• London Olympics 2012

British Olympic chief relishing 'Ashes' battle at London 2012

ESPN staff
July 12, 2011
Andy Hunt is refusing to set medal targets just yet © Getty Images
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British Olympic chief Andy Hunt admits Team GB will be hard pressed to repeat the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics at London 2012, but is relishing a medal battle with Australia.

Great Britain enjoyed its best Olympics in a century in Beijing, finishing in fourth place with 19 gold medals, five more than sixth-placed Australia. But despite revealing that the team of 550 athletes would receive an "unprecedented" level of support to the tune of £13 million ahead of the home games, Hunt admits it would be "very, very difficult" to replicate fourth place in the medal table.

"It's too early to set a precise medal target, indeed we might not set a medal target at all," said Hunt."At every Games more nations medal and the winning margins are decreasing.

"Maintaining our aspiration of fourth place on the medal table is going to be tough, the difference between fourth, fifth and sixth on the medal table could be just a couple of medals and perhaps fractions of a second in respective events.

"We had an extraordinary Games in Beijing and caught a lot of those nations by surprise but the hunter will become the hunted in London. We expect strong performances from Germany and a number of other European nations and, of course, Australia. As ever, it's going to be a great battle between us and Australia."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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