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The Olympics have yet to start, but a healthy rivalry between competing nations and athletes already has Sports Minister Kate Ellis challenging her British counterpart Gerry Sutcliffe in a bet after his government said that Great Britain would win more medals than Australia.
Reports on Fox Sports News state that Mr Sutcliffe’s Cabinet boss, Andy Burnham, said Britain would beat Australia in the Olympics this year following a $500 million injection into the sporting sector.
Ms Ellis acknowledged the British government’s efforts to improve. However, she stated they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves
The English up to this point haven’t really been up there with us, but we know that they have been putting in a huge effort ahead of London and we know that there are enormous challenges ahead for the Australian team.
“But I’m not sure that they’re (the British) ready to pip us just yet – we’ll see.”
In other news, America’s hottest swimmer, Amanda Beard told News Limited that she looks forward to competing against the Aussies.
“The Australian’s and the US … they always bring the best out of each other,” she told a group of reporters in the streets of Beijing
When asked who her biggest rival was in the pool, she responded without hesitation: “Leisel Jones – obviously. Lethal Leisel.”
It is expected the 200m breaststroke event, which the pair are due to meet in, will be one of the greatest showdowns in recent swimming history
Meanwhile, Grant Hackett has raised the bar on himself.
The two-time Olympian and Captain of the Australian Swimming team will be aiming to regain the 1500-metre freestyle title which he was stripped of last year by Poland’s Mateusz Sawrymowicz.
“My expectation is to do it better than I have ever done it before,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
But in his bid for a third-consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 1500-metre freestyle event, Hackett will have to beat British swimmer David Davies
Davies won the event at the 2006 Commonwealth games in the absence of an injured Hackett.
But the 23-year-old Welshman isn’t convinced Hackett is past his peak: “Going for his third (Olympic) title is a great testament to him as an athlete and he’s definitely going to be among the ones to beat again,” Davies said.