London 2012 Olympics: Day 1

Follow all the latest action, news and events from The Olympics including the thoughts from The Independent's journalists, the latest pictures and what the world is saying about The Games

These are some of today’s best stories and features from today’s Independent…

As she defends the first of her two Olympic titles tomorrow, Rebecca Adlington’s coach tells Robin Scott-Elliot that she is the most gifted charge he's ever worked with… www.independent.co.uk

James Lawton on Tom Daley and how he has won a bigger battle than he'll ever face in the pool…
www.independent.co.uk

Tom Sutcliffe: Sue, Gary and Team BBC whipped us into a frenzy…
www.independent.co.uk

Steve Bunce: Fired-up fighters look in good shape to secure GB's best medal haul at an Olympics.
www.independent.co.uk

Roger Black on Team GB’s Fab Four on the track - Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah, Christine Ohuruogu and Dai Greene.
www.independent.co.uk

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 8:26:05 AM
British rowers Heather Stanning and Helen Glover are into the final of the Women's pair, convincingly winning their heat and breaking the British Olympic record in the process. USA came in second.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 8:41:33 AM
The Men's Cycling road race get's underway in just under ten minutes time. Tour de France heroes Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome as well as David Millar are hoping to help Mark Cavendish in his quest for gold.

The Manxman's main rivals look set to be Belgium's Tom Boonen, who missed the Tour de France to concentrate on this race, and Peter Sagan of Slovakia who won the Green Jersey at the Tour de France.

by Charles Reynolds edited by Simon Rice (Online Sports... 7/28/2012 8:52:00 AM
The Women's Quadruple Sculls heats are just about to take place with Great Britain up against Australia, Ukraine and New Zealand.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 8:54:55 AM
Meanwhile in Judo, Great Britain's Ashley McKenzie faces the second seed Hiroaki Hiraoka from Japan, in about two minutes time.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 8:56:44 AM
Wiggo smiling as Royals go to chat to his family #london2012 #indyolympics t.co

by emilydugan via twitter 7/28/2012 9:02:52 AM
In just under an hour the first gold medal of the games will be contested in the final of the Women's 10m Air Rifle final. If Katerina Emmons wins she will be the first athlete to win consecutive gold medals in this event.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:09:50 AM
Bad news for Team GB's women's Quadruple Sculls who came last in their heat behind Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:12:14 AM
40-year-old rower Greg Searle, who is looking to win his second gold medal 20 years after he won his first in Barcelona, is about to get on the water for the first time. He faces Netherlands, Canada and Germany in the second of the Men's Eight heats.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:15:38 AM
Following last night's surprise in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron bookmakers have pledged to refund all bets, read more about it here...
www.independent.co.uk

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:22:02 AM
Only man to turn down beach volleyball today (for football, natch). Cardiff here we come again. In Hope we Hope #IndyOlympics

by stevetongue via twitter 7/28/2012 9:22:51 AM
The Men's Eight will have to go through the repecharge if they want to get to the final after narrowly coming second behind Germany in an exciting heat.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:28:10 AM
The peloton in the Men's Road races speeds past Buckingham Palace

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:32:49 AM
America's record breaking swimmer Michael Phelps got his Olympic campaign off to a successful start, winning his heat in the Men's 400m Individual Medley.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:36:30 AM
Ashely McKenzie is out of the Men's Judo, losing his 60kg contest against second seed Hiroaki Hiraoka of Japan.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:41:02 AM
Despite winning his heat, there is drama for Michael Phelps at the Aquatics Centre, as a much faster second heat means he only ends up qualifying for the final by 0.07 seconds.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:46:19 AM
Things looking positive for British swimmers Fran Halsall and Ellen Gandy in the 100m butterfly. Both women came second in their heats and now look likely to qualify for the final with one heat remaining.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:48:47 AM
From Infostrada: Michael Phelps qualifies as 8th fastest for the final of the 400m IM. His lowest rank in a final at the Olympics was 5th in Men's 200m butterfly in 2000, when he was 15 years old.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:52:18 AM
France's Sofiane Milous throws Georgia's Betkili Shukvani in the men's -60 kg Judo.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 9:55:51 AM
Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend are into the semi-finals of the men's double sculls after an impressive display in their heat, finishing second behind New Zealand's world champion pair.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:01:47 AM
by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:05:37 AM
From Infostrada: Dana Vollmer's (USA) 56.25 in the Women's 100m butterfly heats is a new world's best time in the 'post-swimsuit-era' and the fourth best ever. Sarah Sjostrom's (SWE) WR of 56.06 (swimsuit) is under threat.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:12:41 AM
The competition for the first gold medal of the 2012 games is hotting up in the Women's 10m Air Rifle final. China's Yi Siling currently leads ahead of Poland's Sylwia Bogacka. Reigning champion Katerina Emmons is currently fourth.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:20:56 AM
With 195km to go in the Men's road race, Britain's cyclists are at the front of the peloton, just over four minutes behind a 12-man breakaway.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:24:06 AM
Yi Sling wins the first gold of the games
Sylwia Bogacka from Poland took silver with China also picking up the bronze.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:26:38 AM
Go #China! First Olympic Gold medal in the shooting! #2012LondonOlympics. :)

by yeellustration via twitter 7/28/2012 10:27:50 AM
There will be no medals for Great Britain in the Badminton mixed doubles this year, Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier lost their first round match against the Russian pair 21-14, 9-21, 18-21.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:31:44 AM
Nearly 27 million people tuned into last night's spectacular opening ceremony, read more here...
www.independent.co.uk

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:39:42 AM
Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku has picked up an unwanted achievement, becoming the first athlete to be excluded from the London Games by the IOC, after testing positive for a banned substance on Wednesday.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:43:00 AM
Things in the Men's road race are not completely going to plan for Team GB although there are still over four hours of racing to go. The British riders trail a breakaway of 12 cyclists by almost six minutes.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:48:28 AM
Hannah Miley is into the final of the 400m Individual Medley. She finished sixth fastest overall with a time of 4:34:98. USA's Elizabeth Beisel and China's Ye Shiwen were the two fastest. Britain's Aimee Willmott misses out on a place after finishing fifth in her heat.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:51:58 AM
Yi Siling of China celebrates winning the first gold of London 2012 in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Shooting final.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 10:56:19 AM
In rowing, Britain's Men's Lightweight Four are into the semi-finals, winning their heat ahead of Australia with a time of 5:49.29.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:00:36 AM
Cavendish is in the thick of it on Box Hill right now. this is what he trained for #indyolympics

by Kevin Garside via twitter 7/28/2012 11:02:53 AM
In fencing, this morning's all British clash between Sophie Troiano and Natalia Sheppard, in the individual foil, was won by Sheppard who now progresses to the last 32.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:05:22 AM
Shaun Terry in action for Team GB in the Archery at Lord's this morning. Unfortunately Great Britain were knocked out by Ukraine 223-212.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:07:49 AM
Good news for Britain's men in the 100m breastroke, with Michael Jamieson and Craig Benson both progressing to the semi-finals.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:10:17 AM
China's Yi Siling with the first gold medal of London 2012

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:16:59 AM
Britain's Susan Egelstaff faces Slovenia's Maja Tvrdy in the first round of the badminton competition in just over ten minutes.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:19:15 AM
More success for Team GB's rowers at Eton Dorney, with George Nash and William Satch progressing to the semi-final of the men's pair after winning their heat.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:28:10 AM
Daniel Purvis in action for Team GB on the parallel bars as the Men's Gymnastics team competition reaches the halfway stage.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:32:41 AM
From Infostrada: Korea have won the most medals in women's handball – a total of six.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:37:51 AM
After masterminding last night's hugely successful opening ceremony the odds on Danny Boyle receiving a knighthood have been slashed to 5/4 according to Ladbrokes.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:46:03 AM
RT @TeamGB: [PHOTO] Her Majesty the Queen visiting the Team GB accommodation in the athlete village #OurGreatestTeam t.co

by Gabriela1Santos via twitter 7/28/2012 11:49:36 AM
The first World Record of Day 1 has been broken by New Zealand's Hamish Bond and Eric Murray in the Men's Pair. They beat the previous record set by James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent by a huge six seconds.

by Charles Reynolds 7/28/2012 11:52:55 AM