Bikinis, sandburn and the hottest ticket in town

5 April 2012

Stand by for a stampede to the beach volleyball courts at Horse Guards Parade next summer. Such is the reputation of the sport in this country that among those genuinely interested in the skills of these towering athletes will be others with lower expectations. About navel-level and down.

This explains why those in the know claim demand for beach volleyball seats is up there with the men's 100m final as the most oversubscribed Olympic tickets. It is an astounding success for this much ridiculed sport to which Londoners have not been widely exposed, mostly due to our weather and relatively short Olympic history in the event.

We have competed once, in Atlanta, and came a creditable ninth. But that was it. So the perception persists - abetted by the mandatory size of the women's bikinis - that here is a pseudo-sport to be sniggered at.

It is perfect material for the male chauvinists of this world, though you wouldn't fancy their chances faced with the 6ft 3in Amazonian US superstar, Kerri Walsh. With her former partner, Misty May-Treanor, she is a double Olympic gold medallist, multi-millionairess and one of her country's most recognised athletes.

It is not quite like that over here. GB volleyball is backing two women's teams at the Olympics and all four athletes can travel the Tube in comfortable anonymity. "We were training in Spain recently and a guy on another dinner table asked us who we were," says Zara Dampney, 24, a law graduate, who partners Shauna Mullin, 26, herself a graduate in marketing and management business law. "We said we were beach volleyball players training for the Olympics. He laughed and said, 'How ridiculous. Next thing you know darts will be in the Olympics'."

The men in raincoats might say that if a sport's international governing body lays down a stipulation that "female beach volleyball players should wear a top closely fitted to the body and briefs with a side width no greater than 7cm (2.76in), then it should accept every leer coming to it. Especially as the men - heaven forbid - are not encouraged to wear equally revealing attire. The women involved, however, are nothing if not philosophical. "I suppose you can argue it's practical to play in bikinis on sand," says Denise Johns, 32, Luxembourg-born, Ohio-raised partner to Lucy Boulton, 24, in GB's second pairing. (She qualifies as a Brit as her father was born in Hemel Hempstead.)

"I see the point that sex sells. But our bodies are, in a sense, our armour. I don't feel naked out there. I feel like an athlete, wearing as much in the way of kit as some of the runners and swimmers ever do. All I can say is that when people come to watch us in Horse Guards Parade, when they see the six-packs and the athleticism, they'll realise this isn't about bikini-clad bums, it is about a spectacular, exciting and valid sport."

First they have to get there. The two women's teams are fighting for the one guaranteed slot (Johns and Boulton are ranked 49th in the world, Mullin and Dampney 30th), while the others will have to qualify on merit. But if the GB women have faced a long haul of travel, derision, sunburn, sandburn, uncertainty and being photographed more often from the rear end than the front, it is significant that none of them wants to give up. Even the resignation of their head coach, Matt Grinlaubs, to be replaced by his assistant, Morph Bowes, has left their will to succeed undiminished.

And with a home Olympics, the GB women, have an even greater incentive. "We have the opportunity to revolutionise the way this fantastic sport is seen in our country," says Mullin. "Inspired by the crowds who come to watch us, I even believe we have a chance of medals. Anything can happen on the day."

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July 28

Mark Cavendish in the men's cycling road race: The host nation hopes to get off to a winning start courtesy of Mark Cavendish in the men's cycling road race from Westminster to the Surrey Hills. Sprint fiend Cavendish is among the favourites and hopes are also riding on Nicole Cooke to defend her title to make it a brace for Team GB. The spectacular race is free but you can also book £20 grandstand tickets for The Mall.

August 4

Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon: This is Super Saturday with 25 gold medals up for grabs. None would be more treasured by British fans than a win for reigning world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis. She has become the poster girl for London 2012, not least because she shares Sheffield roots with Seb Coe.

August 5

Usain Bolt in the 100m final: In the blue riband event of the Games, world's fastest man Usain Bolt will defend his Olympic 100m crown and is expected to go all out to break his world record of 9.58 seconds. The Jamaican will be back in the Stratford stadium two days later to defend the 200m Olympic title. Tickets will be like gold dust - one million applied for the 100m evening session, where the best view costs £700.

August 11

Mo Farah in the men's 5,000m final: Somali-born Londoner Mo Farah is in the form of his life and may finally be ready to beat the dominant East Africans and deliver a long overdue Olympic distance medal for Britain as he competes in the 5,000m final. The European champion at 5,000m and 10,000m recently moved to Oregan where he trains on an underwater treadmill to gain an edge - his bizarre methods were recently rewarded when he beat the world's best to record a new European 10,000m record.

August 11

Tom Daley in the 10m platform diving event: Plymouth teenager Tom Daley hopes to rule the aquatics centre as he goes for gold in the 10m platform event. Aged 13 in Beijing he failed to live up to the hype but has since matured and claimed European and World gold in this event.

Matthew Beard, Olympics correspondent

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