2012 hopefuls heading for Beijing

Daniel Neilson and Louise Mair all set for an interesting trip

The British Olympic Association has revealed the athletes who will spend a week at this summer's Olympics as part of their preparation for London 2012.

Britain's Olympic Ambition 2012 programme will see stars and coaches across 33 disciplines experience the Team GB preparation camp in Macau, the Olympic village and press conferences.

Equestrian Daniel Neilson and Louise Mair (taekwondo) have made the list.

Olympians Denise Lewis and Ed Coode will also provide advice as mentors.

The programme's focus is based around providing sports specific event exposure, with participants getting the opportunity to watch two competition sessions for their own discipline.

I'm sure it will be a great experience and I hate just watching and not competing in races Triathlete Kirsty McWilliam

Although Mhairi Spence, a rising star in modern pentathlon, narrowly failed to qualify for Beijing, the 21-year-old is delighted to have the opportunity to be in China.

"It's a really good idea to give future athletes the chance to go into an Olympic environment and see for themselves how things work," she said.

"It will also be a valuable opportunity to meet and mix with athletes from a wide range of different sports, and to make some new friends."

Former rowing star Coode is one of the mentors on the scheme and having made his Olympic debut eight years ago, he has plenty of wisdom to pass on.

"As a rower I found the first Olympics I went to in Sydney to be totally different to anything I had experienced before as a sportsman - even though I had raced at three world championships prior to this," he said.

Olympics blog What does London 2012 mean to you? Mark A - BBC Sport

"The scale of the hype and the press interest only fuels the novice competitor's fears that he or she has to do something different at the Olympics. I think this certainly contributed to me under-performing in the coxless pairs in 2000."

Kirsty McWilliam, 18-year-old triathlon hopeful, added: "Going to Beijing will motivate me even more to reach London 2012 because I'm sure it will be a great experience and I hate just watching and not competing in races."

Around 105 athletes are on the programme and include beach volleyball's Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns, table tennis star Paul Drinkhall, taekwondo's Tyrone Robinson and volleyball's Ben Pipes.