With the Olympic opening ceremony exactly a year away today, GRAHAM MOODY caught up on the progress of the five potential Olympians we picked out for glory this time last year.

MARTYN ROONEY

Athletics, 400m

Things haven't quite gone to plan for Martyn Rooney over the past 12 months.

The 24-year-old Croydon Harrier has struggled for speed since coming third in the European Championships last July, the last time he ran under 45 seconds.

Last Thursday, he ran his quickest race of the year in Lucerne, winning in 45.63 seconds but that was still slower than the 45.25 qualifying time he needs for next month's World Championships, the UK trials for which take part this weekend.

"It has been a difficult year so far," he said.

"But I am in a better shape than I have been since I did my hamstring in 2009 and I am just trying to find a rhythm.

"I have never been as quick as I am now but it is learning to use that speed to get me around 400m.

"I would be doing excellently if I was a 200m runner but I am not, so I am trying to target it in the right way and I think it will improve me massively.

"I haven't got the qualifying time yet but 400m at the moment is wide open in the UK.

"The A standard has been lowered from 45.5 to 45.25 and it is a time you should be able to do in good weather and I am pretty confident when racing against other British opposition."

Once the World Championship in Daegu, South Korea, are out of the way, Rooney's attention will begin to focus on London next year.

"I think it is exciting, the Olympics are only a year away," he said.

"Until the World Championships are out of the way it is a bit on the back burner as I have to stay focussed on the job in hand but my running has always been geared towards peaking at the right time and at the Olympics.

"This year will go really fast, all of the sudden we will be in January and it will be Olympic year."

LAWRENCE OKOYE

Athletics, discus

The 19-year-old has shot to prominence in the UK and is now the most likely of all the Croydon sportsmen to definitely be at the Games. In only his first year as a senior discus thrower, the Waddon resident threw a national record 67.63m earlier this month and could even be in line for a medal at the World Championships. Big things are predicted.

JAMES DASAOLU

Athletics 100m

When he runs he is quick, but Dasaolu's problem is he doesn't run enough. The 23-year-old Croydon Harrier is injury prone and has managed just six races in 2010 and only three this year. Having run 10.11 seconds in Geneva in May though there is no question mark over his pace and he is second in the UK this year behind Dwaine Chambers. If he get his body right, then he could be one to watch.

BLAKE ALDRIDGE

Diving

Things aren't looking good for Aldridge if he wants to compete in his second successive Olympics. The 28-year-old Crystal Palace Diving Club member has fallen out with GB Diving and moved to America at the start of the year. However, hip and ankle injuries brought him back and he was not in the British squad that recently competed at the World Championship.

RAKEEM ASHAYE NOBLE

Boxing

He was always an outside bet for the Olympics and sadly his chances of competing are probably zero having been unable to break into the British podium or development squad. Beddington's Charlie Edwards is the boxer to focus your eye on now though, the 18-year-old light-flyweight is in the podium squad and recently claimed bronze at the European Championship.