The Nine Network has unveiled plans for its extensive coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games, including gold medal hope Sally Pearson as its official athlete ambassador.
With athletes from around the world competing in 26 sports and 39 disciplines, chasing 300 gold medals, Nine will capture all the excitement and emotion from London with the most dedicated live Olympic Games coverage Australian free-to-air television has ever broadcast from abroad.
Find out about Nine's 3D Olympics coverage here
Pearson heads Australia's gold medal hopes on the track, as she prepares to go one better than her Beijing silver medal. In the pool, world 100m freestyle champion James Magnussen leads the green and gold charge, while Australia's cycling team looks set to battle the host nation for a number of medals in what should be an intriguing showdown against the old enemy at the velodrome.
Nine's award-winning
Wide World of Sports team will bring Australian television audiences more than 18 hours action each day across all 16 days of elite competition.
Hosting the coverage from London will be the face and voice of
Wide World of Sports, Ken Sutcliffe, along with Karl Stefanovic, Leila McKinnon, Mark Nicholas and Cameron Williams. Leila McKinnon and Eddie McGuire will host the live and exclusive coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
On competition days, Nine will deliver 14.5 hours of continuous live coverage from 6.30pm until 9.00am the following morning. Then from 9.00am to 11.00am each morning, all the day's highlights will be shown and later replayed from 4.00pm-6.00pm.
Nine's expert commentary team for London 2012 includes nine Olympic gold medallists, former Olympic athletes, and distinguished sports broadcasters. The
Wide World of Sports exclusive swimming commentary team comprises Olympic gold medallists Grant Hackett and Giaan Rooney plus Ray Warren, one of Australia's most accomplished sports commentators.
The rest of the Olympic commentary team includes James Tomkins (Rowing), Kerri Pottharst (Beach Volleyball), Scott McGrory (Cycling), Debbie Watson (Water Polo), Andrew Gaze (Basketball), Jane Flemming (Athletics), Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (Athletics), Michael Slater (Diving), Andrew Voss (Weightlifting), James Brayshaw (Rowing) and Eddie McGuire (Marathon and Triathlon).
Together they'll bring Australian audiences the biggest sporting telecast of an Olympic Games hosted outside Australia. More than 300 hours of action will be broadcast on Channel Nine, and simulcast in high definition on GEM.
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/london-olympics/tv-schedule/
No word on my favourite Olympic sports, football (soccer) and handball.
