If she wins she will be the latest in a line of Warwickshire people to have competed in the games.

When the games are over, the Olympic flag will be handed to London mayor Boris Johnson as the handover for the next games in in 2012. More than 50 past Olympians from across Coventry and Warwickshire will also take part in a parade in Coventry city centre to celebrate the handover on August 24.

One of those taking part will be Leamingtonian Michael Ralph, who competed in the triple jump during the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

The former Warwick University lecturer was 26 years old at the time and although he did not win a medal, Mr Ralph described the experience of competing as unforgettable.

He hopes future generations of Warwickshire people will also become Olympians.

Mr Ralph said: “I remember it very clearly – but if you are not in the top three not that many remember you. If somebody from Coventry and Warwickshire could win a gold medal at the 2012 games it would be an enormous achievement.

“You only have to look at somebody like David Moorcroft to see the effect producing a quality athlete has on the area.

“It will not happen without desire - the fire has to be there for them to be successful. It takes a lot of determination and hard work.”

l The 1936 Olympics are remembered chiefly for Jesse Owens’ historic performance, in which the athlete won four gold medals but was snubbed by Hitler, who refused to shake the African-American’s hand.

But Warwick had its own Olympic hero at the Berlin games. AGK Brown, also known as Godfrey Brown, was a former Warwick School pupil and captain of Warwick School Athletics who won both gold and silver medals.

Terry Willoughby, of Hughes Close, Whitnash sent a clipping from the Courier from Aug 8, 1936 about Mr Brown, whom he describes as a “true local sporting legend”.

Although Brown held the British quarter-mile record, he narrowly lost the 400m to another American, Archie Williams.

The race was close, and Daily Telegraph writer Bevil Judd felt the Englishman was unlucky in drawing the outside lane.

But the Englishman won gold when he ran the final leg of the 1600 metres relay.

The Courier wrote: “The crowd of 100,000 who watched the 1600 metres relay was almost hysterical with excitement at the end of the race. Wolff ran first for England, but almost ran himself out in the last 50 yards.

“Rampling took the baton and ran the greatest race of his life; at half-way he had almost reached the leaders, and came into the straight with magnificent power, actually giving Roberts a short start.

“The third stretch was remarkable for a gruelling struggle between O’Brien, of America, and Roberts, who began to lose ground on the back stretch.

“He spurted, however, and finished in great style to give Brown four valuable yards. Fitch, the American no.