How it works
There are four different water-based disciplines: diving, swimming, synchronised swimming and water polo. Swimming has 34 medals on offer, diving has eight, water polo has eight and synchronised swimming has two

Who’s hot

In swimming, the battle between the eight-times gold medallist from Beijing, Michael Phelps, and the returning Ian “Thorpedo” Thorpe will be a focus of attention. Their respective countries, the United States and Australia, are expected to dominate. China are favourites for the diving while Hungary look good for the men’s water polo gold as do the Netherlands in the women’s event

Home hopes

Lots. The 2008 darling Rebecca Adlington and a host of others from Liam Tancock to Hannah Miley in the swimming events should all finish on the podium. All eyes will be on Tom Daley in the diving (although his synchro partner Pete Waterfield is as likely to win a medal in the individual) while Team GB will have a synchronised swimming pair, Jenna Randall and Olivia Allison, for the first time since the 1992 Games. Both men’s and women’s water polo teams have host-nation places but are not expected to make the podium

The road to London

• 3-10 Jul 2011 IPC European Swimming Championships, Berlin
• 15-16 Apr 2011 Diving World Series 2011, Sheffield
• 22-23 Apr 2011 Diving World Series 2011, Guanajuato
• Jul 16-31 2011 The 2011 World Aquatics Championship in Shanghai – includes all four disciplines
• 16-19 Jan 2012 European Water Polo Championships, Eindhoven
• Mar-Apr 2012 Olympic trials for all four disciplines tbc

The stage

The Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park for diving, swimming and synchro. Hyde Park for swimming’s open-water events. The Water Polo Arena at the Olympic Park

What they say

“I went to see the swimming venue for the London Olympics. It’s an extraordinary venue and I could taste it [competition], which I haven’t felt for a very, very long time?”

Olympic champion Ian Thorpe on why he came out of retirement for 2012

 Did you know?

Underwater swimming featured at the 1900 Paris Games where competitors were awarded points for the time and distance they were under the water

Competition dates

29 Jul-12 Aug

Ticket prices

Diving £20- £450

Swimming £20- £450

Synchronised Swimming £20- £175

Water Polo £20- £185

Tempted to be there? Sign up now

You can apply for Olympic tickets until 26 April. Visit:

http://www.tickets.london2012.com/

Tickets to watch Olympic events are not sold on a first-come-first-served basis – applications can be submitted at any stage in the 42-day period from 15 March to 26 April. There is no advantage in applying on the first day or the last day

Online payment is exclusively by Visa debit card, credit card or pre-paid card. Alternatively you can submit a paper application form which is available in Lloyds TSB branches and pay by cheque or postal order as well as Visa

Customers may not get all the tickets they apply for owing to high demand. Once an application is processed, customers cannot change their orders and must have the funds to pay for the tickets they have been allocated

This is a fair process and a fair ballot will be run for oversubscribed events where demand exceeds supply

The application process for tickets for the Paralympic Games will begin on 9 September 2011.

Incoming search terms:

• How do you play the game is aquatics in olympic 2012?
• can we watching the open water swimming if no olympic ticket
• liam tancock