Team GB Eyes Carrying on Momentum into London

The head of the British Olympic Association says he expects his country to carry its momentum from the last Olympic Games into London next year.

CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.

The chief executive of the British Olympic Association, Andy Hunt, says because of their better-than-expected performance in Beijing in 2008, Great Britain has become the team many nations look to beat in the 2012 Games.

"Team GB has moved from being the hunter to being the hunted."

Britain finished fourth with a final tally of 47 medals, which represents Team GB's greatest medal haul in a hundred years.

Hunt, who's Chef de Mission for the British team, says they've been working hard to try to make the hometown audience proud next year.

"We've developed specific high-performance programs, which will be tested and further refined through the summer in partnership with the governing bodies. We've developed a unique program, we call 'First Games, Home Games,' which is aimed at dealing with the fact that it's likely for 100 percent of our team it would be their first home game experience."

There are initiatives in place, through which people in the United Kingdom can show their support for the 500 British athletes.

Despite having the "home field advantage," there are some hurdles Team GB will have to face.

Stephen Park led the UK sailing team to its record-breaking medal haul in Beijing.

"We do feel extra pressure. Huge expectations for all competitors to do well. It would be a challenge. Many other nations are doing very well to bridge the gap to get closer in their performances. So that would be difficult."

Although Australia has now set a target to beat Britain on their own doorstep, Hunt is suggesting that it may be Britain's European neighbors that could be the biggest threat to Team GB's fourth-place goal.

"Germany had an extremely strong year, recording 57 medals, including 23 gold, compared to Team GB's 38 medals, of which 13 were gold, in the relative Olympic medal table, showing Germany's great potential, strength and depth. They along with other Western European nations, such as France, Italy and Spain, will be a threat in 2012, as the climactic, geographic, and cultural conditions, will be much more beneficial to them than they were in Beijing."

And while many in Great Britain would love to see the home team finish at the top of the medal table next year, leapfrogging China, the United States and Russia is most likely an unattainable goal at this point.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun in London.