Australia targeting top five in Olympics

On the medals table at next year's London Olympics top 5 position is being target by Australian's,despite slipping to eighth on projections from 2010.

The Australian Olympic Committee released recent analysis and put Australia in eighth place behind Russia (97 projected medals), the United States (94), China (93), Britain (48), Germany (47), France (45) and Japan (43).

Following a statistics consists on results from world championships, world cups and major international events held in 2010,the committee assigned Australia number # 8 spot with a projection of 42 medals.

AOC president John Coates said : "A top five position is still very achievable," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

Coates said a federal government boost of $23 million to high performance sport late last year, along with another $2.5 million for sport, would lift performances which should equate to medals.

"I think that that's enough (money) for us to get back into the top five," he said.

"I think there's enough money and resources to be in there and give it a real shake."

Australia won 42 medals in 2010 which shape up like this , cycling won six, athletics claimed four, sailing nabbed four, rowing collected four and diving won three.

Swimming, which traditionally wins the bulk of Australia's Olympic medals, finished with 14.

At the Sydney 2000 Olympics with 58 medals they finished up at fourth position and same in the Olympincs 2004.

The nation slipped to sixth place with 46 medals at the Beijing Olympics.

Dara Torres eyes London Olympics

This weekend at the Missouri Grand Prix,Dara Torres American swimmer marks her comeback to the pool.

Dara Torres have been away from the sport for more than a year and half because of knee surgery.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics at age 41,she won three silver medals and will swim Saturday in the 50 metre freestyle.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics,Dara is eying to be part of it when she would be 45 and if successful it would make her the oldest Olympic swimmer ever.

"My intention is to go to the trials and to try to make another Olympic team. That's why I am doing this," she was quoted by USA Today newspaper as saying.

Pinsent takes to the water with Iraqi Olympic hopefuls

The duo have had many obstacles to conquer in search of their dream, counting bodies floating in the river and gun shots ringing out overhead, but they have managed to train throughout the last eight years and made it to Beijing in 2008.

They are now hoping that their dream of rival at London 2012 will be fulfilled. Before Sir Matthew could set foot in Iraq he had to undergo security briefings and a six day Hostile environment and First Aid Training course.

But he says all the preparation and the risk was worth it for the chance to go rowing on the Tigris with the Iraqi rowing team.

London 2012 launches tender for Olympic stadium ‘wrap’

Organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have invited formal bids from the private sector to provide a fabric wrap around the Games’ showpiece stadium.

The wrap, which was set to cost the government £7 million, was scrapped as part of budget cuts, and the 800-metre wrap was initially set to feature changing colours and iconic images of the Games. Companies are now able to register their interest by February 18.

However, sponsors will not be able to place logo or name branding on the wrap as venue advertising is banned at the Olympics.

“We have had significant interest in supplying the stadium 'wrap' from the private sector, so now is the time to start a formal tender process,” said London organising committee CEO Paul Deighton.

“There are some exciting ideas around, and we are running a process that is fair to those organisations that have expressed an interest,” he added.

Ian Thorpe eyes London 2012 Olympics

Ian Thorpe five time Olympics gold medalist will now return to competitive swimming in Olympics 2012 after a six-year absence from the sport.

To compete at the London Olympics next year and seeking for a place in the Australian team is working hard.

After becoming Australia’s greatest Olympian with nine medals—five gold, three silver and a bronze—at the 2000 and 2004 Games along with 11 world championships he quits swimming due to lack of inspiration.

“I never thought I would be swimming in a competitive way again but I am glad that I am,” said Thorpe. “I have spent four years away from the pool and I needed those four years.”

Thorpe specialised in the freestyle events winning gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m at the Athens Olympics in 2004. However, he is now targeting success in the 100m and 200m freestyle and the relay events in London.

“I’m in the process of turning myself into a sprinter who can also maybe do a good 200m as well,” said Thorpe, who is ranked 35th in the all-time Olympic medal table. “I don’t think in the short time that I have that I’ll be able to go through enough training cycles to be able to prepare myself for the (400m).”