On land and in water — our athletes will be in the medal hunt in Rio tonight and tomorrow

THERE is no rest for our athletes in Rio as they continue their quest for Olympic glory. Just where will our local heroes be in action tonight and tomorrow?

Michael Hepburn. Picture: Stephen Laffer

WATER POLO

THE Australian women’s water polo team will look to make it two wins from two when they take on Italy tonight.

Brisbane resident Bronwen Knox and the Aussie Stingers opened their campaign with a dominant 14-4 victory against Russia and will look to keep a perfect record against an Italian side that had a comfortable 9-3 triumph against hosts Brazil in their tournament opener.

The Stingers kept the Russians scoreless almost until half time and another strong defensive performance will go along way towards qualifying the Aussies for a quarterfinal berth.

The match starts at 11.20pm (AEST).

SHOOTING — August 12, 10.30pm and August 13, 10.30pm

Kippa-Ring skeet shooter Paul Adams will be shooting for gold at the Rio Olympic Games.

It is the first Olympics for the 24-year-old, who just missed out on London, and he is keen to finish on the podium.

Adams, currently ranked No. 24 in the world, said he would be taking it “one at a time” — something his grandpa and coach Ian Mathieson always says to him — so much so, he has the phrase tattooed on his chest.

“My realistic goal is to finish in the top six and from there, anything can happen,” the part-time nurse at Redcliffe Hospital said.

Mathieson first taught Adams to shoot, aged 10, on the same .22 single shot rifle he learned to shoot with.

“Before I shot, I didn’t want to and then I did and I didn’t want to stop,” Adams, a Mueller College graduate, said.

Mathieson said he first noticed Adams’ potential at a junior competition in 2008.

“I thought then he could certainly shoot on the world stage,” the 83-year-old said. “He’s a bloody good shooter … he’s world class, there’s no shadow of a doubt about that. I like to think my coaching had something to do with it. I hope he is successful and has a satisfying shoot (in Rio).”

Proud grandma Joan Mathieson insists her husband was not the only one to teach Adams something — she taught him to drive and said “he’s a good driver”.

“We just hope he does his best, that’s all we ask for ... if a medal comes out of that, and I know he’ll be trying, then that’s wonderful,” she said.

Adams will compete on August 12 at 10.30pm and August 13 at 10.30pm. He said his biggest competition was American shooter Vincent Hancock, who is world No.1.

SHOOTING — August 12, 10pm and August 14, 10pm

Marksman Dane Sampson will get his next chance to stand on the podium at the Rio Olympic later this week.

Sampson will compete in his second event in Rio, the 50m rifle prone — an event he placed 48th in at the London Olympics in 2012 — on Friday, August 12, at 10pm.

The 29-year-old, coached by Petr Kurker, placed 37th in the 10m air rifle event with a score of 619.3 on Tuesday night.

The former Arana Hills resident’s third event, the 50m rifle three-position, will be on Sunday, August 14 at 10pm.

HOCKEY

THE Australians breathed a collective sigh of relief as the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras kept their medal hopes alive with wins on day five, but the hard work is far from over.

After 2-1 losses to Great Britain and USA, a Hockeyroos outfit featuring locals Madonna Blyth, Jodie Kenny, Gabi Nance and Karri McMahon finally got its campaign underway with a 6-1 thrashing of India on day 5.

India's Vandana Katariya fights for the ball with Australia's Gabi Nance during the women's field hockey India vs. Australia match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro on August, 10 2016. / AFP PHOTO / MANAN VATSYAYANA

Victory over Argentina at 7am on Friday, as well as Japan in Sunday morning’s final pool game, should be enough to send the Hockeyroos through to the semi finals.

Argentina, who beat Australia to bronze in this year’s Champions Trophy, lost 2-1 to the US in its opening game before a 4-0 win over Japan and 3-2 loss to Great Britain.

SWIMMING

IT shapes as another golden morning for Australian swimmers on day 6 as the Campbell sisters, Mitch Larkin and Taylor McKeown swim for glory.

McKeown, from Bellmere, is first cab off the rank in the 200m breaststroke final at 11.17am on Friday, with her semi final time of 2:22.69 enough to send her through as the fastest qualifier.

It was the third-fastest time this year, but the no. 1 ranking belongs to Japan’s Rie Kaneto (2:19.65), who will be McKeown’s neighbour in lane 5.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL — AUGUST 10: Taylor McKeown of Australia competes in the second Semifinal of the Women's 200m Breaststroke on Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 10, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“I probably backed off a little bit in the last 30m (of the semi final),” McKeown, 21, said.

“Hopefully I can bring it home stronger (in the final). I don’t want to say too much and psyche myself out … (but) I feel like this is my time.”

St Peters Western Swim Club’s Mitch Larkin will he hoping to make amends for his 100m backstroke disappointment when he lines up in the 200m final at 11.26am.

The 23-year-old (1:54.73) was second to Russia’s Evgeny Rylov (1:54.45) in his semi final and second-fastest overall, but he still boasts the quickest time this year (1:53.90) and fourth-fastest of all time (1:53.17).

A gold medal in the women’s 100m freestyle appears a fate accompli, with Cate and Bronte Campbell set to battle it out in the final at 12.18pm.

World record holder Cate set new Olympic marks in her heat (52.78) and semi final (52.71) to progress to the final as the red-hot favourite, while Bronte (53.29) will start in lane 2 after clocking the fifth-fastest semi-final time.

Between them, they share the three quickest times this year, with Cate’s world record of 52.06 set just five weeks ago.

Australia's Grant Irvine in the Men? s 200m Butterfly semi final on Day 3 of the swimming at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Earlier in the morning, St Peters Western’s Grant Irvine will swim heat 6 of the 100m butterfly alongside US legend Michael Phelps at 3.31am, before Emily Seebohm hits the water at 3.51am for the heats of the 200m backstroke.

Despite being below her best so far, Saint John Fisher Girls’ College product Seebohm still boasts the fourth-fastest swim of all time (2:05.81) and second-fastest this year (2:06.59), behind compatriot Belinda Hocking (2:06.49).

The semi finals begin at 11.35am.

Should Irvine progress, he will swim in the semis starting at 12.34pm.

AUSTRALIAN OPALS versus JAPAN — Friday, 6.45am

THE Opals have a chance to seal top spot in Group A with a win against Japan tomorrow morning.

Australia struggled to find top form in their first two games against Brazil and Turkey but led by Penny Taylor bounced back in impressive fashion against France on Wednesday.

But Japan are no easy beats after beating Belarus and Brazil in their opening games before losing to Turkey,

A top spot finish would mean the Opals would not crossover with the U.S. until the gold medal match.

The Opals feature former Kedron State School student Cayla George as well as former SEQ Stars WNBL players Erin Phillips and Rachel Jarry.

SAILING — Friday 2.05-4.20am

MATHEW Belcher and Will Ryan will look to stay in touch with first place in the second day of racing in the men’s 470 class.

The pair, looking to defend the Olympic title Belcher and Malcolm Page won in London, sit second behind Croatia after the first two races. The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (Manly) members finished eighth and first in the races and will compete from 2.05-4.20am tomorrow morning.

While in the women’s 470 class, RQYS sailor Jaime Ryan and her partner Carrie Smith are 13th overall after finishing 17th and eighth in their races and will look to continue to rise up the ladder on day two from 2.05-4.20am.

Bulimba’s Jake Lilley has bounced back from disappointing results in the opening two races to ride to 15th overall in the men’s finn sailing class. Lilley, also from the RQYS, finished eighth and sixth in race three and four and will continue his campaign from 2.05-4.20am tomorrow.

Murrumba Downs resident and RQYS member Ashley Stoddart is 11th in the women’s laser radial sailing event after finishing 11th in both race five and six. She will have a rest day tomorrow before returning to the water Saturday morning (AEST).

CYCLING: Friday 6.23am

AUSTRALIA’S male cycling team will hit the track on Friday morning in the 4000m team pursuit, aiming to qualify for a medal race the following morning.

Brookfield’s Michael Hepburn will be joined by teammates Sam Welsford, Jack Bobridge, Alex Edmondson and Callum Scotson at 6.23am.

Hepburn, 24, was part of Australia’s silver medal winning team at the London Olympics in 2012 along with current teammate Bobridge, and will be hoping to improve on that result in Rio.

Australia is expected to perform with three of the world championship winning team competing at Rio. The Aussie quarter of Welsford, Hepburn, Scotson and Miles Scotson snatched gold from fierce rivals Britain at the track cycling world championships in London in March.

The qualifying races start at 6.23am (Brisbane time), with heats on Saturday morning and finals later that morning.