Former GB taekwondo captain John Cullen For BBC Sport in Beijing
Michael Harvey gets Britain's bid for a taekwondo medal underway on Wednesday.
In taekwondo the draw is crucial, and the Mancunian has been handed a tough opener against current world silver medallist Guillermo Perez of Mexico.
Harvey is fresh from a consistently successful junior career.
But this is his first Olympics and he'll have to be on top form to overcome Perez, known for his dynamic playing style, great flexibility and wide variety of techniques.
Perez who lives and trains in Mexico City was relaxed when I spoke to him yesterday after arriving straight from a training camp at the Olympic University in Seoul, Korea.
Michael on the other hand has been preparing at both the GB team's Manchester base and of late in Cuba with their highly respected Olympic athletes.
The match kicks off at 0400 BST on Wednesday the 20th, so keep an eye on TV listings for taekwondo's much anticipated arrival.
Harvey knows he will have to be at his best to overcome such a top class opponent but he is ready for the challenge and eminently capable of causing an upset. I for one would be delighted to see him win as he is a first-class person and deserves nothing but the best.
If successful he will go on to fight either Levet Tuncat of Germany or Rohullah Nikpai of Afghanistan, a tough grouping indeed.
British team interest is centred on three-times Olympian Sarah Stevenson, who as a former World Champion, has the sporting pedigree to excel amongst such prestigious company.
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Stevenson is hoping to make up for disappointment in Athens
At 25, she has the maturity and athletic skill to go one step beyond her efforts in Athens (she got knocked out in her opener which was disppointing after a fourth-place finish in Sydney).
But to do so she has to overcome World Cup bronze medallist of 2006, Nadin Dawani of Jordan, in the first match (Saturday 23 August, 0345 BST on BBC TV/website).
If successful, Sarah is likely to face long time rival and double Olympic Champion Chen Zhong (provided of course Zhong can overcome Adriana Guiterez of Venezuela).
Guiterez of course ended Sarah's ambitions in Athens so either way Sarah has he work cut out for her.
She has however overcome both athletes before and is in imperious form of late and goes into the competition full of confidence.
With a realistic chance of a medal Sarah will call upon all her reserves of skill and mental toughness as she chases her Olympic dream.
Good luck Sarah!!! - a sentiment shared by all GB taekwondo fans, in particular by her club coach Gary Sykes of All Stars in Doncaster.
Mum and dad Diane and Roy will also be cheering her on.
That leaves Aaron Cook of Scorpions Taekwondo, again from Doncaster (the fighting heartbeat of GB TKD?) who fights on Friday 22nd at 0415 BST - so set your alarm clocks as his first match may be spectacular.
If the other guys have tough draws then Aaron has a very promising start to the Games indeed, facing Jason Anju, a 20 year old 100/1 outsider from the Marshall Islands who works as a chef at Panda Express in Hawaii.
Anju has the distinction of being the first Marshallese athlete ever to qualify and compete in the Olympic Games.
He made it through the Oceania Qualification tournament (not currently considered the toughest of routes) and will represent his birth country in Beijing and is among a handful of Hawaiian residents to qualify for this year's Olympics.
So a chef meets a Cook - I'm sure they will serve up a spectacular feast of taekwondo - only this time I feel certain the Cook will be just too refined and skilful for the chef!
Aaron will then encounter either Lionel Baguissi of Gabon, or rather more likely Carlos Vasquez of Venezuela, the 23-year-old bronze medallist at the Worlds in Madrid in 2005.
No mean feat considering Vasquez took Steven Lopez to sudden death in the last Worlds at the quarter-final stage.
And Mr Taekwondo (Steven Lopez, double Olympic champion and four-time World Champ) awaits in the semi Finals for Aaron.
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