BEXLEYHEATH weightlifter Jack Oliver is firmly on course to be selected to represent Team GB at this summer’s Olympic Games.

The 21-year-old has until the end of May to officially guarantee his place in the final squad for the greatest show on earth.

But the former Eltham College student is already ahead of schedule to booking his spot and could even make the grade as early as next month.

Oliver said: “Our final selection date is after the British championships on May 26 but we can qualify before then.

“If we do our total before then you are selected, but of course it is not official until the end of May.

“I should hopefully get my selection before May 26.

“I’m pretty much there now and am only four kilos off my total.

“I’ve got a competition in March in Hungary where I’m hoping to do it.

“Our coach is from Hungary and there is a competition there which he is taking us to, but I’m also going to the Europeans in April in Turkey and I’ll be trying to do my total again there.”

And Oliver is determined to make the most of his opportunity at the London Games when they finally hit town.

He said: “You can’t really get much bigger than competing in the Olympics in your own city.

“The way weightlifting works the chances of getting to qualify for another Olympics is minimal because to earn Olympic spots you need to have a lot of people earning points in international competitions.

“Because we don’t have many people lifting we don’t have many spots for the Olympics, so it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us as a weightlifter.”

But when asked if he had medal success in mind, Oliver instead chose to take the one step at a time approach.

“My first aim is to get there and then we will see what happens,” he said.

“I’m not aiming for anything as such yet, I’m just doing my training and taking things as they come and then do my best.”

Should Oliver clinch a 2012 spot as expected, he will be joined at the Games by a familiar face – Greenwich weightlifter Zoe Smith.

He explained: “I’ve been weightlifting for seven years.

“I went to Europa Gymnastics Club and I started about a year before Zoe Smith, who also went to Europa.

“The coach said to us to have a go at weightlifting and I thought it was better than gymnastics and it helps you get strong.”

Oliver is currently completing a degree and leads a busy life by combining his studies with his Olympic preparations.

“At the minute I’m studying at Leeds University,” he explained.

“I’m doing it part-time so I have more time to train and I live about three minutes walk away from the gym.

“I go to the gym every morning at 9.30am until about 12.30pm, then I go to do some university walk before going back to the gym at 3.30pm until 6.30pm.

“That’s six hours in the gym six days a week because we don’t train on Sundays.”

And with dedication and commitment like that, few would deny him a podium finish when the big event finally arrives.

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