A 29-year-old firefighter from California is preparing to compete in the quarterfinals of the sprint tournament, track cycling's blue-ribbon event. Jimmy Watkins is a full-time firefighter who keeps a bike next to his fire engine so he can train. He's says he's appreciative of all the guys who are covering his shifts back home at the Kern County Fire Department so he can compete. "Everybody is just super supportive. It's cool to know that you have a lot of people behind you. It make you not want to let them down because a lot of people have sacrificed a lot for me to be here," Watkins said. "I just want to make sure that I don't waste any of their effort." — Samuel Petrequin — Twitter http://www.twitter.com/sampetrequin ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
CYCLING FIREFIGHTER
— Aug. 5 2:22 AM EDT
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Jimmy Watkins, of the United States, competes during a track cycling men's sprint event, during the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in London. No wonder Watkins is a fast sprinter. He's used to running up slopes with a hose to extinguish fires. The powerfully built Watkins, a 29-year-old firefighter from Bakersfield, Calif., can already be proud of his achievements at the Olympic Velodrome. On Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, he will compete in the quarterfinals of the sprint tournament, track cycling's blue-ribbon event. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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