And with so many variables it's impossible to predict a race where every millimetre is the difference between winning and losing.

but here's my opinion on the three favourites, Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt

Asafa Powell

For me the most amazing and talented 100m runner of the decade. the guy runs like Ben Johnson on steroids every week.

If we were to race these three in the street at the back of my house right now Powell would win every time. All super heroes have a weakness, however, and I reckon for this guy it's pressure. If he can overcome this then he will cruise to victory in Beijing, but, unfortunately, I feel the pressure will tell.
Bronze at best.

Tyson Gay

The complete professional, having already won gold in the 100, 200 and 4x100m at the world championships last year to show that he is capable of performing on the big stage.

With a personal best of 9.77 and a wind-assisted 9.68 he's got the ability. The big worry, however, is over a recent hamstring injury, which gets a mention in every interview I've heard in the build-up.

If there's one thing an athlete loves, it's an excuse, trust me, I know loads of them.

If he's convinced himself that the hamstring is an excuse not to win then he may have already talked himself out of it.

But if he gets to the final with a fast time under his belt he might just talk himself back into it.
Gold at best.

Usain Bolt

Bolt was the man of the hour this year with a record 9.72 time, until Powell started to rip him up again recently at the two big athletic meetings.

Bolt is the fastest man over 100m, but the tall 1.93cm guy is also a big lover of the 200m – so much so that I think that is where his heart is.

He will win the 200m but in the shorter race (if he runs) I think he's under the illusion that Powell is the better man at the moment.
Silver at best.

Conclusion

Bolt will be so distracted at being in second place at the 60m mark – watching Powell storm his way down the track – that gay will come through unnoticed with a professional performance to win an Olympic gold with Bolt second and Powell third.

****

With the Olympics under way this weekend, attention is turned to the British competitors going for a gold medal and until midweek Frankie Gavin would certainly have been one of those hopefuls.

Being the commonwealth champion and having become the first Briton to win the amateur world championships last year, the boxing hype leading up to the Olympics have all been about Gavin's chances of going one better than Amir khan four years ago and winning a gold.

Unfortunately though, for reasons I just can't fathom, Gavin was sent home from China in midweek because he failed to make his 60KG weigh in limit.

From a personal perspective, I would have to compare this to turning up to a Super league Grand Final without my boots. For someone with so much promise this is a travesty.

Now I'm no expert in boxing, but surely the problem of weight control is down to firstly the boxer, who should shoulder most of the responsibility but also down to his team-mates and the highly-paid coaching/conditioning staff who manage the boxer in the Olympic team.

Controlling weight is an issue for the majority of our population but when it's vital to your profession it should be easily taken care of.

I have an ideal playing weight, which is pleasurably compromised during the off season and at Christmas by about 5kg but which is back in order well before the season starts.

That goes for most players who are extremely disciplined during the season and during injured periods to get maximum performance.

Gavin was very confident of achieving the Olympic dream of a gold medal and use it to catapult him into professional boxing.

Where he will go from here is unknown and is an issue for the future, but this is a massive example of how even the elite fail with the basics and shows how the consequences can be so catastrophic.

Let's hope lessons are learned by the seven other medal hopefuls in the British boxing team and any other sportsman or woman making his or her way up the elite ladder.

****


Several Premiership players are going to be representing their country in the soccer competition at the Olympics, sparking debates as to why Great Britain don't have a team.

After all, it's a competition in which they shouldn't have to do too much to qualify.

We all know why there isn't a team GB: they're superstars, their clubs wouldn't let them, it's the money involved and every other reason that constitutes finance over patriotism and love for sport.

Maybe this highlights the significance of the games to us – or the lack of it.

It seems as though America will field a mighty basketball team at the Olympics consisting of sportsmen who dwarf the financial significance of our soccer players.

It was 1964 when GB last entered an Olympic soccer team, but British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan has said that there will be a GB team in the 2012 Olympics in London – possibly headed by Sir Alex Ferguson.

The team is a must as a way of increasing levels of support, particularly from Wales Ireland and Scotland.

Of course, increasing support naturally takes priority over just wanting to compete for world dominance.

I know it's not quite as easy as that because the home nations are recognised as individual countries under FIFA and would need a special one-off permission for 2012 – another example of administrative red tape in sport.

In 2012 we will have the pick of players from all the home nations and given the attitude of premier League clubs we will need them. This will, no doubt, cause a future storm, but there's a long time between now and then.

Ends