With just SIX MONTHS left to the Olympics we thought here at AyeSports we would give you a little guide as to who is competing from our region!

There will be over 500 athletes participating on behalf of Team GB but we’ve selected some of the main North East competitors who we believe will bring back medals to the region. We’ve even been so good as to twitter link them so you can follow their progress in the run up to the London 2012 games!

Chris Tomlinson – Middlesbrough – Chris competes in the long jump, he’s the British indoor and outdoor record holder for the long jump and he’s gunning for Gold. He will be going up against some excellent competition but we think he’s spot on when he says he’s got a real chance of being on top of the podium….plus at 6ft6 we’re not going to argue with him!

John Robertson – Sunderland – John is part of a 3 man team in the Sonar class at the Paralympics. He’s the helmsman (the steering) and along with Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas he’ll be competing off shore at Weymouth Bay where all the sailing events will be taking place. The team has been together through the past two Paralympics and John sees the London games as their best chance to get Gold for Team GB. We’re thinking this will be Third Time Lucky!

Jess Eddie – Durham – Jess is competing in the Women’s Eight Rowing and is a key member of the elite squad but her love affair with rowing began when she was just 8 years old in her home town. At the World Championships the GB team were within touching distance of their main rivals USA and with all the preparation and training the Women’s Eight have been putting in we think that Gold is a definite possibility.

Chris Boddy – Thornaby
Kieran Emery – Newcastle
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell – Durham
Matt Wells – Hexham

Well Chris, Kieran, Nathaniel and Matt are all rowers but they don’t have a twitter accounts so those links take you to their bio’s so I’ll let you read them instead of me telling you about the lads.

Amanda Coulson – Hartlepool – Amanda is widely recognised as one of the greatest female boxers in the world, many have said that if Women’s Boxing had of been included in the Beijing Olympics four years ago she would have brought home Gold. However, Amanda has yet to qualify for the sole spot in the 60kg category for Team GB, click on her name to keep abreast of her updates and more info as to what she needs to do to represent GB in London.

Chloe Wilcox – Carlisle – Chloe is part of the Women’s Water Polo Team and plays left wing. Water Polo has to be one of the toughest Olympic Sports around, it’s been likened to playing world class rugby but underwater, so pretty tough going! She took up the sport at an early age and despite a lack of UK based league the team train full time twice a day to make sure that they’re ready for the games. We’re hoping that despite really tough competition these underdogs are a real threat in the games.

Sarah Clark – South Shields – This will be the third games for Judo superstar Sarah and her ability over the years to perform and medal at the highest level will put her in in the frame for a Gold in London. A lady never likes to give her age away and neither will we, all we will say however is her experience will give her the edge against any younger competitors.

Alyson Dixon – Sunderland – Aly is a marathon runner, and we would say one of the best we have, with facts like constantly taking chunks of time of her personal best and spending elongated periods training in Kenya you can tell her dedication to the sport is about to pay off.

Johanna Jackson – Redcar – Jo is the British Number 1 Race Walker and is in with a real chance of bringing a Gold back home. Her training camps may have seen her spend a few winters (their summers) in Australia but the Boro lass knows that it’s with commitment to her sport like that which will undoubtably see her succeed for Team GB.

Kat Driscoll – Newcastle – Kat is a British Trampolinist who has spent over 10 years competing for the national team in which time her career has been littered with medals. This may come as a surprise but Team GB is yet to win a medal in trampolining, it’s a massive surprise when you consider that Kat is ranked NUMBER 1 in The World! This years games WILL see Team GB break their duck and Kat will be bringing Gold back to Tyneside.

Dave Daniell – Middlesbrough – Dave is only 21 but we’re touting him to be the next Chris Hoy, big words but Dave is a massive talent in the world of cycling. Dave didn’t even own a bike when the British Cycling team visited his Boro school but they saw in him real raw talent and through coaching and trials and winning events as an unknown Dave has fast become another North East Gold medal hopeful.

So there you have it, I’m certain all the aforementioned would love your support so please follow them and tell them@AyeSports sent you!

Update – Well we’ve had an astonishing response to this article, thanks for all your Facebook and Twitter messages! We’ve even had some Re-Tweets by Olympians themselves which is very exciting!

It seems The North East is a hotbed for potential athletes at the games and here’s a few more for you to follow and support on their way to medal at the London 2012 Games!

Stacey Smith – Newcastle – 2012 is a massive year for track star Stacey, not only is she gearing up and preparing for the games but she’s also finishing Uni! We’ve got our fingers crossed that the Gateshead Harrier gets a few 1st’s this summer including bringing a shiny medal back home to the North East.

Stephen Miller – Newcastle – Stephen is an absolute legend in North East Athletics, he is a 3 time Gold medalwinner and has appeared in the last 4 Paralympic games. It’s always a cliche to describe somebody as the nicest person you have ever met but Stephen truly is and he is an ambassador not only for the Paralympics but for the North East as a whole. His career and awards he has won stretch longer then his record distances for throwing thediscus and he will definitely be adding to his collection of Gold medals in the London games. Time for a knighthood too, Sir Stephen Miller does have a ring to it.

Ricky Stevenson – Saltburn – Stevo is one of the most grounded down to earth lads your likely to meet, but get him on the track and you can see why he’s being tipped as the North Easts next Cram or Foster. Over the last few years he’s upped him game even further beating all of the UK’s finest distance runners, his PBs speak for themselves and anybody who at 20 years of age breaks the sub 4 minute mile is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Savannah Marshall – Hartlepool – If there’s one word to describe Savannah it’s impressive, to be fair there is several superlatives I could throw at the young Boxer, see what I did the, “throw at”….I’ll get my coat…Hartlepool is producing some of the best Female Boxers in not only the UK but the world and Savannah has a serious chance of not only representing Team GB but bringing us back a gold and get this, she’s only 21 this year!

Terry Bywater – Redcar – Terry has appeared in the last two Paralympics and now can be considered as a pivotal part of Team GB’s Wheelchair Basketball squad. He’s not one for superstitions BUT he will only play in the number 7 shirt and weight trains to the Rocky theme tune….actually I suppose that is a few superstitions then! With 2 Paralympic Bronze medals and a clutch of silver and golds from European and World Championships we think Terry will be showing off a brand new Gold medal this summer which will be much to the delight of his family, especially his biggest fan Benjamin his son!

Ben Wears – Middlesbrough – Ben has been breaking race walking records since he was 15 years old! Since then he has been steadily progressing and is looking towards the 50km discipline at the 2012 Games. And how’s about this for a little bit of trivia, Bens mam & brother both race for his Redcar Race Walking Club too, I imagine shopping trips with the Wears don’t last very long!

So there you have it, I’m certain all the aforementioned would love your support so please follow them and tell them@AyeSports sent you!

If I’ve missed anybody out please leave a comment below.

Micky Welch

http://www.ayesports.com