Britain’s gold hopes hang on ‘super Saturday’

But with rowing, shooting, badminton, tennis, cycling, weightlifting and swimming all being contested, organisers have had to limit access to the Westfield shopping centre to ticket-holders. For this weekend only, shoppers will be shut out.

Wide open, however, are Team GB’s chances of another bumper medals haul. On the same day in 2008, British Olympians won four golds, a silver and four bronze medals. This year, the team have 17 events in which to equal or surpass that tally.

The women’s triathlon final starts at 9am with a 1,500m swim in the Serpentine at Hyde Park, before a 40km bike race, ending with four laps of the lake on foot. Helen Jenkins is the home favourite and the world number three this season.

At Eton Dorney, the men’s coxless four and both sexes’ lightweight double sculls go for gold from 11.30am.

Afternoon delight

In the shooting, Charlotte Kernwood will be hoping to match team-mate Peter Wilson’s clay pigeon success in the afternoon’s women’s Trap final (3pm). Jennifer McIntosh did not make the 10m air rifle finals but is in action in the 50m rifle which takes place over three positions.

Rounding off the afternoon session, Kat Driscoll will be competing in the Trampoline final – twisting and turning to execute 10 complex acrobatic jumps in 18 seconds at 3.35pm.

Reigning world champions Wendy Houvenaghel, Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell and Dani King will be lighting up the velodrome in the team pursuit at just after 5.40pm.

2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Peter Kirkbride will be taking part in the men’s 94kg weightlifting final at 7pm if he makes it through the afternoon’s qualification rounds.

In the pool, Fran Halsall will be trying to prove that she’s the fastest woman in the 50m Freestyle while Daniel Fogg goes up against Canada star Ryan Cochrane in the 1500m Freestyle final at 7.35pm. The 4 x 100m medley pushes off an hour later at 8pm – in time for the men’s team and the women’s team to recharge.

Crowning glory?

The men’s long jump final is at 7.55pm with Greg Rutherford and Chris Tomlinson making it through to the final.

The darling of the Games Jess Ennis will be in the full glare of the Olympic Stadium spotlight as she competes in the final heptathlon event at 8.35pm.

The men’s 10,000m final will test Mo Farah’s endurance as he goes for gold against the Ethopian domination of the top spot (9.15pm). By contrast, the women’s 100m final at 9.55pm will take 0.007 per cent of the time. Abioudun Oyepitan will be hoping to make that final if she qualifies at 7.35.