WORCESTER badminton ace Simon Archer was nowhere to be seen at today's Olympic Games opening ceremony in Sydney.

While athletes from all nations were celebrating the start of the world's biggest sporting festival, Archer was getting focussed on his quest for double medal glory.

The badminton competition starts immediately after the opening ceremony, and Archer says he won't be too disappointed at missing it.

He said: "I went to Atlanta in 1996 and saw all that, and have also been at the Commonwealth Games ceremony. I shall probably watch it on TV - the whole thing for athletes does drag on for a long time."

Archer is due on court at 3.55pm local time tomorrow, when he and Jo Goode, seeded fifth in the mixed doubles, play a first round match against Canadian pair Brent Olynyk and Robbyn Hermitage.

In the men's doubles, eighth seeds Archer and Nathan Robertson have a bye in the first round and then take on either an Australian or a Polish pair in the second round on Sunday.

"I am out there to do a job. In Atlanta, as well as I wanted to do, it was a massive experience for me. This time I know what it's about."

The 27-year-old former Worcester Sixth Form College student has been at the British training camp on the Gold Coast for almost two weeks preparing for the big event, and hopes that a cortisone injection in his leg shortly before flying out will have the desired effect.

He said: "You don't get medals in the Olympics very easily. You have to work hard, hope you get a good draw and play well on the day.

"You have to play at your best in both events to get a medal - there are too many good pairs out there."

Four years ago Archer got to the quarter-finals of the men's doubles with his former partner Chris Hunt, but went out in the first round of the mixed doubles with Julie Bradbury.

This time, he said: "I will be very disappointed if I lose before the quarter-finals in both.

"I have got as good a chance as anyone, although it is going to be very much about what happens on the day. Fingers crossed I can perform well again, and we will see what happens."