Phelps back in the pool, Froome against the clock

Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Nathan Adrien in the pool, Andy Murray on court and three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome on the road are among the headline acts at the Olympic Games on Wednesday.

On the fifth day of competition in Rio there are 20 gold medals in play, including the first of the rowing finals.

Froome, out of luck in Saturday's opening day road race, is one of the favourites for the men's time-trial.

The starting line-up includes the likes of former Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara, Tom Dumoulin, and Tony Martin 

The women's race-against-the-clock is missing Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten, recovering from her horror crash on Sunday. 

In her absence her compatriot and winner of the road race Anna van der Breggen and New Zealand's reigning world time-trial champion Linda Villumsen, are two of the key contenders.

In the pool Phelps, fresh from annexing his 20th and 21st Olympic titles in the 200m butterfly and 4x200m relay on Tuesday, is back for the heats and semi-finals of the 200m individual medley.

This is the final lap of his long rivalry with team-mate Ryan Lochte.

Fellow American Adrian seeks to defend his Olympic title in the 100m freestyle but he faces stiff opposition in the blue riband event from young guns led by Australian speedster Cameron McEvoy and team-mate Kyle Chalmers.

In the men's 200m breaststroke a new Olympic champion is waiting to be crowned with Andrew Willis out to give Britain a breaststroke double after Adam Peaty's sensational 100m world record gold.

Another US swim phenomenon Ledecky is back in action the day after she secured her second gold of the Games in the women's 200m freestyle.

She is part of the USA's 4x200m freestyle squad which also features Allison Schmitte and Missy Franklin who won gold in London.

In the women's 200m butterfly all eyes will be on Japanese emerging star Natsumi Hoshi, world champion and bronze medallist four years ago.

Brazil's struggling football stars will capture the hosts' attention as Barcelona's Neymar attempts to finally kickstart their campaign for a first football gold after being booed off in back-to-back goalless draws with South Africa and Iraq.

Victory over Denmark in Salvador will see Brazil into the quarter-finals, whilst defeat would spell another humiliating exit on home soil just two years after losing a World Cup semi-final 7-1 to Germany.

Over at the diving pool, which mysteriously turned a shade of green on Tuesday, the focus is on the men's 3m synchro.

The Rio rowing finals get underway with the men's and women's quadruple sculls on the Rodrigode Freitas lagoon.

Gymnastics continues with the star turn undoubtedly Japan's Kohei Uchimura. The 27-year-old is seeking to follow up his individual all-round gold won in London.

Shooting at the Deodoro range features the men's 50m pistol and the men's trap.

Table tennis arrives at the business end of the competition with the women's semi-finals and final.

North Korea's Kim Song-I faces world number two from China Ding Ning, whilst Ding's compatriot Li Xiaoxia takes on Japan's Al Fukuhara in the other semi-final.

In tennis, 2012 champion Andy Murray headlines a depleted field against Italian Fabio Fognini following the shock exits of world number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.

There are also finals in judo, fencing, weightlifting and canoeing.

Source: AFP