The 33-year-old Londoner (pictured top) is one of Britain's greatest ever Paralympians and will be competing in the T54 800, 1500 and 5,000 metres as well as the marathon at London 2012 in what will be his fourth consecutive Games.

Expectations have unsurprisingly increased on Weir since he won three golds on the track at the 2011 World Championships in Christchurch last January and collected his record-equalling sixth Virgin London Marathon title in the capital in April, but Weir has played down the hype claiming nothing is certain in his formidable T54 class.

"The strength in depth in wheelchair racing in the last four years has increased so much," Weir told insideworldparasport at the ParalympicsGB team launch here today.

"So I never go into a championships thinking that I am going to win every event that I am entering.

"You can't be that confident because it doesn't work in our sport.

"Everyone who has done that, like Switzerland's Marcel Hug at Beijing 2008, and South Africa's Ernst van Dyk at Athens 2004, has come away without that gold medal.

"So I always go into any championships looking for just one gold medal.

"That is all and anything else is a bonus.

"If you win one Paralympic gold medal it is a massive achievement for a British athlete.

"Yes, I am doing four events and I am ranked in the top four in the world for every one of those events, but that doesn't mean that I will automatically win on the day.

"Wheelchair racing is so unpredictable that someone from China, who we haven't seen for years, could come out of nowhere and wipe the floor with all of us so-called favourites.

"At the end of the day, I've done my best and trained as hard as possible so I will get to London 2012 in the best mental and physical state possible and that is all I can really do."


Weir also believes he has grown as an athlete since Beijing 2008 and that his new maturity will help him deal with the huge expectation of a home Games with 80,000 set to be in attendance to cheer him on at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

"The pressure is something I've got used to," Weir said.

"It was the same before Beijing when people were hanging the gold around my neck before the Games started and it was difficult.

"A lot of the media also say I'm going to win the London Marathon every year so it isn't something that surprises me now.

"I just go and give my best and if that means winning that is great."

Despite not wanting to single out anyone, Weir admits his long-time rival, Kurt Fearnley (pictured above) of Australia, presents a formidable challenge, particularly in the marathon.

Fearnley has won men's T54 marathon at the last two Paralympic Games and will be looking to make it a hat-trick of titles in the event at London 2012.

"Kurt will always be there and always be a real contender," Weir said.

"He is racing really well at the moment and I know for a fact that he will be knuckling down right now and training his heart out because he always does going into a Games.

"You can't underestimate him.

"I've raced him and beat him a couple of times this year but he is a different animal at the Paralympics and past races won't count for anything with Kurt or any other athlete for that matter."

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