27 July 2009

As the three year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games begins, top British athletes reveal their plans as they work towards the biggest sporting festival on earth with just 1,096 days to go.

European Indoor 3,000m gold medallist Mo Farah is looking forward to working hard in the lead up to the games. The distance runner believes he will hit his peak at 29 years old, when the Olympics descend on London. He said: “Having the Olympic on your doorstep is awesome. You can’t get better than that.”

Olympic triple jump silver medallist Phillips Idowu knows how special it is to have the Olympics in his home town. He said: “For myself, being born and raised in East London, it’s going to be phenomenal and it’s certainly one of the things that keeps me going.”

Up-and-coming 400m hurdler Perri Shakes-Drayton can see the Olympic Stadium from her house in nearby Poplar and is confident she will compete in the emerging stadium.  

She said:"It’s difficult to know what will happen in three years time but I’m confident that I can at least medal. I reckon I’m a bit shy sometimes but as soon as I’m on the track, I’m not sure quite what happens. I have so much confidence and belief that I will win.

“You need something to fall back on and I’d love to be a teacher. It’s just it’s something I’d like to do, to be able to inspire people and make things fun."

100m sprinter Tyrone Edgar hopes to work hard and have a few international medals round his neck by 2012. Aspirations off the track also creep into his plans. He said: “Also I hope to be married with children by the time London comes around. I want a big family. “

World Indoor long jump silver medallist Chris Tomlinson believes the key to progressing towards 2012 is to continue living and training in London with his new coach Frank Attoh.

British pole vault record holder Kate Dennison has mapped out a busy few years. She said: “Next year is a busy one with World Indoors, Europeans and Commonwealths. Then in 2011 with the World Championships, it will be very important to be in the mix there in preparation for 2012. I also hope to study in photography and develop those skills in the next few years. ”