Two of them are vying to claim the first gold medal of the Games. Battling it out for the initial podium place are the winners of the Women's 48 kilogram Weightlifting contest and the Women's 10m Air Rifle Shooting contest.
Weightlifting starts at Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium at 10 a.m. local time (UTC/GMT +8) with 14 weightlifters from 11 countries trying to hoist the first gold of the Games.
Defending champion Nurcan Taylan was the toast of Turkey in Athens four years ago when she set a new world record, lifting a total weight of 210kg to push China's Li Zhuo into silver spot.
Taylan's form has since dipped and China could claim its first gold of the Games through 2007 World Champion, Chen Xiexia. However, the 25-year-old world record holder will have to out-lift the challenge of Thai duo, Pensiri Laosirikul and Pramsiri Bunphithak, who claimed silver and bronze medals at the 2006 Asian Games. Other potential medalists include Taylan's Turkish team-mate Sibel Özkan, Im Jyoung-Hwa of the Republic of Korea and Hiromi Miyake of Japan.
Chinese sharp shooter: Du Li (Photo credit: Xinhua)
Across the city, action starts earlier (8.30 a.m. local time) at the Beijing Shooting Range where Chinese hopes will be high with home-favorite Du Li of China defending the 10m Air Rifle crown she won four years ago in Athens.
However, the 2006 world champion will face strong opposition from current World No. 1 Sonja Pfeilschifter of Germany, who is competing in her third Games but has yet to seize an Olympic medal, and Czech Republic shooter, Katerina Emmons, bronze medalist in 2004 (where she met her husband American gold medalist Matthew Emmons). Her father and coach, Petr Kurka, is also a two-time world champion.
The Men's 10m Air Pistol starts later in the morning and could be an open contest with the world's top two shooters in the event, Russian duo Vladimir Isakov and Vladimir Gontcharov, both missing.
The medal favorites include Sydney 2000 champion Franck Dumoulin of France, who won the event at the Good Luck Beijing International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF) World Cup, while 22-year-old Chinese shooter Pang Wei is also likely to challenge.
Outdoors, the Men's Road Cycling race, at 245.4km distance, is the longest in Olympic history and will take in stunning scenery.
Starting at the Yongdingmen Gate in south Beijing, the route passes landmarks such as the Temple of Heaven, the Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, the Imperial Palace Wall Relics Park, Yonghe Gong Lama Temple and ends with a grueling finish near The Great Wall, 70km north of Beijing.
Nothing new then for this year's Tour de France winner, Carlos Sastre of Spain, who comes to Beijing in hot form. However, the 33-year-old Spaniard will be challenged for gold by defending champion Paolo Bettini of Italy, and team-mates Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion. Australians Cadel Evans, a Tour de France runner up, and three-time world individual time trail champion Michael Rogers could feature, while Levi Leipheimer leads the USA challenge.
In Fencing, the Women's Individual Sabre gold medals could go to US trio Rebecca Ward, Mariel Zagunis and Sada Jacobson. Ward, ranked second in the world, starts as favorite, but defending champion Zagunis, World No. 5, and Jacobson (bronze medalist at Athens) could push Ward all the way. China's Tan Xue, with the home crowd behind her, could prevent a US gold, silver and bronze, with Russia's Elena Netchaeva, the reigning World Champion, also a potential medalist.
Two Judo finals will be decided on the opening day of action at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium (USTB).
Judo golden girl: Tani Ryoko aims for gold again. (Photo credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
In the Women's 48kg class, Tani Ryoko of Japan is going for her third consecutive Olympic Games gold. The seven-time world champion is competing in her fifth Games and scooped silver medals at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. French judoka Frederique Jossinet was the silver medalist in Athens and is a strong contender again, with Michaela Baschin of Germany, first-place finisher at the 2007 and 2008 World Cups, also in contention.
Thirty-three competitors will contest the Men's 60kg medals. The favorite is consecutive world champion Ludwig Paischer of Austria, with former European champion Craig Fallon of Great Britain also in the hunt. The Netherlands' Ruben Houkes is currently ranked second in the world and could also feature.
Away from the medals, 13 other sports start on August 9, including individual sports archery, badminton, boxing, artistic gymnastics, sailing, swimming, and team sports basketball, beach volleyball, equestrian, handball, rowing and volleyball, while football, which started on August 6, continues.
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