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Olympic Games: Sports stars begin quest for gold




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Newark’s sporting stars start their quest for the biggest prize as they begin their journeys at the Rio Olympic Games.

Adam Dixon and Shona McCallin, both former Newark Hockey Club players, travelled to Brazil last week with their squads.

They have been practising on the training pitches and sightseeing ahead of their first matches in the tournament.

Both look set to miss the Olympic opening ceremony because their opening games take place this weekend.

Each have said in the lead-up to the games that they are eyeing gold medals on the world’s biggest stage.

McCallin, 24, of Dry Doddington, will take to the field in GB ladies opening game against Australia on Saturday at 12.30am British time.

She has risen to prominence in the international set-up and will make her debut at the Olympics alongside eight other players.

Her first international call-up came for Great Britain in the Champions Trophy in 2014, where she also scored her first goal at the highest level.

One of her biggest achievements to date came in the European Hockey Championships a year later, when she claimed a gold medal on home soil.

McCallin’s performances helped her cement a regular first-team spot. The midfielder also appeared a few weeks ago in the latest Champions Trophy event, again on home soil.

After the opening match, the team will then face India on Monday and Argentina on Wednesday.

They finish their group campaign with matches against Japan a week today and the US a week on Saturday.

It will be followed by knockout rounds.

'We have set our target to win the gold medal'

Rio is also a first Games for 29-year-old Adam Dixon, of Newark, who endured heartbreak four years ago when he was left out of the squad for London 2012.

Despite the disappointment, Dixon has come back strongly to re-establish himself as a vital member of the team.

He appeared at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, helping England claim a silver medal.

During the build-up, he was bullish about Great Britain’s prospects of claiming the highest prize.

“We have set our target to win the gold medal. It would be a discredit to other players on our team if it wasn’t,” he said.

“In the past we have shown we can beat the world’s best and we can put in a good performance when it matters.”

The GB men start their campaign on Saturday, at 4.30pm British time, against Japan.

A match against New Zealand on Sunday follows, before they play hosts Brazil on Tuesday.

The group stage will be completed with matches against Australia on Wednesday and Spain on Friday.

Also competing at the Games will be 56-year-old showjumper Michael Whitaker, of Whatton, will take his place in Britain’s equestrian team.

This is Whitaker’s fifth Olympic Games, and he will be competing from August 14 in the individual and team jumping event.



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