French world judo champion Teddy Riner. AFP

Archery

12:00 Women`s individual ranking round

15:30 Men`s individual ranking round

Venue: Beijing Olympic Green Archery Field

Badminton 09:00 Women`s and men`s singles round of 64

Men`s 15:10 Hsieu Yu Hsing (Chinese Tapei) v Meh Kaveh (Iran)

Women`s: 14:20 Xing Aiying (Singapore) Konon Olga (Belarus)

Venue: Beijing University of Technology

Basketball

Round one group matches

14:30 Spain v China

20:00 USA v Czech Rep.

Venue: Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium

Beach volleyball

Men`s and women`s preliminary matches

11:00 Tian/Wang(China) v Khun/Schwer (Switzerland)

Venue: Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground

Boxing

13:30 Men`s middle (75kg) round of 32

15:01 Men`s light heavy (81kg) round of 32

Venue: Worker`s Gymnasium

Cycling-road

11:00 Men`s road race

Venue: Road Cycling Course

Equestrian

06:30 Eventing team dressage day 1 morning

06:30 Eventing- individual dressage day 1 morning

Venue: Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Shatin)

Football

19:45 Women`s first round - Group E - match 8

Canada v China

17:00 Women`s first round - Group G - Match 11

United States v Japan

Venue: Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium

Fencing

19:50 Women`s individual sabre bronze medal match

20:10 Women`s individual sabre gold medal match

Venue: Fencing Hall of National Convention Center

Gymnastics Artistic

12:00 Men`s qualification - subdivision 1

Venue: National Indoor Stadium

Handball

19:00 Women`s preliminaries Group A - Match 5

Norway v China

20:45 Women`s preliminaries Group B - Match 6

Germany v Brazil

Venue: Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium

Judo

(Time not specified) Women: 48 kg gold medal contest

(Time not specified) Men:60 kg gold medal contest

Venue: Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium

Rowing

13:50 Women`s single sculls heat 1

14:50 Men`s single sculls heat 1

15:50 Women`s pair heat 1

16:10 Men`s pair heat 1

16:40 Women`s double sculls heat 1

17:00 Men`s double sculls heat 1

17:30 Men`s four heat 1

Venue: Shunyi Rowing & Canoeing Park

Sailing

13:00 Yngling race

13:00 Finn race

Venue: Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center

Shooting

10:30 Women`s 10m air rifle final

15:00 Men`s 10m air pistol final

Venue: Beijing Shooting Range Hall

09:00 Men`s trap qualification

Venue: Beijing Shooting Range CTF

Swimming

18:33 Men`s 400m individual medley heat

18:57 Women`s 100m butterfly heat

19:18 Men`s 400m freestyle heat

19:48 Women`s 400m individual medley heat

20:23 Men`s 100m breaststroke - heat

20:50 Women`s 4x100m freestyle relay - heat

Venue: National Aquatics Center

Volleyball

Women`s preliminary matches

14:30 Poland v Cuba

20:00 Venezuela v China

22:00 Japan v United States

Venue: Capital Indoor Stadium

Weightlifting

10:00 Women`s 48kg Group A

Venue: Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium

Riner`s luck of the draw

French world judo champion Teddy Riner has moved a step closer to winning the heavyweight Olympic title after being given a kind draw by tournament organizers.

The 19-year-old favorite has avoided a potential showdown with medal contenders Satoshi Ishii of Japan and Athens silver medalist Tamerlan Tmenov of Russia until the final title bout.

Riner, whose explosive rise to the top of world judo standings has made him an instant celebrity in France, could face his first real test in the semi-final against Brazil`s Joao Gabriel Schlittler, bronze medalist at last year`s world championships.

Crocker aims to derail Phelps

American swimmer Ian Crocker says he has no intention of letting teammate Michael Phelps get a clear run in his bid for eight gold medals.

Crocker will be seeking revenge against Phelps, who beat him in the 100m butterfly at Athens by just four-hundredths of a second after misjudging his final touch. They are set to face up again in the final on August 16.

"I`m not going to hold back so that he gets his goal," he says.

"I`m always out a little bit faster because I`m a natural sprinter but he, being a more distance oriented swimmer, can close the end of the race well so my goal is to get out as quickly and easily as possible and still be able to come home."

Meanwhile, Phelps faces his first challenge today when he begins the heats of the men`s 400m individual medley. His biggest challenge in this event will come from double Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte. The final is tomorrow.

France aims to "smash" US

World record holder Alain Bernard has opened up a war of words before the swimming events begin today.

He said the French relay squad would "smash" the Americans at the Games when the 4 x 100m relay heats begin on Sunday.

"The Americans? We`re going to smash them. That`s what we came here for. If the relay goes according to plans, than we`ll be on a roll," he says.

France`s team also includes Amaury Leveaux, Frederic Gilot and Frederick Bousquet.

Bernard also declared himself favorite for the 100m freestyle, one of the events that Michael Phelps is not competing in.

"The 100m favorite, it`s me. If I didn`t believe I was, I wouldn`t be here at all," he said.

Boxer Russell collapses

One of America`s best gold medal boxing hopes will miss the Olympics after collapsing early yesterday.

Bantam weight Gary Russell Jr was found unconscious and severely dehydrated early yesterday morning, US coach Dan Campbell said.

Russell`s roommate, light flyweight Luis Yanez, alerted the American coaches shortly after Russell returned from a run in a final effort to reach his 119-pound weight limit.

The boxer received medical attention and is recovering.

Back from the dead

Bret Erickson said yesterday he was in good form for Beijing despite "coming back from the dead".

After Erickson`s heart stopped beating and he passed out for about three minutes during a training run in 2004, the trap shooter is back on his feet, in the best form of his career and aiming to become the first pacemaker-wearing Olympic champion.

"I want to be the first `previous dead guy` with a pacemaker to win a gold medal," Erickson, 47, said in an interview yesterday. Erickson was brought back to life when two teammates, who by good fortune were paramedics, quickly started resuscitating him.

Pacific weightlifters could star

Dika Toua is among a number of weightlifting medal contenders from the Pacific islands region.

Many have achieved success, despite primitive facilities in their own countries.

The 24-year-old from Papua New Guinea does not have access to physiotherapists or masseurs at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute on the Island of New Caledonia where she trains.

(See more on P5)

Regatta to start in light winds

The Olympic sailing regatta will start in light winds today with the breeze picking up early next week, American team meteorologist Jennifer Lilly said yesterday.

Strong tides and light winds are a feature of this stretch of coastline in August and Olympic sailors having long been preparing for such conditions.

"What we have been seeing is normal climatic conditions this month," said Lilly. "Hot, hazy, humid days with weak sea breeze conditions."

Practice racing was abandoned at the Olympic Sailing Centre on Thursday on a calm day in Qingdao, Shandong province, following several days of moderate breeze.