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Inside Macau: Red-carpet treatment for privileged Paula

Carpet Team Radcliffe are on their way to join Britain's band of happycampers on an island more used to accommodating sybarites thansporting types. When Paula, husband and coach Gary, daughter Isla,mum, dad and personal physio fly into Macau today she will find herteam-mates on the last leg of their pre-Games preparations. Butsome may wonder if she is being afforded special treatment by beingallowed to having her entire entourage with her as she attempts towin her fitness race against a stress fracture and compete in themarathon. Dave Collins, the UK Athletics performance director,insists he has no qualms about this, or that if necessary Radcliffewill be given until the eve of the race to claim a place. "Withproven performance comes privilege," he says, "and Paula is anexceptionally talented athlete who should be given everyopportunity to do what she feels is best for herself. If you askedAlex Ferguson I'm sure he'd give one of his star players right upto the kick-off to try and pass a fitness test. When you have anathlete of her quality this has to be the case."

Dream on as United States seek redemption

No doubt who are the highest rollers in Macau. Overshadowing thepresence of the Beijing-bound Brits are sport's biggest earners,the basketball giants of America's Dream Team, warming up here forMission Redemption. Four years ago in Athens the NBA superstars,lacking interest and motivation, were embarrassed with only abronze medal but now the new dreamers, spearheaded by Kobe Bryant,promise to atone. The fervour here for sell-out matches againstTurkey and Lithuania leaves no doubt what will be the biggestattraction in basketball-besotted China.

Wiggins in pole position as flag-bearer

It is odds-on a cyclist or sailor being the flag-bearer when theBritish team of 313 march into the Bird's Nest Stadium on Fridayevening, those being potentially the most productive sports as faras medals are concerned. For those fancying a flutter in one of themany casinos which dominate the Macau skyline, the smart moneywould be on Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy or Ben Ainslie. Of thattrio, Wiggins seems favourite. The 28-year-old Londoner, abrilliant mimic who is popular with fellow athletes, pedalled tothree golds in the previous World Championships and took amemorable collection of gold, silver and bronze from Athens. He istipped to win three more golds in Beijing, which would put himclose to Sir Steve Redgrave as an Olympic medallion man.

Testing time for Boris and the China watchers

A hundred British spies are heading for Beijing this week, briefedto watch every move the Chinese make. These are all members ofSebastian Coe's 2012 team, whose mission is to compile a dossier onhow London can avoid being put in the shade by what will be themost stupendous Olympic production ever. Travelling with them willbe London's mayor, Boris Johnson, who will be centre stage at theclosing ceremony and, according to Coe, has been undergoing "someserious aerobic conditioning". Coe says: "We've had a series ofcoaches training him to wave the flag six times."

Joking apart, these archers can be Britain's golden shots

With inevitable references to Robin Hood, it is just as wellBritain's archers, in form and on target for a team gold, have asense of humour. Cumbrian carpenter Alan Wills says his home club,Sellafield, have only a handful of members yet regularly produce anarray of champions. "It must be something in the water."

insidelines@independent.co.uk

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