Team GB medal hopefuls in action (3 August)
Team GB medal hopefuls in action today
Find our full Olympic betting pack here. We’ve previewed the young stars you won’t want to miss, looked at the men’s football tournament and identified some of the Team GB stars who could pick up a gold at London 2012
Dai Greene – 400m Hurdles
Best price – massive 3/1 with William Hill
Greene’s build up to London 2012 has been affected by injury, but he ran a personal best at the Paris Grand Prix back in July to put himself back in contention for the win. He will have to overcome Purto Rico’s, Javier Culson, if he is to win gold and the Welshman has yet to beat Culson since his World Championship title in 2011. Greene is desperate to bounce back and complete a grand slam of World Championships, European Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympic titles. The Purto Rican beat him twice in July, but if Greene finds his form Team GB could win a track gold medal.
Greg Rutherford – Long Jump
Best price – 5/1 with Paddy Power here
25-year-old Rutherford starts as second favourite for the gold medal, knowing that if he can match his own personal best, gold is very much achievable. He jumped 8.35m earlier in the year, equalling the UK record and this is the longest jump made competitively in the world in 2012. A jump of that distance would win a medal in any Olympic Long Jump event, and would have been good enough for gold in Beijing. Mitchell Watt of Australia will be his main competitor and the Aussie does have a 8.50 in his locker.
Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins – Women’s Double Scull
Best price – 3/10 with Paddy Power here
Grainger and Watkins should be Great Britain’s most secure gold medal and they are heavy odds-on favourites to win their rowing event. The women’s rowing team in general looks strong and this pairing are currently undefeated since 2010. Grainger has three silver medals and looks like finally adding a gold for Team GB here. Can they follow Glover and Stanning and win Great Britains second ever gold in women’s rowing?
Jessica Ennis – Heptathlon
Best price – 22/25 with Betfair here
Ennis is the poster girl for the GB track athletes and arguably the most well fancied out of the whole Great Britain squad. The Sheffield born star has topped the world rankings for three years and if she can handle the occasion she could bring home a superb athletics gold. Injury ruled her out of Beijing, and after beating her two nearest rivals in the Hypo-Meeting in Austria, she looks good for Britain’s first heptathlon gold since Denise Lewis in 2000.
