Olympic hopefuls

Based in Hounslow, he has risen to 47th in the world rankings. Recent highlights include being part of the British team to win bronze at last summer's World Championships in Scotland. He also made the semi-finals of the Norwegian and Belgian Opens. At home, he has won the Wimbledon and Yorkshire Elite competitions..

Alison Knowles
ROWING

In August she returned from a back injury to win a bronze medal at the World Championships in Munich. Knowles has also competed in two World Cup events and said: "It's probably been my best year to date."

Jane Campbell
PARALYMPIC TABLE TENNIS

The highlight of a globe-trotting year was a team bronze at the European Championships in Slovenia in October. The 39-year-old from Wapping also competed in international tournaments in the United States, Italy, Germany and Argentina.
"I feel I have improved my game this year," she said. "Even though I have not risen in the rankings I am beating top-10 players." The director of a market research firm, she does not expect to qualify for Beijing..

Max Brick
DIVING

He describes 2007 as a "laid-back" year. At the European Championships in Italy, he finished fifth (10 metres) and seventh (three metres). The 15-year-old from Southampton has the credentials to compete in the Olympics but feels Beijing has come "a year too early". He will know for sure after the national trials this month..

Gemma Gibbons
JUDO

Gibbons has just completed her first year as a full-time athlete, based at judo's national training centre at Bath University. She won the British Universities title and was seventh in the World University Games. "She has made real progress this year," said coach Mick Murphy. A funding crisis may force her to abandon Bath, and its first-class facilities, and move back home to Charlton. "It would be a real shame. Leaving Bath would certainly affect her progress," said Murphy..

Ellen Gandy
SWIMMING

She moved from Beckenham to Australia with her parents in the spring of last year but will continue to compete for Britain. Her highlight of 2007 was winning two gold medals at the European Championships; in the 4x100m medley relay and 4x200m freestyle relay.

She also recorded five personal bests at the event and is expected to return to Britain in March for the national trials in Sheffield.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
ATHLETICS

Britain's great teenage sprint hope started rebuilding his career after a stress fracture in his back threatened to destory all his Olympic dreams.

"At one time, I had 50 acupuncture needles in me," he said. The world junior champion, who changed coaches and moved from his Sutton home to Loughborough's high performance centre, also learned through medical tests that he had only been competing at 50 per cent of his capacity because he is asthmatic.

Jonny Coggan
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

A regular of the British team for four years, 2007 started well for Coggan when he won the European Championships in Helsinki by helping beat Germany 28-26 in the final.

Victory meant the team qualified for the Beijing Paralympics. "It was a great season, especially the semis of the European Championships when we won by just one point," he said.

The British team have a winter tour to the United States before the squad, ranked fourth in the world, are finalised for Beijing..

Olly Freeman
TRIATHLON

He performed well in the World Cup series, coming fourth and fifth in South Africa and Portugal.

However, his luck turned at the European Championships when he broke a bone in his foot during the run. Despite this he ran the final 8km and finished 14th. But the injury ruled him out of the World Championships.

"After such a great start to the season the injury was devastating," he said..

Hannah Mills
SAILING

Along with racing partner Katrina Hughes, she took the major step of moving into an Olympic-class 470 boat and together they won the junior European Championships in Holland in August.

"It's been our first year moving up to the Olympic class and we have been quite successful, although there is still a lot of work to do," she said.

The Bristol University student will not go to the Olympics. "I was never aiming for Beijing as I have only been in the 470 boat for a year," she said..

Ryan Pickard
BOXING

The 21-year-old who works as a part-time actor and model, faces a dilemma over his weight. He could continue trying to lose up to a stone each time he fights in the 69kilo light-middleweight division or move up to the 75kilo middleweight class. "I'm looking long term," he said.

"2012 is the reason I've tried moving up a weight. That's where I want to be."