As the 2012 London Olympic Games draw ever closer, many British athletes have embarked on the long journey to secure a place on Team GB and win gold in front of a home crowd. Olympic Dreams offers an insight into their journey - their gruelling training schedules, daily sacrifices, highs of victory, lows of defeat and injury, and the pressure of coping under the weight of growing expectation.

This four-part documentary series for BBC1 tracks the progress of:

• BMX world champion Shanaze Reade
• diver Tom Daley
• gymnast Venus Romaeo
• heptathlete Jessica Ennis
• judo hope Ashley McKenzie
• paralympic dressage champion Lee Pearson
• table tennis players Paul Drinkhall and Darius Knight
• The men’s rowing coxless four
• The paralympic wheelchair rugby team
• The women’s rowing team

In this Olympic year, some of these British hopefuls are also hoping to qualify and make an impact at the Beijing Games.

During this second series the unique relationship between coach and athlete is explored, as well as the role family and friends play in supporting the athletes through their preparation and training. Olympic Dreams also offers insight into the nerve-wracking rounds of selection and competition, and the sacrifices and opportunities the athletes experience in order to earn their place on the British Olympic Team.

Content last updated: 02/07/2008

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