[octothorp]

Since I can't find a decent update of athletes to keep an eye on anywhere, I'm going to continue to do my own:


Current Canadian Total
0-0-0-0

Current Canadian Prediction
4-2-6-12


medal favorites:

Karine Sergerie - Taekwando
Karen Cockburn - Trampoline
Adam van Koeverden - 500 kayak
Adam van Koeverden - 1000 Kayak
Marie Helen Premont - Mountain Biking
Men's Eights - rowing - qualified for final with fastest time
Frandsen and Calder - rowing - qualified for final with fastest time
Alexandre Despatie - 3m platform


medal hopefuls:

Sebastien Michaud -Taekwondo
Tonya Verbeek -wrestling
Gary Reed -800m
Mark Oldershaw -canoing
Women's softball team - 2-0
Samantha Cools - BMX
Cameron and Kok - rowing - qualified for semifinal
Women's eights - rowing - qualified for final
Chris Cook - sailing - 7th through 7 races
Synchro swim team
Simon Whitfield - triathalon
Annamay Pierse*- 200m breaststroke - qualified for final
Brent Hayden - no medal
Chris Brown - swimming - no medal
Men's synchro diving - no medal


On the bubble:

Jessica Zelinka - heptathalon
Men's double sculls - rowing
Men's fours -rowing
women's soccer - 1-1-1, in qfinal
baseball - 2-1
Blythe Hartley - diving

*newly added



Competing for medals tonight:

Annamay Pierse in the finals of the 200 m breast stroke; she had an excellent semifinals and her qualifying time has her in fourth, two tenths back of the third best qualifying time. Jones and Soni probably have gold and silver locked up, but Pierse should be one of four vying for the bronze.

Also, Keith Beavers swims tonight in the 200m medley, though with his qualifying time 1.2 seconds behind the 3rd place time, and 8th overall, he'll be in tough to be a factor even for the bronze.



Other Favorites and hopefuls in action tonight:

Women`s soccer: against the US. The US looks vulnerable, but then Canada hasn`t looked impressive either. If Canada plays their best game and the US continues to play as they have thus far, Canada has a real chance of winning.

Women's softball: they'll face China, and then resume their game against the US half-an-hour later. Two tough games. They could be 4-0 or 2-2 after today. The US will be playing Japan after their Canada game.

Mens fours and doubles rowing teams go in the semifinals, as well as the women's doubles. I like the women`s chances of getting to the final; the men`s teams look weaker based on past results and qualifying times, but maybe they can take some confidence by the excellent results that other Canadian rowing teams are posting.

Blythe Hartley in the 3m diving preliminaries.
Alexandre Despatie in the 3m diving preliminaries.
I'm nervous about these two, I think they have the highest chance of being tonight's disappointments, but part of that is the nature of diving.

Jessica Zelinka in the heptathalon. First four events go today. Her seaon's best hurdles time is 3rd best amongst competing athletes, highjump is 32nd, shotput is 5th, 200m is 6th. If she`s able to get those sorts of results after today, then she's seriously in the running.

Baseball - vs. South Korea. With Japan, the US, and Cuba as the likely top teams, the fourth qualifying spot should come down to Canada and South Korea. South Korea already beat the Americans, so thethis is pretty much a must-win game for Canada.

Most likely to disappoint tonight:
Blythe Hartley missing the semifinals in diving.

Most likely to surprise tonight:
The rowing teams. This has already been a good Olympics for rowing with three Canadian teams through to the finals. In 2004, Canada had just one rowing medal and four finals appearances. After tonight, they could have six finals appearances.