Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

When 400m champion took off his black beret during the playing of the American national anthem at the he disappointed hundreds of admirers in the stands and thousands watching on television in the US.

Twenty-four years later basketball megastar , another African-American hero, would also be criticised for his actions on a victory podium.

Synonymous with sportswear giant , Jordan draped the American flag over the logo on his official team kit. This was viewed in some quarters as a flagrant expression of the commercialisation of the Olympics.

Evans, on the other hand, was involved in something slightly more profound than the sale of trainers. For him it was the second-class status he and his black team-mates endured back at home.

It's scary how fast the Olympics are coming, and we're all feeling it now - it's like having a big countdown clock going in your head.

I was getting the car washed a few days ago and I opened a newspaper while I was waiting to see a big article proclaiming that there were fewer than 30 days to go.

My heart-rate must have leapt 20 beats per minute - but I'm absolutely ready for it.

I can't let Mark Ashenden win so easily with his Dolph Lundgren Olympic interview, so last week I rang up our entertainment team and demanded they find a better celeb, with a better Olympic story. Here goes.

Hulk Hogan against Buvaisar Saitiev. Stone Cold against Khadjimourat Gatsalov. The Rock against Artur Taymazov. Who would win?

Three were stars of professional wrestling, three were wrestling gold medallists at the Athens Olympics. Now I wouldn't be overly keen on meeting Stone Cold down a dark alley on a wet Tuesday night, but amateur wrestling dispenses with a script, lots of fancy lighting and a few lorry-loads of stage make-up, in favour of pure sport.

So it's nice to hear , otherwise known as pro-wrestler-turned-movie-star Dwayne Johnson, paying tribute to Olympic wrestling.

Last weekend, the and those who have aspirations to be on the team in 2012 were put through their competitive paces.

In truth, four weeks out from the Games, lightning fast times weren't expected but it gave us a decent barometer on how Britain's medal prospects are looking.

After the competition, at the I'm firmly convinced that there will be more British finalists than we have seen for many years and that, with it's mix of youth and experience, this is the most cohesive squad that has represented GB in swimming at the Olympics in recent memory.