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Live Olympic coverage from the BBC Sport team.

Higher. Faster. Stronger. Together. The city of love welcomes the Paris 2024 Games.  While you wait, enjoy some classic Olympic moments.

Olympics 2008: Beijing 2008

Olympics: 2008: Day Seven

15/08/2008

Day Seven

2008

BBC Sport - Olympics, 2008, Day Seven

Athletics, swimming, gymnastics, archery, judo, shooting, boxing, sailing and cycling.

Adrian Chiles and Clare Balding present the best of the overnight action and live coverage in athletics, swimming, gymnastics, archery, judo, shooting, boxing, sailing and cycling.

Adrian Chiles and Clare Balding present the best of the overnight action plus live coverage in athletics, swimming, gymnastics, archery, judo, shooting, boxing, sailing and cycling. 

The athletics competition in the Bird's Nest Stadium gets under way, four more swimming medals are decided and the women's all around gymnastics concludes. 

Britain has hopes in the men's individual archery, with Karina Bryant goes in the women's +78kg judo category and Jon Hammond in the men's 50m rifle prone shooting. 

In boxing, Britain's only world champion, Frankie Gavin, fights in the second round of the lightweight division, while in sailing, the Tornado and Star classes compete for the first time. 

The track cyclists prepare to take centre stage at the Laoshan Velodrome and Britain have current world champions in seven of the events.

Olympics: 2008

BBC One

Coverage of events from the Beijing Olympics

Olympic Breakfast

Olympics: Beijing 2008

Coverage from the velodrome, plus swimming, cycling, judo, archery and sailing.

Live coverage from the first day at the velodrome, including the men's team sprint and men's and women's individual pursuit. Plus swimming, cycling, judo, archery and sailing.

Clare Balding presents live coverage from the velodrome, including the men's team sprint and men's and women's individual pursuit. 

Britain look to improve on their World Championship silver won in 2007 and 2008 in the men's sprint, with Ross Edgar, Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff. World and Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins starts his campaign in the men's pursuit, as does Rebecca Romero in the women's. 

The women's 50m freestyle, men's 1,500m freestyle and men's and women's 4x100m heats are the main events in the pool, with Fran Halsall going for GB in the 50m. 

Plus, coverage of the medal stages of the men's individual archery, Karina Bryant in the women's +78kg judo category and the opening races in the Star and Tornado sailing classes. Leigh McMillan and Will Howden and Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson bear the weight of British expectation in these.

Olympics 2008

Olympic Athletics: Beijing 2008

Live coverage from the first day's track and field events.

Live coverage from the first day's track and field events, including the women's 10,000m final, men's hammer qualifying and round one of the men's 1,500m and 400m hurdles.

Live coverage from the first day's track and field events. Jo Pavey looks for a medal in the women's 10,000m final, while the men's shot is also decided. 

Other events include the men's hammer qualifying, round one of the men's 1,500m and 400m hurdles and the women's triple jump qualifying. With coverage from the pool, including the women's 50m freestyle, men's 1500m freestyle and men's and women's 4x100m heats.

Coverage of athletics, swimming, tennis, badminton, boxing, hockey and show jumping.

Live coverage from the first day's track and field events. Jo Pavey looks for a medal in the women's 10,000m. Plus swimming, boxing, badminton, tennis, hockey and show jumping.

Sue Barker and Jake Humphrey host live coverage from the first day's athletics events. Jo Pavey looks for a medal in the women's 10,000m final, while the men's shot is also decided. Other events include the men's hammer qualifying, round one of the men's 400m hurdles and the women's triple jump qualifying. 

With coverage from the pool, including the men's and women's 4x100m heats, while Britain's David Davies starts his quest for a possible two medals in the 1,500m heats. 

In boxing, the bantamweights fight for quarter-final places and Britain's Joe Murray could be in action, while Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg fight for medals in the women's badminton doubles. 

Andy Murray could be in action as the men's and women's tennis singles semi-finals take place, Britain's men's hockey team play a group match against South Africa and our show jumpers take their first strides towards team and individual medals at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong.

Olympic Gymnastics

Olympic Gymnastics: Beijing 2008

Olympic Gymnastics: 2008: Women's All Around Final

Women's All Around Final

BBC Sport - Olympic Gymnastics, 2008, Women's All Around Final

Nastia Liukin of the United States takes Olympic gold in the women's all-around gymnastics

Nastia Liukin of the United States takes Olympic gold in the women's all-around gymnastics.

Olympic Gymnastics: 2008

Coverage of gymnastic events from the Beijing Olympics

Women's artistic gymnastics all-around individual final

Planet Earth

Planet Earth: Episode 5: Deserts - Short Version

Episode 5

Episode 5: Deserts - Short Version

Deserts - Short Version

BBC One - Planet Earth, Deserts - Short Version

A look at Earth's most spectacular deserts, revealing the secrets behind desert survival.

David Attenborough looks at deserts around the world from Namibia to Chile, unravelling the secrets behind desert survival and revealing their ephemeral nature.

David Attenborough takes a look at deserts, which cover a third of the Earth's land surface. From space they appear lifeless but a closer look reveals a different picture.

Deserts, in fact, are surprisingly varied; from Mongolia's Gobi desert where wild Bactrian camels have to eat snow in lieu of water, to the Atacama in Chile where guanacos survive by licking the dew off cactus spines.

Changes are rare in deserts but they play a crucial part in their story; from Saharan sandstorms nearly a mile high to desert rivers that run for a single day; from the brief blooming of Death Valley in the USA, to a plague of desert locusts 40 miles wide and 100 miles long - two events that might occur once in 30 years.

The highlight of the programme is a unique aerial voyage over the dunes and rocky escarpments of a Namibian desert. From this lofty viewpoint, we follow elephants on a desperate trek for food and - most amazingly of all - desert lions searching the wilderness for wandering bands of oryx.

The programme unravels the secrets behind desert survival - and reveals the ephemeral nature of this stunning environment.

An exploration of the wild and beautiful parts of our planet.

David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.

Planet Earth: deserts

The Games Today

The Games Today: Beijing 2008

The Games Today: Beijing 2008: Day Seven

Beijing 2008

BBC One - The Games Today, Beijing 2008, Day Seven

Athletics, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, archery, boxing, judo, shooting and tennis.

Highlights of day seven, including athletics, four swimming finals, women's all around gymnastics, track cycling, archery, boxing, judo, shooting, badminton and tennis.

Gabby Logan has the best of the action, stories, analysis and interviews on day seven of the Games. 

16 medals were decided including two in the athletics stadium, where the crowd could also enjoy the first day of the heptathlon and the men's 100m heats. 

Four swimming finals were contested, the women's all around gymnastics was resolved and the first day of the track cycling saw Britain looking for medal success in the men's team sprint. 

Elsewhere, British interest centred on archery, boxing, judo and shooting, while the badminton and tennis competitions reached a crucial stage.

Daily round-up of action from the Beijing Olympics

Olympics 2008: Games Today

Gardeners' World

Gardening show packed with ideas and timely reminders to get the most out of your garden

Gardening show packed with good ideas, tips, advice from experts and timely reminders to get the most out of your garden, whatever its size or type

Gardeners' World: 2008

Gardeners' World: 2008: Episode 18

Episode 18

BBC Two - Gardeners' World, 2008, Episode 18

The Royal Horticultural Society at Harlow Carr and Rosemoor present their best plants.

Carol Klein reveals some of her favourite plants at Berryfields, while the Royal Horticultural Society at Harlow Carr and Rosemoor present the season's best plants.

At Berryfields, Carol Klein reveals some of her favourite plants, while Joe Swift prepares his allotment for when he goes on holiday. 

Ethnobotanist James Wong looks at some garden plants that are endangered in the wild, and sweet peas come under the scrutiny of the Royal Horticultural Society at the trial grounds at Wisley. 

The staff at the RHS gardens at Harlow Carr and Rosemoor also show off their best performing plants of the season and give advice on how to look after tomatoes.

BBC Two

Knowledge, drama, comedy and the arts for a broad adult audience.

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

Gardening show packed with tips, advice and timely reminders from the experts

The Tudors

The Tudors: Series 2

The Tudors: Series 2: Episode 3

Episode 3

Series 2

BBC Two - The Tudors, Series 2, Episode 3

With Anne Boleyn finally to be crowned his queen, Henry awaits a male heir.

With Anne Boleyn finally to be crowned his queen, Henry ignores the splits within his court and kingdom as he awaits the male heir she has promised him.

3/10. See page 116.
Alan Titchmarsh 's tips: page 34 (CHOICE)

A Little Later

Vintage performances from the Later... with Jools Holland archives

A Little Later: Paul McCartney

24/12/2007

Paul McCartney

BBC Two - A Little Later, Paul McCartney

Classic appearance from Paul McCartney on Later... with Jools Holland.

A classic appearance from Paul McCartney on Later... with Jools Holland.

Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage

Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage: Episode 11: The Dardanelles

Episode 11

Episode 11: The Dardanelles

The Dardanelles

BBC Two - Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage, The Dardanelles

Francesco da Mosto explores a vast mosque in Edirne before giving wrestling a try.

Francesco da Mosto makes stops at the haunting beaches of Gallipoli, visits a mosque in the city of Edirne, and drops in on Bursa, the birthplace of the doner kebab.

Francesco da Mosto reaches the outer limits of the old Venetian empire on his voyage from Venice to Istanbul. Now he enters Turkish waters, the Strait of the Dardanelles, gateway to the east.

First stop are the haunting beaches of Gallipoli - scene of one of the worst massacres of the First World War. It was here that the Anzac forces of New Zealand and Australia were decimated as, alongside British troops, they tried to retake the Dardanelles. 

After the bumpiest of bus rides inland, Francesco arrives at the city of Edirne, which boasts Turkey's finest - and biggest - mosque. The incredible acoustics of the giant dome are demonstrated by a local imam with the biggest pair of lungs in town. 

In Edirne the most popular sport is wrestling. Naked, except for skin-tight leather trousers and covered in olive oil, the local wrestlers are giants of men. The sport is a severe trial of strength and the rules uncertain - it's even acceptable to put your hands down your opponent's trousers. Francesco is forced to give it a try.

The White Swan embarks on its final lap to Istanbul. But one detour is irresistible - to Bursa, birthplace of the doner kebab.

Architect and historian Francesco da Mosto journeys across the Mediterranean sea

Architect and historian Francesco da Mosto embarks on a journey to cross the Mediterranean sea

Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage: Episode 12: Istanbul

Episode 12

Episode 12: Istanbul

Istanbul

BBC Two - Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage, Istanbul

Franceso da Mosto reaches Istanbul, the final stop of his marathon voyage.

Francesco da Mosto reaches Istanbul, the final stop of his marathon voyage, where he explores the Palace of Topkapi, huge underground cisterns and the Grand Bazaar.

Franceso da Mosto reaches Istanbul, the final stop of his marathon voyage from Venice following the trading routes of the Venetian empire.

Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus as well as two continents. It has been home of both Christian and Islamic civilisations, and Francesco is eager to explore this great city.

First stop is the Palace of Topkapi - centre of power for the Ottoman empire. Most haunting of all is the palace harem, a prison to the sultan's many concubines. Beneath the city is a vast network of underground tunnels dating back more than a thousand years. 

Donning hard hat and waders, Francesco enters one of the huge underground cisterns - looking more like a Roman emperor's palace than a water tank. Two giant heads of Medusa lie abandoned in the water.

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is one of the world's biggest undercover markets and Francesco has a mission in mind. He is going to learn how to sell a Turkish carpet. As he learns the secrets of the trade, he is shown one of the most expensive and beautiful carpets in the city.

A visit to Istanbul would not be complete without the experience of a Turkish bath, however, so Francesco offers himself up for a vigorous soap and scrub. But soon it is time to say goodbye. A final celebration aboard the Black Swan with its long-suffering crew brings Francesco's journey to an end.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Celebrities trace their family trees, discovering surprises from their pasts.

Lost connections and unfamiliar histories are revealed as celebrities trace their family trees. Discover stories of courage, joy, sacrifice and resilience - everyone has a tale to tell.

Who Do You Think You Are?: Series 5

Who Do You Think You Are?: Series 5: Episode 1: Patsy Kensit

Episode 1

Episode 1: Patsy Kensit

Series 5

Patsy Kensit

BBC One - Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 5, Patsy Kensit

Patsy Kensit looks into her family's criminal past in London's gangland.

Celebrity genealogy series. Patsy Kensit's father was a prolific criminal and she searches her family's murky past to discover how far back 'the family trade' goes.

Series in which celebrities trace their ancestry. Patsy Kensit's late father was a villain, deeply involved with London's most notorious gangsters of the 1960s, the Krays and the Richardsons. Reggie Kray is godfather to Patsy's brother. 

Patsy embarks on an investigation into her father's murky past, wanting to understand the roots of his criminality and to discover how far back 'the family trade' goes.

She meets up with a criminologist who had unearthed a copy of her father's criminal record, revealing the true extent of his crimes. She is then shocked to uncover documents in the national archive that show her grandfather was also a prolific criminal.

Tracing her roots further back, an amazing document in Goldsmith's Hall reveals how the Kensit family, once affluent artisans, first fell into poverty. Then Patsy makes a final emotional discovery about her family and who they descended from.

Celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past

Celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.

Who Do You think You Are?

Olympics: 2008: Athletics and Swimming: Day Eight

16/08/2008

Athletics and Swimming: Day Eight

BBC Sport - Olympics, 2008, Athletics and Swimming: Day Eight

Live coverage of the morning's track and field events, featuring the men's 20km walk and the opening rounds of the men's 3000m steeplechase. With coverage of the swimming finals.

Hazel Irvine presents live coverage of the morning's track and field events, featuring the men's 20km walk and the opening rounds of the men's 3000m steeplechase and discus and the women's 100m, 400m and pole vault.

Includes live coverage of the swimming finals, featuring the women's 200m backstroke final, men's 100m butterfly final, women's 800 freestyle final, men's 50m freestyle, and the women's 50m freestyle semi-finals.

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