I want to learn to relax and be patient. I've never really asked people for things but now I'm living on my own for the first time I will be asking for assistance from my parents and my boyfriend. For example, I will be asking my parents to sort out my council tax! As for the swimming, I will be concentrating on the world championships, because I didn't do well in 2007'

Panasonic, worldwide Olympic Games partner and Team GB sponsor, has rewarded each of the gold medal-winning Olympians and Paralympians from Beijing with a 32in Panasonic Viera television with HD Freesat built in and a Blu-ray player. More details at panasonic.co.uk/olympicgames

Compiled by Mikey Stafford

I was delighted to be asked to write something for the newspaper at Christmas time, because it's something that I feel strongly about and there aren't too many of those, other than diving, obviously. Not just that, though. It's nice that the press even remember who I am.

Since I slagged off Tom Daley at the Olympics I've been forgotten faster than the lyrics to the 43rd verse of Hallelujah. I thought you'd lost my number. What do you mean, it's always engaged? Hold on ... Er, can you hang on a minute?

Hi mum. Yeah, freezing. I know, but have you seen the forecast for tomorrow? Yes, I've got my gloves on. Yes, I'll drive safely. I'll be round about 4.30. Great. See you then. Bye.

Yeah, about this Christmas thing, it really isn't on. I mean, it's nice to get everyone all together in one place and stuff - it's kind of like a big festival in a way - but it's not right to give so much attention to someone who's basically just a baby. Unfortunately that's what the world's all about these days. People need to judge everyone on their individual merits, but there's none of that. It's just about following a star.

And think about what that kind of pressure's going to do to the lad. I mean, he's a talented kid - some of the things he's done are nothing short of miraculous really, when you think about it - but how's he going to cope with that kind of pressure? He's barely into his nappies and he's got all these so-called wise men hanging about talking up his chances of getting gold. And frankincense and myrrh, obviously. It's just not right.

It's not all about the kid, either. Think about how the rest of the family feel. I mean, take Joseph. He was the senior partner really, the older man. He'd have been looking forward to helping the lad through what's basically just a learning experience, and all of a sudden he's just getting ignored, hanging around the back of the stable like some kind of ass while everyone swarms all over this amazing kid.

They might as well just write him out of the story altogether. He's the one I feel sorry for. He might be a really talented guy, but nobody's paying him enough attention to even notice. That's really going to knock his confidence in the long run.

The situation just gets out of control. At the start, there's only a few people who've actually seen the kid in the flesh but they're spreading all this gossip about how he's this wonderful child with all these incredible gifts, like as if he's going to change the world.

Next thing, everyone in the country knows about him. There are members of the royal family talking about him. I mean, he might very well grow up to do all sorts of amazing things but they don't know that then, do they?

But if you're told the same thing by enough people you just start believing it, don't you? Next thing you know, the lad's on the front cover of every Christmas card and everybody just wants to meet him and they're ignoring everybody else.

I'm sure the kid just wants to make the world a better place, but with all that pressure on his shoulders it's going to be twice as hard, isn't it? Wait just a minute, will you?

Hi mum. Yes, I'm about to leave. Just talking to the paper. I'm sure there will be a shop open. Those 24-hour ones, they never close do they? I'm not sure they'll have clotted cream, though. I'll see what I can find. Yeah, see you then.

All I mean to say is that they just need to give the kid a bit of space for a while, see if he can fulfil his potential and until then let the more perienced guys just do the best they can.

The way they keep building him up, if he makes any kind of mistake in the future he's just going to get crucified by everyone, and how's he going to come back from that? That's going to be tough no matter how talented he is.

Hi mum. Not good news, I'm afraid. Normal cream, they have. Yeah, I know it's not the same. Ice cream? Baileys Irish Cream? Cream of tomato? Custard Creams? Cif Powercream? I'll just get a bit of a selection, yeah? Great, see you in a minute.

Other than that, though, Christmas is probably my favourite time of the year. It's just nice to have all the family together for once. Saves a fortune on the phone bills for a start.

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Olympic stadium roof

The first real sign of progress in the Giza-scale construction project in east London will come with the unveiling of the stadium's roof in early 2009. Expect Sebastian Coe grinning in a hard hat. Expect Boris Johnson to make a tactless joke. Expect vicious cost-related bleating from those members of our recession-racked populace who live outside Stratford, and whose house values consequently haven't trebled. And expect yourself, finally, to feel a shiver of excitement about a games that's only three years away.

• Stratford, east London; london2012.com, date unconfirmed.

Boxing: David Haye's world title fight

Explosive, gobby and intimidatingly chiselled, last year the Hayemaker became world cruiserweight champion. This year he intends to become heavyweight champ, and overnight one of Britain's brightest sporting stars. Stage one is complete: the WBC title fight with the vast, lumbering Vitali Klitschko - who has described Haye as "too noisy" - is booked for London next summer. Haye has speed, chutzpah and charm. He promises to burn brightly. And perhaps also briefly.

• Venue to be confirmed, London, June.

Cricket: the Ashes

Forget, for a moment, the 5-0 whitewash in Australia last time out, which curtailed the gurgling remnants of the flag-waving for England's thrilling, champagne-sozzled 2005 home victory. Next summer's Ashes still feels like a re-match. Never mind that both teams will be weaker this time. Australia have lost a trio of all-time greats. England have merely followed their own course of sullen and bungling decline. This is still the acme of Test cricket.

• Cardiff Stadium; Lord's, London; Edgbaston, Birmingham; Headingley Carnegie Stadium and the Oval, London (npower.com/cricket/ashes_2009), July.

Rugby: Lions tour of South Africa

The Lions is still the only team in any sport selected from a united Britain and Ireland. Recession permitting, a combined 50,000 fans are expected to make the trip for the three Tests, including the usual fist-punching royal party. This should be a fierce one: the Springbok prides himself on his rugby machismo and invaders are forcefully repulsed. First requirement is a proper contest: last time out the Lions were thrashed 3-0 by New Zealand.

• Durban, South Africa, 20 June; Pretoria, 27 June; Johannesburg (lions-tour.com), 4 July.

Cricket: World Twenty20 final

Cricket's great gimmick-ridden, buffed-up and terribly noisy cash cow gets its first big international airing at the game's HQ. The World Twenty20 follows on from the second Indian Premier League season, and this could be the date we can say for sure whether the Twenty20 revolution looks like being a mere diversion, or a permanent diversion. Some things don't change. The home team will probably be watching it on TV.

• Lord's, London (020-7286 8011), 21 June.

Motorsport: Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix

This is the last British Grand Prix at Silverstone before the race moves to Donington Park. It's also the first with a reigning British champion since Damon Hill in 1997. It also comes as impending economic doom clips the sport's ludicrous carbon-guzzling excesses. More evenly matched engines, a more win-friendly scoring system and Lewis Hamilton, with all his edgy charisma. Unusually, perhaps, it's going to be a fascinating race.

• Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire (08704 588 200/silverstone.co.uk), 19 June to 21 June.

Tennis: Andy Murray at Wimbledon

Never mind Murray Mount. Forget those excruciating Sue Barker interviews. This is not Tim Henman, a worthy player overburdened by the expectations of the face-painted hordes. Andy Murray won back-to-back Masters titles last season and reached the final of the US Open. Wimbledon in June represents his best chance yet, perhaps even the best one he'll ever have, of winning the premier grand slam. Come on Andy! Whoops. Sorry.

• All England Lawn Tennis Association, London; June/July.

Cycling: Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France

This year's Tour has been given an irresistible frisson by the reappearance, four years on from his retirement, of the seven-time winner Lance Armstrong. His welcome back has been muted. This seems a little churlish: Armstrong survived testicular cancer; he's not dating Sheryl Crow any more; and he's doing it all for charity. If he pulled it off, this would be one of the great sporting stories.

• Begins in Monaco; (letour.fr), 4 July to 26 July.

Football: England v Croatia

For England's footballers, revenge is a dish best served two years on, and with the help of a lantern-jawed Italian managerial genus. In November 2007 Croatia beat England 3-2 at Wembley, ensuring Steve McClaren's team's absence from Euro 2008. By brilliant coincidence, the fixture list for World Cup qualification has given Fabio Capello's men a chance to put that right in grand style. Time to heal those two years of hurt.

• Wembley Stadium, London (0844 980 8001) Sept.

Athletics: Usain Bolt's ongoing pursuit of perfection

Not content with lowering the 100m world record to an incredible 9.69 seconds (while already doing a victory body-pop as he crossed the line) last summer, Bolt has spoken of his desire to push the frontier back even further in 2009. He wants to run 200m in under 19 seconds. And he wants the 400m record. By the end of 2009 he could be making a case for himself as the greatest sprinter in history.

William Fotheringham hears the story of Team GB's spectacular Olympic medal-winning heroics told by those involved

Dave Brailsford

Team GB performance director

We approached it like any other day. No one thinks "today is going to be a mega day". That we might end up with seven medals never came into it. We had a meeting with all the staff the night before, went through the whole day in detail; everyone had a specific part to play. It wasn't a massive team effort everywhere but a matter of the sprint coaches Iain Dyer and Jan van Eijden knowing what they had to do, the same for Matt Parker with Brad [Wiggins] and Steven Burke and the points race, and Dan Hunt with the women.

David Hoy

Father of Chris Hoy

Over the years we've come to understand what goes on when Chris is riding, so we leave him to get on with it. We left early and had time in the velodrome to watch the marshals teaching people how to clap. We knew no one could touch the Brits having seen the team sprint the day before. It was obvious they were streets ahead.

Chris Newton

Points race cyclist

I remember being very calm, waking up in the morning with the day planned - the bus journey, the meal times. The funny thing is that everyone does the same thing, so all the other riders for the points race were in the same bus. It was like the calm before the battle.

First up were Bradley Wiggins and Steven Burke in the men's individual pursuit; both win to go through to the ride-offs for gold/silver and bronze/fourth

Bradley Wiggins

I can only remember being so concentrated on my own race. In the village the days blur into each other, watching videos, eating in the dining hall. I knew a few days before that I'd got back to sufficient form to win it hands down. I knew I was a long way ahead of the field, qualifying had gone OK, so it was a matter of repeating that. The beauty of it was that I was three or four seconds faster than anyone. There was no hyping it up from the coaches, no thought in my mind that in two hours I might be the Olympic champion. It was all very businesslike. It was just a matter of doing two similar rides on the day. All the pursuit sessions were like that, very controlled, almost a formality.

Next up was the preliminary round of the keirin, Chris Hoy's second chance for gold and Ross Edgar's only chance for a medal.

Ross Edgar

The day before I was the fourth rider for the team sprint but didn't get to ride [Edgar's place went to Jason Kenny] and that took something out of me. You have to get yourself in a state where you know you can step in, and I went down and warmed up as if I was going to do the second ride, although realistically I knew there was a very good chance I wasn't going to ride. It's a hard one, because there is none of the release of adrenaline you get when you race. So on keirin day I was well up for it. I knew I had a good chance and I knew Chris would be my main rival. It worked out well in the end because we didn't come across each other until the final. We didn't have to talk in the morning. We'd raced together all year and we knew what works for us. You have to race for yourself and help each other out without damaging your own chances. I won the first heat and could see I'd got rid of the cobwebs and the nerves.

The second round of the women's pursuit followed, with Rebecca Romero up against Katie Mactier, with Wendy Houvenaghel, fastest qualifier the day before, taking on the Czech Republic's Lada Kozlikova.

Wendy Houvenaghel

Going against Kozlikova, the eighth qualifier, meant I had to deal with catching her. I got her on the banking which meant I had to stretch myself to get round her. I could see from the clock that I was good enough to get to the gold/silver ride-off but I was a bit disappointed I wasn't the fastest [Romero had finished only 0.1sec faster]. That's more psychological than anything. Knowing you are fastest gives you impetus for the next round. Then I had to set about getting myself mentally ready for the final. It was hard to contend with as I was a first-time Olympian, my only experience of it before was watching it on TV. My overwhelming emotion would have been relief that I had got to the final and got the medal which was my goal but you have to just see the final as another hurdle. I felt drained by that stage, I just wanted it to be over and done with, but at the same time I had to concentrate on visualising and making sure I did my best. As it was, on the day, I couldn't have gone any faster, not even if someone had been dangling a million pounds in front of me.

Immediately afterwards Newton got his chance in the points race, where he gained a lap (worth 20 points) but missed out on silver in the final sprint.

Chris Newton

The points is a vicious event, very physical - you just keep digging deep until the last man is standing; you can be reeling for days afterwards. It's always the same guys kicking each other's heads in, but bunch racing is what appeals to me - the tactics, how to approach it. To me it's the ultimate, because there's no one else there to bail you out. I don't recall the details of the race. I remember waiting, being ready. I had a game plan and knew I could respond to anything. Unfortunately I didn't get the lap until late on and ran out of legs in the last sprint. It was me or a German, Roger Kluge, for the silver. I thought I had six or seven places on him coming to the line but his legs were stronger than mine. It was my third medal in four games and I was just relieved because I'd put so much into the year. I started trying to qualify for the place in November, broke my collarbone before the world championship, was chasing form all summer and tore my calf just before I travelled. I thought it was coming unravelled but my coach Matt Parker was fantastic throughout.

Bradley Wiggins

As I was warming up on the rollers, I was watching Chris Newton's progress in the points race on the scoreboard, I kept looking up, more and more happy for him. I was getting my overshoes on to go out and ride and he came in, celebrating, I slapped him on the leg and said "Well done". I was so in the zone I couldn't say any more but we had a huge hug after my final.

The semi-final of the men's keirin followed, with Hoy and Edgar both winning to make it through to the final before Wiggins and Burke stepped up for the medal ride-offs in the men's pursuit.

Bradley Wiggins

The individual pursuit is a lonely business. You're just with your own thoughts in the pen in the track centre, nowhere else to go. But it was much easier than in Athens where there were emotions and tears; this time it was like saying to myself, "Come on, Brad, time to get this done." I was isolated but I was with it, accepting everything around me. It's when you try to block things out that you feel under pressure. I remember having a bit of a laugh with Burkie and Matt between the rides, because three days before Burkie didn't even know he was riding, and there he was, on for bronze. "Bet you didn't think you'd be here, Burkie," that kind of thing. Although me and Steven were both waiting for our rides together, it wasn't like being in the team pursuit where you're all going out for each other. From the moment I won, it all went so fast. Chris won the keirin just afterwards, I was on the podium, looking at the medal, Chris and I had a photo together, then we were in dope control for two hours. I had to get straight on to the next thing, the team pursuit, because we'd been planning that for so long, it was so big for us.

Wiggins's gold and Burke's bronze were followed by the final event of the evening, the men's keirin, where Hoy rode to his second gold, with Edgar taking silver ahead of the chasing pack.

Ross Edgar

Chris and I said if either of us got right behind the motor bike we should let the other one in front, so we would be in the best position. I got the bike and let Chris in. I was boxed in on the last lap, I thought I was out of it in fifth place, guys in front and above me, but the gaps opened. I had a decent position on the bottom so it was a matter of keeping close to the wheel, waiting for a gap and, when it came, I went for it. I was over the moon - the cycling programme is about medals and, if you don't get one, you are out of sight. Chris is so strong when he goes from the front, he can always hold everyone off but I do believe he's beatable and, perhaps if the final had turned out differently, I'd have given him a run for his money. I don't know if Chris knew about me, he was saluting the crowd, I came up and tapped him on the shoulder and said "second" and he said "congratulations". Everyone was there - my mum, my dad, both sisters, my auntie, a friend from Newmarket. They'd come all that way, all the hassle, the money and I wanted to give them something to cheer about.

Bradley Wiggins

When the keirin was on, I wasn't looking at Chris Hoy; everyone knew he was going to win. I was watching Ross more because I really wanted him to get a medal after missing the team sprint.

David Hoy

Chris just rode them off his wheel. This year the other riders seem to have accepted that he will win. They are fighting to get on his wheel rather than taking him on. None of us celebrated too much; what I think I said to him was "two down, one to go" and he said "yup". It wasn't a full-on celebration. And we had to pace ourselves. Nothing is more stupid than jumping to the rafters, then watching your rider being beaten in a heat the next day. It was the same for Chris, he only really let out his emotions after the sprint.

Dave Brailsford

Looking back at the day, I think all we felt was that it was very satisfying. We'd done what we knew we were capable of. It was business as usual but that's how we operate. It's all about the process of what has to be done.

IT's a strange world in which Michael Phelps can win a record eight Olympic gold medals and still be challenged for pre-eminence in the year of the Beijing Games.

British track cyclist Victoria Pendleton recalls the thrill of winning gold in China

We were expecting something pretty spectacular from the Beijing Olympics and I think everyone was thoroughly impressed. It proved how determined the Chinese were to make the games much bigger and better than ever before. In terms of the presentation, the planning and the athletes' experience, it was probably better than Athens, but the team also had a very different approach, and so did I. I was going in as a much more mature and experienced athlete, so I wasn't too fazed.

We weren't allowed to go to the opening ceremony, mostly because it involved about six hours of standing up, and a very late night. That's something you want to avoid, especially as a cyclist: at any occasion, we're told to sit down and not expend too much energy. So we watched it on TV like everyone else.

I had to keep my head down and not be carried away by the atmosphere and everything the Olympics has to offer. If you're aiming for a gold medal, you really have to concentrate on your training and get as much recovery as possible. You have to be as well prepared for that one day as you can, because it's one day every four years that makes all the difference.

It was a brilliant year for the British team, but the atmosphere was more subdued than people would imagine. Getting excited and overwhelmed by what you're doing when other people are competing isn't very professional in some respects. My event was towards the end of the games, so it was quite tough knowing the guys were going out and partying before I'd even started competing. And everyone had done so well, I was concerned that I was going to be the disappointment.

On that final day, when I only had the semi-finals and finals to ride, I was speaking to a couple of my team-mates at breakfast, and I said: 'You know what, I'm going to do it today, I know I'm going to win.' That's quite unusual for me, because usually I'm all worried. But no, I woke up in a really super-confident mood and just wanted to beat all those bitches.

After I won the gold, I didn't have much time to think about it. The whole experience was like a high-speed roller coaster, and I was straight into training for the World Cup when I got back. It sounds boring but it's true. The most exciting moment was probably meeting David Beckham at the closing ceremony: that was an unexpected treat. It was really cool to be part of the closing ceremony, too. I cycled around with the London bus in that massive arena, which was quite surreal. In cycling we're not really used to being in a 90,000-seater stadium. It was an adrenaline rush.

I'm looking forward to 2012. It's a fantastic opportunity for any Olympic athlete to be able to perform on home soil. So many athletes will never have that chance. Also, I'll be at an age and a level of experience that will put me in a promising place to contend for a medal.

I usually keep my medal in my handbag or on my person: I wouldn't put it on display. I'd like to think that if anyone did try to run off with it, I would chase them down.

0 British football teams at Euro 2008.

0 Tries conceded by the All Blacks in their autumn Tests against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.

1 point Lewis Hamilton's winning margin in the F1 world championship.

1 English club in the FA Cup final. Two played in the Champions League final.

1 Person (Mark Cavendish) in Britain's 14-strong Olympic track cycling team who failed to win a medal in Beijing.

2 Major championships won by Padraig Harrington.

2 Wickets taken by cricketer Graeme Swann in his first over in Test cricket.

2 Hours, three minutes and 59 seconds The time it took Haile Gebrselassie to win the Berlin Marathon and thereby shatter his own world record by 27 seconds.

3 Olympic gold medals won by cyclist Chris Hoy, who became the first Briton to win three golds at one Games since 1908.

3 Clubs from outside the top division reached the FA Cup semi-finals, the first such occurrence since 1908.

4 Stages won by Mark Cavendish in the 2008 Tour de France.

4 hours and 48 minutes The length of the longest ever Wimbledon men's singles final. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7.

5 ATP Tour titles won by Andy Murray.

5 Days between Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, saying "I don't think I'm a quitter" and his quitting.

8 Olympic cycling golds won by Britons. The next best was two (by both France and Spain).

8 Gold medals won by Michael Phelps, the most by one person at a single Olympic Games.

8 months The length of Avram Grant's tenure as manager of Chelsea, during which time the club were runners-up in the Champions League, the Premier League and the Carling Cup.

9.69 The world-record 100m time, in seconds, set by Usain Bolt at the Olympics. He broke the 200m world record, in 19.30sec, and his Jamaican team set a new 4x100m mark, 37.10sec.

10 Olympic rowing finals, out of a possible 12, in which Britain participated.

11 The number of points won by Derby County in 2007-08 season, a Premier League record low.

11.5 Points scored by Europe in the Ryder Cup, their fewest since 1981.

13 The age at which swimmer Ellie Simmonds became Britain's youngest individual Paralympic gold medallist.

13 Runs scored by Bermuda's women's cricket team against South Africa in a qualifying game for the 2009 World Cup. Bermuda's total was passed in four legal deliveries, as South Africa scraped home by 10 wickets.

14 The age of Britain's Laura Robson when she won the Wimbledon girls' singles tennis title.

15 Minutes spent in a London nightclub by Danny Cipriani to give some international rugby union tickets to a friend. His "inappropriate behaviour" delayed his England debut.

16 Successive Test match victories by Australia's cricket team, equalling their own world record.

16 Sixes in one innings by Essex batsman Graham Napier in a Twenty20 Cup match against Sussex, equalling the highest number of sixes in one innings at senior level.

18 months Ban for jockey Kieren Fallon after he failed a drugs test.

19 Olympic gold medals won by Britain, their best haul for 100 years. The overall medal tally of 47 was also Britain's highest for a century.

20 Years between victories against England at Twickenham for Wales's rugby union team.

21 Years and 73 days The age at which Sebastian Vettel became the youngest racing driver to win a Formula One grand prix.

23 Years and 301 days The age at which Lewis Hamilton became Formula One's youngest world champion, breaking Fernando Alonso's record by 122 days.

28 Years since a tennis player (Bjorn Borg) had won the French and Wimbledon men's singles titles in the same year until Rafael Nadal did so.

29 Career international dropped goals by Jonny Wilkinson, eclipsing the previous Test record of 28 by Argentina's Hugo Porta.

33 Years that Australia were rugby league world champions until being usurped by New Zealand.

34 Years between league victories for Manchester City over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

35 Competitive matches Croatia had played at home without losing until England beat them 4-1 in a World Cup qualifying tie.

36 Years since a Welsh person (show-jumper Richard Meade) had won an Olympic gold medal until cyclist Nicole Cooke won the women's road race.

41 Successive singles victories for Roger Federer at Wimbledon until he was beaten by Rafael Nadal.

42 Goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United in the 2007-08 season in all competitions.

43 Years between Test cricket series wins by South Africa in England.

46 Victories in 46 professional bouts for boxer Joe Calzaghe.

46 Medals that Australia won at the Beijing Olympics, one fewer than Britain. Shame.

48 Years since a British woman (Anita Lonsborough) had won an Olympic swimming gold medal until Rebecca Adlington won the 400m freestyle.

48 Hours between Luiz Felipe Scolari saying that Chelsea could remain unbeaten for the entire 2008-09 Premier League season and their defeat by Liverpool.

57 Days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and six seconds The time it took Francis Joyon to record the fastest non-stop solo voyage around the world. The French sailor beat Dame Ellen MacArthur's previous record by 14 days and 44 minutes.

81 Years since a new racecourse had opened in Britain until Great Leighs, in Essex, opened its doors.

100 Years since a Briton had won an Olympic individual medal in gymnastics until Louis Smith finished third in the pommel horse final.

100 The career record number of Test-match sixes struck by Adam Gilchrist, the Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, who retired in 2008.

102 Years since a European golfer had won the Open Championship in successive years until Padraig Harrington did so.

102 GB medals at the Paralympics. Only China won more.

107 England caps won by David Beckham, who became only the fifth Englishman to reach the century mark, in Paris in March.

127 The disparity in goal difference between Manchester United and Derby County in the 2007-08 Premier League, the biggest between two top-flight teams since 1891-92.

150 The combined number of years since Portsmouth and Cardiff City, the FA Cup finalists, had last played in the final.

237 Successive weeks that Roger Federer was ranked as the world No1 before being supplanted by Rafael Nadal.

362 Days between Derby County winning league matches.

619 Test match wickets taken by the now retired India cricketer Anil Kumble, who became only the third bowler in history to reach the magical 600-mark.

676 Innings it took Mark Ramprakash to become the 25th batsman to score 100 first-class centuries.

759 Manchester United appearances by Ryan Giggs when he came on as a replacement in the Champions League final, thereby breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's record for the club.

12429 Career Test match runs scored to date by Sachin Tendulkar, who surpassed Brian Lara's previous record of 11,953.

41112 First-class runs scored by Graeme Hick, who retired in 2008.

50000 US dollars that Usain Bolt donated to the Chinese Red Cross to aid the Sichuan Earthquake Appeal.

1.5m Dollars that MS Dhoni, the India cricketer, pocketed for participating in the 45-day Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. Overall, 75 players from nine countries were auctioned to eight city franchises for a total of $36.78m, an average of $490,400 per player.

2.5m The cost, in pounds, of the eight-minute handover section (including a red London bus and David Beckham) to London 2012 at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

3.18m Watts of power required to stage the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at night, plus 110,000m of power cable and 27,000m of optic cable.

20m Dollars put up by Sir Allen Stanford for a Twenty20 match in Antigua between England and a "Stanford Super Stars XI".

32.5m Pounds, the record British transfer fee that Manchester City paid Real Madrid for Robinho on deadline day in September.

84.8m Pounds Nicolas Anelka has cost in transfer fees across his career, following his £15m move from Bolton to Chelsea in January.

13bn The amount in Chinese yuan that it cost China to build 30 venues and 44 training centres for the Olympics.

IN celebration of the West Australians who inspired us in 2008, read the stories that have shown us the strength of the human spirit and what can be achieved.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom: Apart from some demonising and simplistic coverage in 2008, reportage on China has seen a golden age