Olympic Games Betting: Bet on the 2008 Beijing Olympics

OLYMPIC GAMES BETTING - BET ON THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS
The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing gets underway with the opening ceremony at approx. 12.30 p.m. BST on Friday 8th August.

Most Medals

The battle to gain the most medals in Beijing is likely to be a closely-fought affair between China (4/5 with Bet 365) and the USA (Evens with 365). Russia is third best at 16/1 with the same firm. China (4/9 with Bet365) is fancied to have a better gold medal count than the USA (19/10 with sportingbet). Russia has little chance of achieving most golds and is priced at 50/1 with the same firm. Britain are 4/6 with Ladbrokes to win 11 or more gold medals, and 5/4 with Bet 365 to win less than 11 golds.

Bet365 offer 4/7 about Britain gaining 33 or more medals of any sort and 5/4 about 32 or less. There is obviously a vast array of betting opportunities available on the Beijing Olympics. It is recommended that punters use an “odds comparison” site such as searchum.bestbetting.com in order to avail themselves of the best prices available from the various online layers. Most punters will probably be interested in events involving British competitors. The following seeks to highlight the best British medal contenders in Beijing.
 

BRITISH MEDAL HOPES

Athletics

Philips Idowu - Men’s Triple Jump
Having spent much of his career in the shadow of Jonathan Edwards, Idowu, 29, is the current Commonwealth Games champion, and World and European Indoor champion and Team GB’s best hope for gold in the athletics arena. He jumped 17.58 metres, the furthest in the world this year, in July’s trials and is a best-priced 7/4 favourite with vcbet.

Paula Radcliffe - Women’s Marathon
Radcliffe would be Britain’s best bet for gold were it not for a stress fracture in her left thigh, which has reduced her chances even of competing in Beijing. However, she is determined to take part and has until the 17August to regain fitness. Paula Radcliffe has never won an Olympic medal in 3 visits to the games and is a 6/1 chance with William Hill.

Heptathlon - Kelly Sotherton
With Jessica Ennis injured, Sotherton is Britain’s only hope in the heptathlon, which combines 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m. With defending champion, Swede Carolina Kluft, absent, Sotherton must be considered for a medal. (8/1 with William Hill).

Women’s 400m
Christine Ohuruogu
Ohuruogu received a year’s ban in 2006, for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests. However, within 24 days of the end of her suspension won the gold medal at the 2007 World Championships. Succeeded in having a lifetime Olympic participation ban overturned and takes part in her second Games after reaching the semi-finals in Athens. Must have every chance of at least reaching the podium. (14/1 with Paddy Power).

Nicola Sanders
Sanders, 25, switched from the 400m hurdles to the flat in 2006, partly as a result of injuries. Her decision proved a good one when she claimed world silver in Osaka last year, behind GB team-mate Christine Ohuruogu. A niggling injury prevented her from running at July’s trials, but if fit she has a good chance of a medal. (40/1 with William Hill).

Men’s 400m
The men’s 400m has been contested on 26 occasions with the USA winning an astounding 19 gold medals, 12 silver and 10 bronze, and those totals should increase in Beijing. Jeremy Wariner (4/7 with totesport) is the reigning world and Olympic champion, ranked no.1 in the world the last four years. He posted the fastest time in the world this year of 43.98 seconds in Oslo on June 6. The only real threat is likely to come from team-mate LaShawn Merritt (2/1 with Ladbrokes), who beat him in Berlin, clocking 44.03 seconds, the second-fastest time this season. However Briton Martyn Rooney (75/1 with Bet 365), a sub-45 second performer, who is unbeaten this season, is likely to be involved in the battle for the bronze medal.

Triathlon

Britain’s 2006 world champion, Tim Don, can count himself fortunate that he had a lifetime Olympic ban overturned by the British Olympic Association after missing three out-of-competition drugs tests (16/1 with William Hill). However, recently-crowned world champion Helen Tucker has a chance of taking home triathlon gold (10/1 with William Hill).

Rowing

Britain fields a 43-strong rowing team rowing team, with high hopes of collecting medals in Beijing. Britain has set a target of just four medals in Beijing with entries in 13 of the 14 events. However as many as nine, or even more, seems a definite possibility.

The lightweight men’s double (7/4 behind 6/4 favourites Denmark), women’s quadruple scull (6/4 favourites) and men’s coxless four (6/4 favourites) are believed to be the strongest competitors for gold in Beijing. However, other rowers have every chance of collecting gold:

1. The men’s double scull are third-best at 11/4, behind 6/4 favourites and 9/4 second-best Slovenia.

2. The men’s eight are 3/1 second-best behind 5/4 favourites Canada.

3. The men’s lightweight four are 7/4 favourites (all prices from skybet).

Several of the other British boats, while not as well fancied in the betting markets, are likely to be in the shake-up so a bumper medal haul is quite possible.
 

Cycling

Britain’s cycling team aims for six Olympic medals at the forthcoming Beijing Games. On the team are veterans from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, namely, men’s kilo gold medallist Chris Hoy, (Evs favourite with William Hill to win the Individual Sprint), men’s individual pursuit winner Bradley Wiggins, and silver medallists for men’s team pursuit Bradley Wiggins, Steve Cummings, Chris Newton and Paul Manning. Britain are 1/3 favourites with Ladbrokes to take the Team Pursuit gold, and only 3/1 second-best (with Paddy Power behind 4/6 favourites France (with William Hill) in the Team Sprint. The cycling team had a remarkable performance during the World Track Championships this year in Manchester, snatching gold in eight events altogether. This year, BMX will be first introduced to the Beijing Olympics. The British team has the world’s gold medallist of the 2008 World BMX Championships for the elite women, Shanaze Reade, 4/7 favourite to win gold in Beijing, while triple world champion, Victoria Pendleton, is 5/6 favourite to win the women’s individual sprint. Another worthwhile medal haul seems on the cards.
 

Boxing

Joe Murray, 51-54kg.
The newcomer burst onto the scene in 2007 at the AIBA World Boxing Championship, claiming the bronze medal after beating the commonwealth gold medallist to get to the semi-final. The tenacious lad from Mosside could well pick up a medal (33/1 with Paddy Power)

Frankie Gavin, 57-60kg
World Amateur Champion 2007 beating Italy’s Domenico Valentino impressively with an 18-10 victory in the final. Gavin is also reigning Commonwealth Champion and was named the 2007 BOA Olympic boxing athlete of the year. Probably Britain’s best chance of a boxing gold. (5/2 with Paddy Power)

Tony Jeffries, 75-81kg
Quarter finalist in the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, losing to the eventual champion Kenny Anderson (Sco). Twice schoolboy national champion, Jeffries hasn’t really achieved what his earlier days promised. Has possibilities of a bronze (or even better!) 80/1 with Ladbrokes.

Bradley Saunders, 60-64kg
The light-welterweight claimed bronze at the AIBA World Boxing Championship beating Alexis Vastine of France 30-13 in the quarter-finals, to set up his semi-final which he lost 16-8 to Gennady Kovalev of Russia. He had an impressive win in the first AIBA presidents’ cup in May 2008 and has worked hard to improve his form. Definite medal prospect (25/1 with Paddy Power).

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds

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    • Written by John Lamerton · Filed Under Other Sports Betting 

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