Olympics 2008

You don't need me to tell you how much dedication and effort it takes to become an Olympic athlete, never mind an Olympic champion.

And if you think that competing in one sport at the Olympics is hard enough, consider those that compete in several events within a sport, or in the decathlon or modern pentathlon.

It is rare though, in these professional days, to find competitors who change sports between Games and still reach the qualifying standard, but one American is bucking the trend at the Beijing Olympics.

Those of you with a decent memory for Olympic swimmers may recall Sheila Taormina. She won gold 12 years ago in Atlanta in the women's 4x800m relay race (pictured above left).

Four years later, she added cycling and running to her portfolio and resurfaced as a triathlete at the Sydney Games, finishing sixth. A 23rd-place finish in the Athens triathlon followed before Taormina decided to change track again.

She dropped the cycling and began training in epee fencing, shooting and show jumping in her quest to qualify for the American modern pentathlon team.

And early in June, the 39-year-old achieved her goal and in doing so, became the first American to qualify for the Olympics in three different sports.

What makes her feat all the more remarkable is that four years ago, Taormina had not picked up a pistol, an epee or ridden anything larger than a pony.

She says she will be trying for a podium finish, but the main aim is to enjoy herself.

Of course the women's modern pentathlon is one Olympic sport Britain has excelled in and Katy Livingston and Heather Fell are among the leading medal contenders.

What do you make of Taormina's feat and how do you see the modern pentathlon panning out in Beijing?