One event at the Olympics that requires the utmost level of willpower and concentration is the Race Walk, staged over 20k and 50k. Competitors are monitored throughout by judges, and if they are deemed to have broken into a run, will receive a red card. Pick up three and it means disqualification and goodbye to a medal.

The Walk is one of the long established events at the Olympic Games, having been staged every year since 1904 apart from Paris in 1924, and in the main has been dominated by the Russians and Chinese.

In the 20k Race Walk, Russia cleaned up in Beijing, courtesy of Valeriy Borchin in the men’s, and Olga Kaniskina in the women’s. Borchin in particular is a walking machine, having subsequently gained gold at both the 2009 and 2011 World Championships, having even had a break in between

He looks the one to beat again in London, with his main rival likely to be Wang Zhen of China, while his female counterpart Kaniskina will know all about the threat posed by her fellow countrywoman Anisya Kirdyapkina and the Chinese girl Liu Hong.

In the 50k division it was Italy that triumphed four years ago thanks to Alex Schwazer, but the recent World Race Walking Cup in Saransk, Russia saw a home 1-2, with Sergey Kirdeyapkin having the most stamina to gain the day.

Australian Jared Tallent set off in the lead in a bid to draw the sting out of the Russians, and although the ploy failed, it was a great effort to finish third. On the podium twice in Beijing, with bronze in the 20k and silver in the 50k, he should be bang in there again, while his wife Claire is set to compete in the women’s 20k and is useful as well.

For all the best previews, odds and predictions ahead of this summer’s festival of sport, including the latest Athletics Betting , head over to the dedicated Betfair London 2012 page.

Clay court specialist Rafael Nadal continued his dominance on the surface by thrashing Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 to ease into the third round of the Madrid Open.

The 25-year-old Spaniard stepped up his preparations for the Betfair French Open – he is looking to clinch his seventh title at Roland Garros – by crushing the outclassed Russian in just 80 minutes.

“I played much better than I expected,” said Nadal afterwards. “I am very happy to be in the third round and will probably have a very difficult match against Fernando Verdasco.”

The world number two has a good record at the Madrid Open, having won it on two occasions – in 2005 and 2010 – while 12 months ago he was beaten in the final by Novak Djokovic – the current favourite in the Wimbledon 2012 Betting.

Nadal’s victory against Davydenko extended his recent winning sequence to 11 matches following his tournament successes at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he beat Djokovic in the final, and the Barcelona Open, where his vanquished opponent in the final was David Ferrer.

Meanwhile, the 15th-seeded Verdasco moved into the third round by beating the Colombian Alejandro Falla 6-7 6-4 6-4  in two hours and 45 minutes.

However, Verdasco has lost all 13 of his encounters against Nadal, with the latest coming in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open.

World number five Jo-Wilfried Tsonga proved to be too strong for Ryan Harrison, eventually beating the American 6-2 7-6, while the Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov saw off Andreas Seppi 6-7 7-6 6-3 in a tight contest that lasted more than two hours.

Five-time Major winner, and one of the most popular golfers ever, Seve Ballesteros, is sure to be on everyone’s mind, as the 2012 Open gets under way at Royal Lytham & St Annes, in July.

The late Spaniard hardly took to the Lancashire course like a duck to water, when bursting onto the scene in 1979 as a 22-year-old; some of his shots that year even ended up in the car park.

Somehow though, the magic that was to exude in subsequent years, shone through enough for him to gain his first ever Major, and despite those errant shots he was the only player to finish under par.

Seve went on to capture three more Majors, over the next few years. In 1988, he returned to Lytham, to become the only player in Open history to conquer the course twice.

Some of his strokes that year were exceptional; everything he tried seemed to pay off.

By the time he had finished, on the Sunday afternoon, the Spaniard had carded a six-under par 65 to finish 11 under in total, and scrawl his name into the record books.

He even went on record to say that, above all of his other great successes, that round was the one that gave him the greatest pleasure, as he had to be on top form to stay ahead of Nick Price.

He became the youngest player to win the Open in over 100 years, with his 1979 triumph, and it was only fitting that Lytham was to be the venue for his first and last Majors.

Yes, we will never forget his Ryder Cup heroics either, but surely on the Sunday evening, there will be a glass or two raised in honour of the only player ever to win twice at Royal Lytham.

Place a wager on the next generation of professional golfers, with British Open betting.

The London 2012 Games have been the catalyst for a massive transformation of former industrial land in east London. The 2.5 square kilometres of land is now the Olympic Park; it will be the home to eight venues, including the Olympics Stadium, Aquatics Centre, and Velodrome.

Fans of betting will no doubt be looking forward to the opening ceremony, and to the opportunities for gambling that the Olympics may bring.

It will have plenty of other attractions for visitors to see during the Olympics, including live music, street performers, and interactive events provided by the sponsors of London 2012. The Olympic Park is divided into four different zones – The Street market, Brittania Row, World Square, and Orbit Circus.

Here are some fascinating facts about the venues that have been built:

1.The Olympic Stadium will have a capacity for 80,000, and is the lightest structure ever built for an Olympic stadium.

2.The wave shaped roof of the Aquatics Centre is one and a half times bigger than Wembley football pitch. It measures 12,000 square metres.

3. One of the most sustainable venues is the Velodrome. The building is highly efficient due to its lightweight roof, which weighs half as much as the roof on any other covered Velodrome. The roof is made up of ten miles of steel cable, which, stretched out, would be twice the height of Mount Everest.

4. The track inside the Velodrome should be the fastest indoor cycling track in the world.

5.  The Velodrome toilets are flushed with rainwater collected from its roof, and it is almost 100% naturally ventilated.

6. The Greenway – a walking and cycling route in Olympic Park – has been made using salvaged materials from the site clearance and demolition of the area before building began. The recycled materials include bricks, paving stones, man-hole covers, tiles and timber sleepers.

Of course, all of these buildings and the Olympic Park itself will be there for many years to come after the Olympics, leaving behind a legacy of the Games themselves. Keep up with the preparations for London 2012 with Betfair Olympics.