Gabby and Chris Adcock head into this weekend’s English National Badminton Championship as top seeds, while cyclo-cross starlet Nikki Harris is desperate to support Lizzie Armitstead’s gold medal bid in Rio. Here’s our review of the last 24 hours.
Adcocks ready for the English Nationals
Gabby Adcock believes she and husband Chris will relish being under the weight of expectation as they bid for a fourth English National Championship mixed doubles title later this week.
The Adcocks are top seeds at the event, which takes place at the University of Derby Sports Centre from 5-7 February.
They open their campaign against either Michael Roe and Nicola Gresty or Adam Rickenbach and Laura Woodward, a match they will be heavy favourites for.
And while Gabby knows she and Chris will be expected to walk away with the title, she is adamant they will relish the situation.
“Everyone's expecting us to win the nationals, so there will definitely be pressure,” she explained.
“But we're so experienced now if we play well, it'll be okay. We're quite chilled about it – it'll be exciting to play.”
Harris dreaming of spot on the road at 2016 Games
Nikki Harris may be better known for her cyclo-cross exploits but insists she is desperate to support Lizzie Armitstead in the road race at Rio 2016 later this year.
Harris – who competed on the road and the track at the 2006 Commonwealth Games – finished fifth at the 2016 World Cyclo-cross Championships but has signed a one-year contract with the Boels-Dolmans team to combine cyclo-cross with road racing.
That is with the aim of being selected for the upcoming Olympic Games and riding in support of Armitstead as the London 2012 silver medallist tries to go one better in the 2016 road race in Brazil.
“The Olympics is a real objective, but there's a lot of time to go before I'll have a sense of how possible it is,” the 29-year-old told British Cycling.
“Olympics or not, I want to use my 'cross form and go into the early races on the road being able to contribute to the team.
“It gives myself and the team an idea of what type of rider I will be on the road and whether I'm capable of doing the job Lizzie would need me to do come the Olympics.”
Joyce eyeing Rio redemption
Joe Joyce admits the best way to atone for his disappointment at last year's World Championships would be to win gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games this summer.
Superheavyweight boxer Joyce proved he is one of the best in the world by winning Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow in 2014 before also standing atop the podium at the inaugural European Games in Baku a year later.
Yet he could only claim a bronze medal at the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Doha, which he acknowledges served as a wake-up call heading into an Olympic year.
At 22, Joyce was a relative latecomer to boxing but now 30, he admits that clinching gold in Rio would be his crowning glory.
“At the World Championships in 2015 I really thought I would get a gold medal. I was very disappointed but it just wasn't meant to be. Hopefully in Rio I can put that right,” Joyce told UK Sport.
“A gold medal at the Olympic Games would be the pinnacle. I'm confident that I'll get a medal but I'm just hoping it's the gold!
“If everything goes right, all lines up and I'm firing on all cylinders then I'm confident I can do it.”
Swan to become a history maker in Israel
Teenager Katie Swan will make history in the Fed Cup tomorrow, when she becomes the youngest player ever to represent Great Britain following the withdrawal of Australian Open semi-finalist Johanna Konta.
The Bristol-born 16-year-old was a beaten finalist in the 2015 Australian Open junior final, and was called into the lineup to face South Africa by Judy Murray after Konta had to pull out through illness.
Swan beats the record of Anne Keothavong by 270 days, and will line up alongside British number two Heather Watson in the singles, while Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith compete in the doubles.
Great Britain need to overcome Georgia and South Africa to progress to a play-off match on Saturday, and possible promotion to the World Group II play-offs in April.
Sportsbeat 2016
The Team GB Club has now officially launched! Be rewarded for your support and join Team GB on the road to Rio 2016 with our Club – check it out here.
- See more at: http://www.teamgb.com/news/olympic24-adcocks-welcoming-english-nationals-pressure-harris-switches-to-the-road#sthash.ONAlEeYX.dpuf