Athletes

• Discipline: 10,000m, MARATHON
• D.O.B: 17/12/1973
• Nationality: United Kingdom

She's a 34-year-old mum with a taste for red wine. She also happens to be Britain's best athlete and the finest female marathon runner ever...

• Discipline: 100m, 200m
• D.O.B: 23/11/1982
• Nationality: Jamaica

"My destiny? Breaking the world record." Asafa Powell has achieved his childhood ambition, but a major title eludes him. Could his career end without a gold medal?

• Discipline: 100m, 200m, 400m
• D.O.B: 18/11/1985
• Nationality: USA

'Chicken Legs' stormed the 2007 World Championships. It's those legs that she lets do all the talking.

• Discipline: High Jump
• D.O.B: 08/11/1983
• Nationality: Croatia

The high jump champ has sporting genes and does a jig every time she wins. Here's why the Croat named after Casablanca is sure to be dancing for a long, long time...

• Discipline: Long Jump, Triple Jump, Heptathlon
• D.O.B: 02/02/1983
• Nationality: Sweden

The thigh-slapping, soccer-playing Queen of Heptathlon has had an incredible journey since she was 'class geek'. Now she's given up the multi-discipline event to concentrate on one thing: jumping...

• Discipline: 5000m, 10,000m, MARATHON
• D.O.B: 18/04/1973
• Nationality: Ethiopia

The secret of being the greatest long-distance athlete of all time? Fast food, poverty and the pop stylings of Scatman John. And Haile Gebreselassie hasn't stopped yet...

• Discipline: 400m
• D.O.B: 31/01/1984
• Nationality: USA

Only two men have run one lap of the track faster than 400m sensation Wariner. The Texan reveals how his dogs and trademark sunglasses will help him smash the 43-second barrier...

• Discipline: 110m HURDLES
• D.O.B: 13/07/1983
• Nationality: China

Arguably the most popular sportsman in the world, Xiang was carrying the Olympic hopes of 1.3 billion Chinese before he limped out of the Bird's Nest...

• Discipline: 100m, 200m
• D.O.B: 09/08/1982
• Nationality: USA

He used to be slower than his sister. These days he's the fastest man in America and has three World Championship golds.

• Discipline: Pole vault
• D.O.B: 03/06/1982
• Nationality: Russia

She laughs about being a sex symbol. And she's the best female pole vaulter in history. The only way is up: Yelena thinks one day she will clear 5.15m. Wow!