THERE are just over 40 days and 40 nights to go until the start of the greatest show on earth - the Olympic Games.

Over the next six weeks, athletes from all over the world will descend on Britain to represent their countries, but who of our local competitors have guaranteed their place in London, and will pit themselves against the cream of the globe’s talent?

Two men who have got their Olympic involvement well and truly rubber-stamped are rowers Steve Rowbotham and Pete Reed.

The duo are two of the top medal hopefuls in the Adver’s catchment area, having both tasted success in Beijing.

Swindon-born Rowbotham and former Cirencester Deer Park School pupil Reed were confirmed in the Great Britain squad 10 days ago and can now focus on fine-tuning their performances in the coming weeks.

Rowbotham, who grew up in Cirencester until he was 14, will go in the men’s quadruple scull while Reed is in the men’s four.

Bradford-on-Avon sprint canoeist Ed McKeever has also been confirmed in Team GB this week.

Swindon’s three biggest medal hopefuls come in the form of our top international swimmers.

Selection is yet to be finalised with the British Gas National Championship at Ponds Forge in Sheffield set to play a crucial role, doubling as an Olympic qualifier as swimmers aim for the quick times that will help them reach London.

However, it is certain that Swindon-born Hannah Miley will be up there with the best of them in the 400m individual medley, in which she won silver at the World Championships, while she is also extremely strong in the 200m and could be an option for the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Elsewhere, Jazz Carlin will attempt to make Team GB in the 200m freestyle, a shorter distance than she is used to, having endured a disappointing British Championships over 400m and 800m.

However, even if she does not make the Games as an individual competitor, redemption could come in the form of the 4x200m relay.

Finally, Grant Turner will hope to make the 100m freestyle relay individual event have endured a similar time at the British Championships to Carlin, or at least cement his place on the 4x100m freestyle relay team.

There is a huge eventing contingent locally and while the likes of Australia and New Zealand are waiting until next week to confirm their teams - affecting Highworth’s Paul Tapner, Badbury’s Andrew Hoy and a host of Marlborough competitors including Andrew Nicholson - Great Britain named its team this week. Membury-based rider Laura Collett, who has jumped to the top of her sport over the last 15 months, was not included in the five-strong squad for the London Games.

However, the 22-year-old could still stand a chance of featuring at Greenwich Park after her star companion Rayef was named on the Team GB list of 15 horses set to go to the capital - meaning she may figure as a reserve.

In rhythmic gymnastics, Swindon’s Jade Faulkner and her teammates might not be in with a realistic shout at gold, but that they have got to the Games is an amazing feat in the first place.

It will be the first British team to compete in rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympics, achieved without a single penny of sponsorship as the group is self-funded.

They earned the right to be recommended to the British Olympic Association having recently won a successful appeal, after they were initially adjudged to have achieved the qualifying standard too late.

In the Paralympics, Wanborough wheelchair tennis ace Louise Hunt is expected to have her place on Team GB confirmed on Monday.

Hunt made the minimum qualifying requirement having been number 20 in the world at the end of the qualifying period, and it would be a major surprise if Paralympics GB did not name her in the squad.

Meanwhile, veteran Anne Dunham might not have secured her place on the eventing team for London, but much like Hunt, it would be a major shock if the Broad Hinton-based 63-year-old was not involved.