APRIL 4 – BRITISH ATHLETICS was celebrating today after signing a record six-year £50 million sponsorship agreement with Norwich Union that will allow the country’s top competitors to prepare for the 2012 Olympics in London.

APRIL 29 – A MAJOR new training facility to help Britain’s rowers to train for the 2012 Olympics and named after the sport’s two greatest names was opened today. The £13 million Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake and Sherriff Boathouse in Caversham near Reading was officially opened by Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent (pictured).

MAY 8 – BRITISH ATHLETICS has benefited from the London Olympic “effect” by signing another major sponsorship deal just a month after getting £50 million backing from Norwich Union. Vonage, an Internet telephone company, have signed up to become the official telecoms sponsor to UK Athletics and will set up Team Vonage to financially support a group of elite stars tipped for success in 2012.

MAY 11 – GREAT BRTAIN’S Olympic hockey authorities have announced details of a new agreement between the three constituent Home Countries, ending three years of dispute over the best way forward and raise hopes of recapturing the glory days of 1988 when Britain’s men won the gold medal in Seoul (pictured).

MAY 11 – LONDON officials have again insisted they will not move the controversial venue for the shooting in 2012 from Woolwich Artillery Barracks (pictured) despite new claims from the chairman of the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation that there are two venues which would be a better choice.

MAY 11 – FOOTBALL has been warned again that it faces being dropped from the 2012 London Olympics unless it agrees to implement a worldwide code on doping that has been ratified by nearly every other major sport and Government.

MAY 12 – RODNEY PATTISON, one of Britain’s greatest ever sailors, has claimed that the Royal Yachting Association is receiving too much money to prepare for the 2012 Olympics.

MAY 12 - RICHARD CABORN (pictured) has brokered a deal between FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency that should ensure football remains in the 2012 Olympics.

MAY 15 – THE MYSTERY venue that wants to stage the shooting events at the 2012 Olympics if London officials can be persuaded to move them can be revealed by insidethegames.

MAY 23 - SHEFFIELD'S plans to become a key player in the build up to the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 took a major step forward today with the news that the British volleyball squads are making the city their home. The Team GB men's and women's squads are to relocate to the English Institute of Sport-Sheffield as part of the British Volleyball Federation's development plans ahead of London 2012.

MAY 26 - CRAIG FALLON has today become Britain’s first male European judo Champion in 10 years after winning gold on the first day of the 2006 European Judo Championships, in Tampere, Finland.

MAY 27 - EDINBURGH'S Sarah Clark (pictured) has won the –63kg title on the second day of the 2006 European Judo Championships, in Tampere, Finland – beating both the World Champion and reigning European Champion to take gold.

MAY 30 - AN AMBITIOUS blueprint for the future of the controversial Maze Prison site in Northern Ireland, featuring a 42,000 sports stadium that officials hope will stage matches during the 2012 Olympic football tournament, will be unveiled today.

MAY 31 - SPORT ENGLAND today announced a major review of the way basketball is structured and administered. The process is intended to help ensure that the sport can capitalise on its growing popularity and recent success at international level leading up to the 2012 London Olympics.

DECEMBER 15 - LONDON was today chosen to host the 2011 World Badminton Championships.