体坛英语新闻：Australian long jumpers eye medal at London Olympics

LONDON, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian jumpers Mitchell Watt and Henry Frayne both are tuned up to charge for a medal at the upcoming London Olympic Games.

"I definitely think I can win the gold but, being on the podium, I wouldn't be disappointed with a silver or a bronze. I want to be on the podium, and the higher the better," said Watt, 2011 world long jump silver medallist, during a press conference at the Australia athletics training camp in Tonbridge on Monday.

The 24-year-old Watt, who won in both the New York leg and London leg of 2012 IAAF Diamond League in the build-up for the Games, expected a close competition in London.

"It's going to be pretty tight. The two Diamond Leagues I won in the lead-up, I only won by two cms. It's going to be extremely close. If your run-up is not perfect or you're getting a bit of headwind, it could knock you out really," said Watt, who set his personal season best of 8.28 meters in Diamond League London meet but suffered his first defeat in 2012 at the Monaco leg last Friday.

"My season best was at wet, cold Crystal Palace, so that's probably a good practice for the Olympics. And it's nice to know that I can jump in those conditions as well," Watt added.

Unlike the ambitious Watt, 2012 world indoor long jump silver medalist, who will compete in both long jump and triple jump in London, believed it would be good to go in with a bit of an underdog status.

When talking about his expectations for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Frayne said: "Post-domestic season and world indoors, I was kind of looking at top five for both events. Obviously there's been a little bit of uncertainty whenever you get an injury. First goal is to make the final for both and then from there, I would certainly like to figure in the medals in some form."

"I think it's good to go in with a bit of an underdog status. Maybe I was moving out of that earlier in the year but I think if you ask people now, they probably wouldn't have me anywhere near the medals. I think that creates a situation where I can only really surprise," said the 22-year-old Aussie who won the Australian Olympic trials in the long jump and triple jump and set his personal season best of 8.27m in long jump.

The season leading marks for long jump was British jumper Greg Rutherford's 8.35.