EAMONN Martin is predicting fireworks when the athletics gets under way at the Olympic Games today.

Basildon ’s three-time Olympian will be at the Olympic Park throughout the eight days of track and field action and is confident he will witness plenty of memorable moments – and lots of success for Great Britain And Martin is confident the home nation celebration could come as soon as tomorrow when Jess Ennis wraps up her heptathlon campaign and Mo Farah takes on the best of Africa in the 10,000m.

Farah is following in the footsteps of Martin by running both the 10,000m and 5,000m at an Olympics.

But Farah will only have to contend with three races and not the gruelling five that was the schedule for Martin at Seoul 1988.

And the current world 5,000m champion has every chance of medalling in both, according to Martin, inset.

“Mo has an outstanding chance,” said Martin. “I’m sure he will get a medal tomorrow night in the 10,000m night. Whether it’s a gold, silver or bronze will come down to his execution of the race.

“I think he is one of our bankers for a medal and that could be a gold.

“He’s only got three races, compared to the five that used to be the case if you did the 5,000m/10,000m double, so I think that’s do-able.

“And I actually think if he wins the 10,000m his chances of a gold in the 5,000m increase because he will be running with such confidence.

“I do think the 10,000m is his best opportunity because it comes first, but he is in with a chance of winning both.”

If Farah is the golden boy of British athletics at the moment, Ennis is certainly the golden girl.

She gets her heptathlon challenge under way today and will finish tomorrow night.

“Ennis is a great bet for a gold,” said Martin. “She will be right in there, fighting it out. If she can get her long jump sorted out, which is her problem event, then she has a great chance.”

Martin, who of course famously won the London Marathon in 1993, will be commentating on both marathons at the Games for Eurosport, with the women’s race up first on Sunday morning.

The big news this week has been the withdrawal due to injury of Paula Radcliffe – and that came as no surprise to Martin.

“She’s been struggling with injury,” he said. “Had she run, I’m not sure she would have been in contention anyway, I don’t think any of the GB women will be.

“I think Paula’s best days are gone. And when you say that people think you are putting others down, but I’m not, it happens to us all.

“I actually can’t see past the Africans for victory in the marathon, with maybe someone from Eastern Europe being a threat.”

The blue-ribband event of not just the track and field but the Olympics as a whole takes place on Sunday night – the men’s 100m final.

And Martin does not believe the current champion Usain Bolt will have it his own way.

“If he is 95 per cent fit, as he says he is at the moment, I don’t think that’s good enough to win him the gold.

“He’s not the fastest man in the world this year, he’s not even the Jamaican champion, that’s Yohann Blake and I think it will come down to those two and Justin Gatlin of the USA. “There will be fireworks and I don’t think they will be a million miles off the world record.”

Also in action this weekend is Britain’s world champion in the 400m hurdles, Dai Greene, and Martin is confident he too will give the British crowds something to cheer about, as well as his team-mate and training partner Jack Green.

“I think running through heats and semi-finals will help Dai Greene,” he said. “Had it been a one-off race I’m not sure he would have won. And I do think Jack Green has an outside chance of a medal. It could be a really great event for us.”

l Read more of Martin’s GB medal tips and his views from trackside thoughout next week in the Echo.