Max Whitlock is relishing the chance to return to the scene of his Gymnastics World Championship triumph, while Tom Daley announces he is returning to the 10m synchro ahead of the Rio Olympics. Here’s our review of the last 24 hours.
Max Whitlock admits he cannot wait to return to the scene of his World Championship triumph, after he was confirmed as part of the British World Cup team heading to Scotland.
Whitlock has fond memories of competing in Glasgow having claimed a world pommel horse title there at the 2015 World Championships, as well as floor and all-around team silver.
The 23-year-old also competed there a year prior during the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he returned home with four medals to his name.
Whitlock will be joined by Dan Purvis, Claudia Fragapane and Kelly Simm for the World Cup and, with Rio 2016 fast approaching, he says he is eager to get off to a flying start.
“Competing in Glasgow has always been very special to me and the World Championships last year was incredible and historic, not just for me but for the whole British team,” he said.
“I'm really looking forward to being back in the city and starting 2016 positively. Everyone knows how huge this year is and the World Cup is a perfect event to test myself against a really good field of international gymnasts – I can’t wait.”
Tom Daley insists he and Daniel Goodfellow have a genuine chance to medal in the 10m synchro at this year’s Olympics, after announcing the pairing would be competing together this weekend.
An individual bronze medallist at London 2012, Daley was adamant he would not compete in synchro diving in Rio unless there was a real possibility of finishing on the podium.
But the pair will link up for the first competition of the year this weekend, the British National Diving Cup, and Daley is confident of Olympic success in the synchro competition as well as individually.
“It's been good training with Dan and it will be exciting to get out and do synchro again,” he said, having last competed in the event alongside James Denny at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
“Dan and I know each other well and I think the partnership will work well and getting competition experience under our belts will be great.”
Selection for the upcoming European Championships and World Cup will be up for grabs and world medallists Tom Daley, Jack Laugher, Rebecca Gallantree and Chris Mears will be keen to show off their hard work over the winter.
Tonia Couch will also dive with Lois Toulson as they too showcase a new partnership.
Great Britain Taekwondo performance director Gary Hall is adamant his side are not cutting any corners in their preparations as they ready themselves for Rio.
Britain will have four taekwondo athletes in Brazil after Mahama Cho sealed a final quota spot for the country with his efforts in the +80kg division at Sunday's qualification tournament in Istanbul.
That place is in addition to the berths claimed by Jade Jones, Biana Walkden and Lutalo Muhammad – although no athlete has yet been chosen by GB Taekwondo for the Olympics.
Those decisions will come in June, leaving plenty of chances for Britain’s finest to stake their claim and Hall believes there is still time to fine-tune things before the big show kicks off.
“There are plenty of tournaments before selection,” said Hall. “In the last three years we've probably fought more often than we would have liked.
“But that's the way the international circuit has gone. So, the next four or five months gives us great chance to prepare and to go through every detail of an athlete’s preparation.
“Europe is one of the strongest continents for taekwondo so it is a great achievement to have four spots.”
After a brilliant omnium gold medal at the Hong Kong Track World Cup, double Olympic champion Laura Trott is confident a return to home soil will spur Britain’s track cyclists to glory at the World Championships.
Trott’s gold on Sunday, as well as the silver she claimed in the scratch race, helped Great Britain reach a total of eight in the Far East with preparations for Rio ramping up.
But, before Brazil, Trott and co will return to London where they will contest the Track Cycling World Championships at the Lee Valley VeloPark.
Last year’s edition saw Britain fall short of expectations, but Trott is confident that the team will be much improved this time around and cannot wait to return to the scene of her finest hour.
“It was really pleasing to perform so well in Hong Kong, particularly with the level of competition out there,” she told British Cycling.
“The whole team is progressing well ahead of Rio, and the London World Championships are the next step on the road to the Olympics.
“I’ve obviously got great memories of racing in London, and I know that tickets for the World Championships have proved really popular.
“So it will be fantastic to get back there and perform in front of a big home crowd against world-class opposition again.” Read more here.
Sportsbeat 2016