Top ten head-to-head events

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Athletics 400 m

Cathy Freeman v Marie-Jose Perec

Freeman carries the hopes of Australia into these Olympics – the country's favourite sportswoman will run away with the 400m title in their eyes. But the two-time world champion must beat the woman who denied her gold in Atlanta, French star Marie-Jose Perec – trying to become the first woman to win three Olympic golds in the same event. Two years ago, Perec couldn't get out of bed, stricken with a rare virus. But she has "returned from death" to challenge Freeman, even though she has avoided meeting her in the build-up to the Games.

Boxing heavyweight

Felix Savon v Michael Bennett

Cuban Savon is The Man, the greatest amateur boxer in the world today, going for his third gold medal in the Olympic heavyweight class. But American Bennett, who learned to fight in prison serving a seven-year sentence for the armed robbery of a toy store, is the reigning world champion. Savon and Bennett were supposed to meet in the final of the world championships, but five-time champ Savon wouldn't enter the ring as part of a Cuban team protest.

Swimming 1500m

Kieren Perkins v Grant Hackett

Australia can't wait for this showdown between two of their swimming legends in the marathon event, the 1500m. Superfish Perkins wants to bow out on a golden note, and win a third Olympic title. But Hackett has been the dominant swimmer of the pair in the last 12 months, and the world champion will start as favourite.

Yachting boardsailing

Barbara Kendall v Lee Lai-shan

The Kiwi blonde super-sailor and her Hong Kong rival, both gunning for a second gold, are the best of buddies off the water. Lee beat Kendall in the last Olympics sailed off Savannah, but has been concentrating on her studies since. Kendall is only the second New Zealand woman to win Olympic gold and has been virtually unbeaten around the world in the past two years.

Cycling kilo

Shane Kelly v Arnaud Tournanat

Australian Kelly has a nightmare to bury. The three-time world champion should have won gold in the 1000m time trial on the track in Atlanta, but his foot slipped out of the pedal as he broke from the starter blocks – his dream shattered. Frenchman Tournant stands between the home-crowd favourite and victory – he has won the last two world championships and broke Kelly's world record in Mexico City this year.

Athletics pole vault

Stacey Dragila v Emma George

It's the American rodeo girl who once roped goats, versus the Australian trapeze artist in the battle of who can fling themselves higher through the air. Dragila and George have spent the year raising the bar to new heights in the build-up to the Olympic debut of women's pole vaulting.They shared the world record until July when American Dragila, the world outdoor champion, set a new height at 4.63m.

Athletics 100m

Maurice Greene v Bruny Surin v Ato Boldon v Donovan Bailey

The most hyped event of any Olympics will again be a battle of the American continent. Cocky world champ Greene is the favourite, running the fastest 100m time this year – 9.86s – at his final warm-up in Berlin two weeks ago. But the quiet-spoken Canadian Surin may be the crowd favourite. Bailey is the defender but has struggled with injuries the last two years; Trinidad's Boldon, the 1996 bronze medallist, is Greene's training partner.

Swimming women's sprints

Inge de Brujin v Jenny Thompson

Dutchwoman de Bruijn burst out of the blocks this European summer, breaking six world records and equalling another in less than three months. But her incredible speed in the 50m and 100m freestyle and butterfly sparked drug taunts, especially from a great swimming nation not too far from here. In the Sydney pool, De Bruijn will face off with America's golden girl, Jenny Thompson – who with five golds already is the most successful US women's Olympic athlete.

Gymnastics men;s artistic

Naoya Tsukahara v Alexei Nemov

Tsukahara is the son of Japan's greatest gymnast, Mitsuo Tsukahara – five-time Olympic gold medallist and namesake of the famous twisting vault. The young Japanese gymnast finished second in the individual all-round at last year's world championships. Russian Alexei Nemov, the world floor and pommel horse champ, is back to add to the six medals he won in Atlanta.

Weightlifting middle heavyweight

Akakide Kakhiashvilis v Szymon Kolecki

It is the showdown of the young kid from Poland and the Georgian-Greek God who has achieved what no other Olympian has - winning two golds for two different countries. Kakhiashvilis is 31, and won the 94kg class for Georgia in 1992, before uplifting gold for his new home of Greece in 99kg in Atlanta. Kolecki, 19, is the new kid on the mat, a two-time world junior champion, who won silver at the last senior worlds.