Ennis can put rapid gold sheen on London Olympics

For the 25-year-old world and European heptathlon champion from Sheffield will discover today that her multi-discipline event – scheduled for August 3 and 4 – will be one of the first finals to be decided when the track and field competitions commence at the biggest show on earth.

However, the all-conquering Ennis may not be able to make it a double gold medal bid after schedulers set the 110m hurdles – in which she was hoping to compete – to start on the morning of August 6, less than 48 hours after she hopes to be conducting her lap of honour.

The two million people who have registered for tickets for the Games, which run from July 27 to August 12, 2012 – also came under the starting gun yesterday for the race to claim a seat at the main event, the men’s 100m Olympic sprint final on the evening of Sunday, August 5.

Tickets to see whether Usain Bolt can rewrite the history books again with a successful defence of his astounding title win in Beijing, or whether Tyson Gay can steal the limelight, range from £50 to £750.

The publication of the schedule means that Olympics fans can now start planning how best to enjoy the Games, hoping to secure the tickets they want for the greatest multi-sports show on the planet.

Whether they want to stay in the Olympic Stadium, head to cycling’s velodrome, the aquatics centre, or even Horse Guard’s Parade for the beach volleyball, the time to make a decision is getting close.

One of Britain’s heroes four years ago, Sir Chris Hoy, will hope to have added to his Beijing bullion by the time he signs off from the London Olympics on August 7.

Britain won seven gold medals from 10 events on the track in China and two medals in four of the events.

However, changes to the Olympic programme, coupled with the progress of rivals, means such dominance is unlikely again.

With only one rider per event, Hoy may not even defend all three of his Olympic titles, with sentiment unlikely to come into what will be a ruthless selection procedure for Britain.

The first opportunity for the Scot, who will be 34 and riding in his fourth and final Games, to add to his four Olympic titles will come on the opening day of track competition in the team sprint.

The individual sprint final takes place on August 6 before Hoy’s favourite event, the motor-paced keirin, on the final day of track competition on August 7.

On the same day Victoria Pendleton will defend her sprint crown. But while in Beijing it was her one and only event, in London Pendleton will have the opportunity to emulate Hoy, with the team sprint on August 2 and the keirin on August 3.

Barnsley’s Ed Clancy will hope to defend his team pursuit title on the second day of cycling competition and will go for gold in the omnium later in the week.

As always at a Summer Olympics, a glut of medals are up for grabs in the opening week’s swimming events with Beijing golden girl Rebecca Adlington going up against her great friend and rival Jo Jackson of Northallerton in the 400m freestyle on July 29.

Double world silver medallist Nicola Adams of Leeds is set to get the chance to be crowned Britain’s first Olympic boxing gold medallist on home soil in more than one hundred years, on August 9.

If Adams reaches the women’s flyweight final she will fight for gold on a night when the women take centre stage with the slew of men’s finals not scheduled until two days later.

If successful, Adams – who trains alongside the men’s elite squad at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield – would be the first GB fighter to taste Olympic glory in her home country since the hosts swept the board in 1908.

The first medals of the Games will be won on Saturday, July 28: in women’s weightlifting and the men’s air pistol and women’s air rifle shooting. The real excitement that day, however, will be in cycling’s men’s road race which comes to a climax among the crowds in The Mall in central London, when Mark Cavendish and Rotherham’s Ben Swift will be medal candidates.

Applications for tickets can be made between March 15 and 11.59pm on April 26, 2011.

There are 26 sports to choose from with tickets starting from £20 in every sport. London 2012 say 90 per cent of all tickets will cost £100 or less.

For details or how to register visit www.tickets.london2012.com

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