Opinion

  • Sunday August 24

    0030 Athletics - Men's marathon
    0630 Boxing - Six finals
    0730 Basketball - Men's final
    1330 Closing ceremony
    All times BST
Medals Table
G S B Tot
1 CHN 51 21 28 100
2 USA 36 38 36 110
3 RUS 23 21 28 72
4 GBR 19 13 15 47
5 GER 16 10 15 41
6 AUS 14 15 17 46
Olympic History

History Timeline

It all started in Athens in 1896...

Team GB

Competitor List

Take a look at the British athletes heading for Beijing

Murray's Games distraction

Beijing glory may hamper US Open hopes

  • Murray: Off to the Olympics

    Murray: Off to the Olympics

Also see

Andy Murray's hopes of winning the US Open could be hampered by the Olympics, according to his mother Judy.

Murray, the newly crowned Cincinnati Masters champion, heads to Beijing to take part in the singles and doubles events.

However with the tournament ending just eight days before the start of the US Open there will be little time for players to recover.

And Judy Murray told Sky Sports News: "It pops in at a difficult time in the tennis calendar, right after two Masters Series events and right before the last grand slam of the year.

"So it's really tough and it's a long way to travel as well, so I think it's going to be really difficult for tennis players.

"I think anybody who does well at the Olympics is unlikely to do well at the US Open.

Important

"But Andy will be going over there and really looking forward to being part of the British team and supporting the other athletes, and playing doubles with his brother.

"He'll be aiming to bring something home in some shape or form and if he plays well he has a good chance of doing that.

"I think if you asked any tennis player they would probably say that grand slams are the most important thing.

"But the Olympics only comes around every four years. All of the top guys are playing it. It's going to be a terrific field."

More Opinion Stories

Around the site today

Shanaze Reade: Chance of multiple gold medals

12 stars for 2012

We look at a dozen young athletes who could trigger a fresh gold rush in London in four years' time.

Egan: light-heavyweight silver

Day 16 - As It Happened

Irish boxer Kenny Egan took silver on the final day of action in Beijing.

Early stages of the marathon.

2008 Olympics - Day 16

Pictures from the final day of the Beijing Olympics including an appearance from David Beckham.

  • © 2008 365 Media Group plc. All Rights Reserved