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London Olympics 2012: Will Wednesday See Team GB's First Gold?

Olympic Expectations: Will Wednesday See Team GB's First Gold?
PA/The Huffington Post UK
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Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins could win Great Britain's first gold medal of London 2012, ending four frustrating days without a first-place gong.

Hopes for Team GB on Wednesday are pinned on cycling, rowing and swimming.

Wiggins is aiming for his fourth Olympic gold when he takes part in the men's road cycling time trial, while Helen Glover and Heather Stanning are going for a win in the women's pairs rowing.

Swimmer Michael Jamieson is also in with a chance of a top podium finish after setting a new British record to reach the men's 200m breaststroke final where he will be joined by teammate Andrew Willis. Another Briton, Jemma Lowe, will compete in the 200m butterfly final.

London 2012's has highlighted 32-year-old 'Wiggo', with his face gracing the Day 5 programme's front cover.

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Bradley Wiggins: Great British hope

The Olympic hopeful reportedly said Wednesday's cycling would be a "piece of p***" compared to Tour de France.

And Britons are getting behind him, with The Sun offering readers a cut out and keep gold pair of Wiggins-inspired sideburns.

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Wiggins himself took to twitter to remark on the weather, writing on Wednesday morning.

Britain's hopefuls may well look towards the Aquatics Centre for inspiration, after American Michael Phelps won a sensational record-breaking 19th Olympic medal on Tuesday night, while 16-year-old Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen - who denied taking performance enhancing drugs after a US coach branded her first win "disturbing" - scored a second gold.

A podium place in the 44km time-trial around Hampton Court would give Wiggins a record seventh Olympic medal, one clear of rower Sir Steve Redgrave, who has six.

Fellow Briton Chris Froome is also in contention for a medal, while Emma Pooley, aims for the podium in the women's 29km time trial alongside Lizzie Armitstead, who on Sunday claimed Britain's first medal of the Games with silver in the road race.

What to watch today:

9:30am: Women's beach volleyball

11:50am: Women's pairs rowing

2:15pm: Men's road cycling time trial

4:30pm: Men's gymnastics all-round final

7.25pm: Swimming finals

7:45pm: Britain versus Uruguay in Football

Glover and Stanning will be hoping they beat Wiggins in the race to deliver GB's first gold when they race in the women's pairs at Eton Dorney. A win would bring home Britain's first ever Olympic gold in women's rowing.

There are also medal chances for the men, with the final of the men's eight. A win here would be special moment for Greg Searle. The 40-year-old came out of retirement in an attempt to become an Olympic champion for a second time, two decades after winning gold in Barcelona.

Contenders will be hoping to go one better than the equestrian team. The riders, including the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips, captured silver medals in the eventing at Greenwich Park on Tuesday.

Their success was followed by disappointment for Britain's women's gymnasts, who failed in their bid to match their male counterparts' podium finish, by coming sixth in the team final.

More of Team GB's competitors arrived at the Olympic village from their training camp in Portugal on Tuesday. Among them was heptathlon medal hope Jessica Ennis, who arrived at the site just in time to meet royal visitors the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Ennis will start her campaign for gold when the athletics begins on August 3.

See below for all the images from London 2012, plus tweets of support for team GB:

2012 Olympics - Day 4
London Olympic Games - Day 4(01 of27)
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Denmark's Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen celebrate their victory over China's Qing Tian and Zhao Yunlei in the women's badminton doubles, at Wembley Arena, London. (credit:EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(02 of27)
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Great Britain's Zara Phillips on Kigh Kingdom as they knock down a fence in the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(03 of27)
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Great Britain's Zara Phillips with her horse High Kingdom during the Horse Imspection before the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(04 of27)
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Zara Phillips on Kigh Kingdom during the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(05 of27)
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Great Britain's Mary King celebrates on Imperial Cavalier in the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(06 of27)
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch with Prince Harry during the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(07 of27)
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Great Britain's Gareth Evans fails with his 3rd lift in the Clean and Jerk at during the 69kg Group B eventat the ExCel Arena, London. (credit:Nick Potts/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(08 of27)
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Great Britain's Gareth Evans thanks the crowd after his final lift failed in the Clean and Jerk at during the 69kg Group B event at the ExCel Arena, London. (credit:Nick Potts/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 3(09 of27)
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North Korea's Un Guk Kim celebrates his Olympic record lift in the Snatch section ofthe Men's 62kg Weightlifting at the ExCeL centre, during the third day of the London 2012 Olympics. (credit:Nick Potts/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 3(10 of27)
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North Korea's Un Guk Kim celebrates lifting a world record in the clean and jerk section of the Men's 62kg Weightlifting at the ExCeL centre, during the third day of the London 2012 Olympics. (credit:Nick Potts/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(11 of27)
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Great Britain's Ross Davenport during the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Heats at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:Tony Marshall/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(12 of27)
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Great Britain's Rob Bale swims the third leg of the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Heats at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(13 of27)
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Great Britain's Ellen Gandy in action in her Women's 200m Butterfly Heat at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(14 of27)
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Great Britain's relay team (left-right) of Ross Davenport, Robbie Renwick, Rob Bale and David Carry wave to the crowd after the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Heats at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:Tony Marshall/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(15 of27)
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Great Britain's Andrew Willis in action in his Men's 200m Breaststroke Heat at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:Tony Marshall/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(16 of27)
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Great Britain's Michael Jamieson after his Men's 200m Breaststroke Heat at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London. (credit:Tony Marshall/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(17 of27)
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Great Britain's Alison Williamson competes during the Archery at Lord's Cricket Ground, London (credit:Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(18 of27)
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Great Britain's Naomi Folkard competes during the Archery at Lord's Cricket Ground, London (credit:Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(19 of27)
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Mexico's Mariana Avitia competes during the Archery at Lord's Cricket Ground, London. (credit:EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(20 of27)
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Great Britain's Alan Campbell in action in the men's single sculls quarter final at Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, Windsor. (credit:Stephen Pond/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(21 of27)
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Great Britain's women's eight crew (right to left) Victoria Thornley, Katie Greves, Annabel Vernon, Natasha Page, Lindsey Maguire, Jessica Eddie, Louisa Reeve and Olivia Whitlam in action in the repechage during day four of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, Windsor. (credit:Stephen Pond/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(22 of27)
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Niger's Hamadou Djibo Issaka in action in the men's single sculls at Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, Windsor. (credit:EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(23 of27)
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(24 of27)
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch the Team Eventing Jumping Final on day four of the London Olympic Games at Greenwich Park, London. (credit:Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(25 of27)
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Great Britain's Gemma Howell reacts after loosing to France's Gevrise Emane at the ExCel Arena, London. (credit:Tim Ireland/PA Wire)
London Olympic Games - Day 4(26 of27)
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Great Britain's Euan Burton in action against Canada's Antonie Valois-Fortier in the Men 81 kg at the ExCel Arena, London. (credit:Tim Ireland/PA Wire)
Olympics Day 4 - Swimming(27 of27)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 31: Ryo Tateishi of Japan competes in the Men's 200m Breaststroke heat 4 on Day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on July 31, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)

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