We also place certain hopes on the participants of the Athens competitions - on our best athletes, for whom rather favorable conditions for preparation were created this time (compared to previous years). But even a defeat or failure of one or another Ukrainian Olympian will certainly not prevent us from enjoying the spectacle that will take place on the ancient land of Hellas.
Athens awaits the Olympic Games as an approaching element. And in other parts of the world, sports life temporarily freezes in order to be able to more closely examine the vicissitudes of the competitions of the planet's best athletes. And yet, sports life continues. Tennis (especially in the USA) and football schedules proceed as usual, Formula-1 competitions will take place without hiccups, and at the end of August the Hockey World Cup should begin with the participation of the very best NHL masters, who, apparently, will have to look for a new place of work this season. Most likely, a temporary place, because the lockout, due to which the regular NHL championship will start later than usual, according to experts' forecasts, could last from several months to two years!
BELGIUM. At the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit, on August 27-29, the next stage of the world championship will take place, which will once again be won by the renowned German Michael Schumacher, who has no visible competitors in the current season even upon the closest examination.
HUNGARY. After a short pause, the Formula 1 World Championship, which has already lost its intrigue due to the too obvious superiority of the German Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari, will continue. On August 13, free practice will take place on the Hungarian circuit Hungaroring, known for its hard surface; on the 14th, qualifying will be held; on the 15th, the race itself.
GREECE. The Olympic Games, as is known, will begin on August 14 with the opening ceremony. But even before that, on August 11-12, the group stage matches of the football tournament will take place, which will be the longest at the Olympics (the final matches will be held on the closing day of the Games - August 29).
In total, representatives of 38 sports will compete in Athens. The shortest performances will be those of extra-class specialists in mountain biking, trampoline jumping, modern pentathlon and triathlon. They will take place over two days. Over three days, medal sets will be contested in Greco-Roman wrestling and cycling (road), over four - in rhythmic gymnastics and taekwondo. Let's briefly go through all sports in which medal sets will be contested in Athens, and indicate the dates of the competitions.
Badminton - from August 14 to 21 at the Goudi Olympic Hall, located in the center of Athens (28.5 km from the Olympic Village). Five sets of awards will be contested - two for men and women each and one in mixed doubles.
Basketball - from August 14 to 28 at the Indoor Olympic Hall in Hellinikon and the Olympic Indoor Hall of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (decisive matches). Two sets of awards will be contested - one for men and one for women.
Baseball - August 15-25 at the Hellinikon Olympic Baseball Center. One set of awards will be contested among eight men's teams.
Boxing - August 14-29 at the Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall, where 11 sets of awards will be contested in 11 weight categories among men.
Freestyle wrestling - August 22-23 (women) and August 27-29 (men) at the Ano Liossia Olympic Indoor Hall. 11 sets of awards will be contested - seven for men and four for women.
Greco-Roman wrestling - August 24-26 at the Ano Liossia Olympic Indoor Hall. Seven sets of awards will be contested for men.
Cycling (track) - August 20-25 at the Olympic Velodrome of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. 12 sets of awards will be contested (eight for men, four for women).
Cycling (road) - August 14, 15 and 18 in the historic center of Athens (group races) at the Vouliagmeni Olympic Center (time trials). Four sets of awards (two for men and women).
Water polo - August 15-27 and 29 at the Olympic Aquatic Centre. Two sets of awards (one for men and women).
Volleyball - August 14-29 at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Two sets of awards (one for men and women).
Beach volleyball - August 14-25 at the Faliro Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre. Two sets of awards (one for men and women).
Handball - August 14-29 at the Faliro multi-purpose sports complex and the indoor hall of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex. Two sets of awards (one for men and women).
Artistic gymnastics - August 14-19 and 22-23 at the Olympic Indoor Hall in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. 14 sets of awards (eight for men, six for women).
Rhythmic gymnastics - August 26-29 at the Galatsi Olympic Indoor Hall. Two sets of awards for women.
Rowing - August 15-22 at the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre. 14 sets of awards (eight for men, six for women).
Canoeing and kayaking. Slalom competitions will be held on August 17-20 at the Olympic Slalom Centre of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex. Canoeing and kayaking races will be held on August 23-28 at the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre. 16 sets of awards (12 for men, four for women).
Judo - August 14-20 at the Ano Liossia Olympic Indoor Hall. 14 sets of awards (seven for men and women).
Equestrian sport - August 15-27 at the Markopoulo Equestrian Centre. Six sets of awards.
Athletics - August 20-29 at the Olympic Stadium in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, with the exception of the marathon distance, which starts in the city and finishes at the historic Panathenaic Stadium. 46 sets of awards.
Mountain biking - August 27-28 on the track on Mount Parnassus. Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
Sailing. The competitions will take place from August 14 to 28 at the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Center. 11 sets of medals (four for men and women plus three mixed).
Swimming - August 14-21 at the main pool of the Olympic Aquatic Center. 32 sets of medals (16 for men and 16 for women).
Diving - August 14, 16, 20-28 at the Olympic Aquatic Center. Eight sets of medals (four for men and four for women).
Trampoline - August 20-21 at the Olympic Indoor Hall of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
Synchronized swimming - August 23-27 at the synchronized swimming pool of the Olympic Aquatic Center. Two sets of medals (duet and team events for women).
Modern pentathlon - August 26 and 27 at the Modern Pentathlon Center of the Goudi Olympic Center. Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
Softball. The competitions will take place from August 14 to 23 (August 21 - rest day) at the Hellinikon Olympic Softball Center. One set of medals.
Archery - August 15-21 at the Panathenaic Stadium. Four sets of medals (two for men and two for women).
Bullet shooting - August 14-22 at the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Range. 11 sets of medals (seven for men, four for women).
Clay shooting - August 14-19, 21-22 at the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Range. Six sets of medals (three for men and three for women).
Tennis - from August 15 to 22 at the Olympic Tennis Center of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. Four sets of medals (two for men and two for women).
Table tennis - August 14-23 at the Galatsi Olympic Indoor Hall. Four sets of medals (two for men and two for women).
Triathlon - August 25 and 26 at the Vouliagmeni Triathlon Center. Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
Taekwondo - August 26-29 at the Faliro Multi-Sports Complex. Eight sets of medals (four in four weight categories for men and for women).
Weightlifting - August 14-25 at the Nikaia Olympic Indoor Hall. 15 sets of medals (eight in different weight categories for men and seven for women).
Fencing - from August 14 to 22 at the fencing hall of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex. 10 sets of medals (six in three events for men and four in three events for women).
Football - from August 11 to 29 (rest days - August 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25) at the Patras National Stadium (Patras), Panthessaliko Stadium (Volos), Kaftanzoglio Stadium (Thessaloniki), Pankritio Stadium (Heraklion) and Karaiskaki Stadium (Athens). Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
Field hockey - August 14-27 at the Olympic Hockey Center of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex. Two sets of medals (one for men and one for women).
SPAIN. On August 1, the World Rowing Championships, which began on July 27, will conclude.
CANADA. The first day of August is the last day of a major Masters series tennis tournament that began in Toronto on July 26.
The next day, August 2, another very serious tennis tournament (from the "Super 9" series) with a prize fund of $1,300,000 will begin in Montreal. Women will compete. Last year, the winner in Montreal was Belgian Justine Henin-Ardenne, who fairly easily defeated Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya in the final. Svetlana Kuznetsova managed to avenge her compatriot by becoming champion in doubles with famous American Martina Navratilova. The Montreal tournament will last until August 8.
And on August 9, another women's tennis tournament will begin in Vancouver, which is significantly lower in level than the one that ended in Montreal. It is only the 5th category with a prize fund of $110,000. It will finish on August 15.
POLAND. In the city of Sopot, known for its song festival, a women's tennis tournament of the 3rd category with a prize fund of $300,000 will start on August 9 (finishing on August 15). Men will also compete there at the same time. Their prize fund will be $495,000.
USA. In Cincinnati, on August 2, a men's tennis tournament of the Masters series with a prize fund of $2,450,000 will start. Last year's winner is Andy Roddick, who overcame Mardy Fish in the final in three tense sets. In doubles, the Bryan twins were the strongest. The final matches of the tournament this year will take place on August 8.
In the same Cincinnati, on August 16, a women's tennis tournament of the 3rd category with a prize fund of $170,000 will begin. The final matches will take place on August 22. On the same August 16, in Washington, male tennis players will start competing for $500,000 in prize money and will finish sharing the money also on August 22.
And on August 23, two more women's tennis tournaments will start in two American cities at once - New Haven and Forest Hills. In New Haven, the prize fund will be $585,000 (2nd category), in Forest Hills - $66,000 (5th category). The last game days in these tournaments will take place on August 29. In the same period, men will have their own tennis tournament in Long Island with a prize fund of $380,000. All this is a prelude to the US Open, which starts on the penultimate day of August.
On August 30, on the courts of Flushing Meadows, the main draw of one of the largest tennis tournaments in the world - the US Open - will begin. The United States championship will end two weeks later, on September 12. The reigning US champions are Belgian tennis player Justine Henin-Hardenne, who last year defeated her compatriot Kim Clijsters in the final, and American Andy Roddick, who beat Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in the deciding match. In doubles, the men's duo of Bjorkman-Woodbridge and the women's pair of Pascual-Suarez were without equal.
SWEDEN. On August 2, a women's tennis tournament of the 4th category with a prize fund of $140,000 will begin in Stockholm, which will end on August 8.