Coral’s athletics expert thus gives his top tips for titles in Brazil. With many of Team GB’s best having already competed, there’s more of a global focus to our Olympics athletics best bets below.
Monday, August 15th
Five sets of medals shall be decided on Monday in track and field, so what have we picked out as our Olympics athletics best bets? Read on and you’ll soon discover who…
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase
Although young Bahrain representative Ruth Jebet became only the second woman in history to dip under nine minutes in this event earlier in the season, it is brave to back her youth over the experience of reigning world Steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi.
As reigning Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year, Jepkemoi is more than just hype. As the only female athlete to post three competitive times under 9:10 recognised by the IAAF in 2016, there is value in backing her to follow up on Gold in Beijing last summer.
Superb 6/4 odds say Jepkemoi can become Olympics Steeplechase champion, with London 2012 winner Habiba Ghribi and runner-up Sofia Assefa not in the same shape based on season’s bests.
Monday fourfold: Wlodarczyk, Lavillenie, Rudisha, Miller
There are also four red-hot favourites in track and field that are impossible to oppose, so this fourfold acca features among our Olympics athletics best bets:
First up is Anita Wlodarczyk, who has dominated the Women’s Hammer in recent years. This prolific Polish world record breaker is a 1/33 dead cert to finally add Gold at the Olympics to her medal haul, as she’s the only woman to throw beyond 80m this season.
Defending Men’s Pole Vault champion Renaud Lavillenie is the next leg of this fantastic fourfold at 3/10. He’s the only man to clear 5m 95cm in 2016 so far, and punters should be prepared to forgive his World Athletics Championships jitters.
David Rudisha, the fastest ever in the Men’s 800m, looks set to defend his Olympics title and add to a pair of world crowns. The Kenyan middle-distance runner holds the world lead time of 1:43.35 around two laps of the track.
Finally, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas is her nation’s best hope of Gold in the Olympics athletics, having set the world lead time of 49.55 seconds for the Women’s 400m at the London Anniversary Games.
American rival Allyson Felix stepped up to 400m successfully last season, but has hardly raced competitively this summer, so Miller is the lady to look to from the joint even-money favourites for Gold here. At current combined odds, a £4 stake returns £15 on this outstanding acca.
Tuesday, August 16th
Five further Golds will be decided here, with the Men’s High Jump competition looking more open than ever. Besides that, here are two more Olympics athletics best bets for you to mull over…
Tuesday treble: Taylor, Perkovic, McLeod
Like Monday’s acca above, there’s three firm favourites this Tuesday to take two field events and the sprint hurdles…
Having come so close to threatening Jonathan Edwards’ long-standing world record last year, Christian Taylor is well fancied to retain his Men’s Triple Jump title at the Olympics. Nobody else has gone out over 17m 70cm this season, so Gold should go to the American.
Speaking of defending champions, Women’s Discus winner at London 2012, Sandra Perkovic, is out to prove her loss at the World Athletics Championships last summer was just a blip. The Croatian has thrown 2m further than any of her competition in Rio this year.
Jamaican youngster Omar McLeod is the only athlete to go under 13 seconds for the Men’s 110m Hurdles this season, and has posted five of the seven fastest times in 2016. This looks his time to shine, then, with Aries Merritt of the USA missing after a kidney transplant.
A £5 stake returns £16.20, meaning you could get more than triple your money if the Taylor Perkovic McLeod treble comes off!
Women’s 1500m
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya is out to avenge her loss to Ethiopian rival Genzebe Dibaba at last year’s World Athletics Championships, and has been the most impressive runner around three-and-three-quarter laps of the track in 2016.
Producing three separate times under four minutes already, Kipyegon looks set to capitalise on Dibaba failing to kick on from setting a new 1500m world record last season. At 6/5 apiece, Kipygeon is tipped to take the Olympics title.
Please note, all quoted odds above are correct prior to the events starting. Track competitions can have up to three rounds and field ones tend to have qualifying before the final.
