VIDEO: Barbara Parker prepares to kick-off London Olympics medal bid
Norfolk's Barbara Parker embarks on her Olympic venture on Saturday morning with the first round of the London 2012 3,000m steeplechase.
Sitting seventh in the world and in the form of her life heading into the Games, Parker is hopeful of not only going one better than her Beijing experience and making Monday night's final – she wants to come home with a medal.
The Atlanta-based City of Norwich Athletic Club member will also run in the 5,000m later in the week, but the steeplechase represents her favoured event.
Parker goes in heat one of three at 11.35am Saturday with the first four from each heat and the next three fastest advancing to Monday evening's final. Elish McColgan, daughter of former world long distance champion Liz, also runs in the steeplechase alongside Parker. She runs in heat three at 12.07pm.
Young sprinter James Dasaolu will begin and end his individual sprint over the weekend.
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The 24-year-old Croydon Harrier will take on the 100m field at the Olympic Stadium, skipping the preliminary rounds and entering the fray at Saturday lunchtime in round one.
Should Dasaolu make good progress, he will then have Sunday evening's semi-finals and final to look forward to – with the sprinter's true goal to clock up the experience and produce his first competitive effort under 10 seconds in what will be a electric field. Young sprint sensation Adam Gemili and Dwayne Chambers complete Team GB's 100m sprint trio.
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Dasaolu is definitely a Londoner at heart – but he will have his own fan club in Norwich, with parents Akintola and Abosede running Steve McDonald News in Witard Road, north Norwich.
Also, keep an eye out for Ex-UEA student Jess Draskau Petersson, who takes on Sunday's Olympic marathon for Denmark.
