There are only 200 days until the start of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but the battle to top the podium began a long time ago. Since the curtain came down on the London 2012 Games, athletes, coaches, sports scientists, nutritionists and a host of other specialists have been plotting how to grab glory at the first edition of the Games to be staged in South America.  

Meticulous diets, gruelling training programmes, careful travel plans…. the stars of the sporting world will do everything within their reach to shine on the biggest stage of all.

Novak Djokovic aiming to get in ahead of the competition

The no.1 ranked tennis player in the world and 10-time grand slam champion will almost certainly arrive in Rio as hot favourite for the men’s singles title. However, the 28-year-old Serb is anything by complacent: he so determined to win his first Olympic gold medal whilst at the peak of his powers that he plans to arrive in Rio ahead of the crowd in order to acclimatise to the tropical setting. 

Djokovic and Murray on collision course in battle for Olympic gold
 

“I’m going to take a week in preparation, which means going there earlier, and becoming used to the conditions.”

Novak Djokovic
 

Usain Bolt switches chicken nuggets for yams

 

Throwback to showing off my chef skills on @jamieoliver show #ChefSkills #RealCountryYute #TBT

A photo posted by Usain St.Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) on Nov 19, 2015 at 7:09am PST

Usain Bolt famously admitted to eating 1,000 chicken nuggets at the Beijing Games, where he won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, setting world records in each event. That intake apparently equates to about 59,000 calories. But Bolt was only 22 then and when you’re young you can get away with it.

Now, as he approaches his final Olympic Games in the hope to completing an unprecendented ‘triple-triple’, the 29-year-old Jamaiacan is a new man. Vegetables are a regular on the big man’s plate, with yams being the most popular.

Usain Bolt aiming to break 19-second barrier in 200m at Rio 2016 Olympic Games

“The older you get, the better you have to eat”

Usain Bolt
 

Chad le Clos putting in the hours

Chad le Clos has already declared his intention to break Michael Phelps’s 100m and 200m butterfly world records in Rio, and now his path ahead is very clear: work, work, work... The 23-year-old South African is full of confidence and his pool showdown with Phelps is likely to be one of the most dramatic moments of the Games.

‘I’m out to break Phelps’s world records at Rio 2016,’ says Le Clos

“Now it’s all about hard work in the pool and gym... it can be tiring, but I have to stay focused because I know my competitors are working hard too”

Chad le Clos
 

Arthur Zanetti taking cautious route to home Games

The Brazilian gymnast, who won gold in the rings at the London 2012 Olympic Games, has suffered with injuries throughout his career so his biggest concern ahead of Rio 2016 is staying fit. In order to achieve this, he has developed a training plan that minimises risks, while working closely with his physiotherapist.

Arthur Zanetti out to lead Brazil to Olympic history
 

“My training sessions are now much more cautious. I have to do everything little thing exactly right”

Arthur Zanetti

Lin Dan to get tunnel vision

‘Super Dan’ is one of the biggest sporting Asia has produced, considered by many the greatest badminton player to have walked the Earth. However, the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 singles champion is by no means favourite for a third consecutive title in Rio. Compatriot Chen Long has established himself as the world no.1 as Lin has slipped to fourth. However, the ‘David Beckham of Badminton‘ he has vowed to focused exclusively on his sport as he bids to return to the top of the podum.

Lin Dan fever takes over Rio 2016 test event

“I will be working systematically, I will become totally focused on the competitions”

Lin Dan
 

Carli Loyd is getting more intense

 

#Repost @coachgalanis ・・・ Beach Burn Workout with @carlilloyd at Dana Point, California. @espnw @coachgalanis

A video posted by Carli Lloyd (@carlilloyd) on Oct 15, 2015 at 7:13pm PDT

She is the reigning world player of the year. She scored a hat-trick as the USA beat China in last year’s World Cup final. She scored the winning goals in the last two Olympic finals. But the bad news for her rivals is that Carli Lloyd is not slowing down – in fact, she’s getting more intense.

“You can’t stay the same, even if you’ve had success. I’ve increased my training load... I want to be better in the attacking third, fitter and continue to stay sharp.”

Carli Lloyd
 

‘Everything is on hold until after Rio,’ says Carli Lloyd

‘Teams are going to be coming after us at Rio 2016,’ says Carli Lloyd
 

Missy Franklin won’t be taking a vacation

Life has been less straightforward for American swimmer Missy Franklin since she stunned the world at the London 2012 Olympic Games by winning five medals, four gold, at the age of 17. At last year’s world championships she did win five medals, but not one invdividual gold. But she is far from disheartened...

“We can’t take a vacation from training... if you travel, you always ask ‘is there a pool I can use?’ If not, you won’t go”

Missy Franklin
 

Cesar Cielo’s American dream

Brazilian swimming idol Cesar Cielo has turned his focus completely on the Rio 2016 Games this year. After a difficult 2015, he has gone to Phoenix, USA, to get a little extra help from coach Scott Goodrich, who helped him perform so well at the 2013 2014 world championships.