Team GB medal hopefuls in action (7 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
Sir Chris Hoy - Men’s Keirin
Best price – 4/7 with Paddy Power here
With Jason Kenny edging Hoy for the Sprint position in Team GB cycling team, Hoy has even more time to focus on the event he has dominated since Beijing in 2008. The Keirin is Hoy’s strongest discipline and his famous thighs propel him round the velodrome at speeds of up to 70km/h. His nearest rivals are at 6/1 and baring a major mishap, Sir Chris Hoy looks set to win a sixth gold medal and establish his position as Britain’s most successful Olympian.
Phillips Idowu – Triple Jump
Best price – 8/1 with Bet365 here
A fully fit Phillips Idowu has every chance of winning gold in the triple jump, but doubts still linger over the 34-year-olds fitness. He has only competed three times since January and pulled out of the recent Diamond League meet in London with a hip injury. The triple jumper was reluctant to disclose the full information of his injury to Team GB manager, Charles Van Commenee, and tensions surround his build up to his event. However if on-form, Idowu can trouble the current world champion Christian Taylor for gold.
Alistair Brownlee – Triathlon
Best price – 4/7 with Ladbrokes here
Brownlee is hot favourite for gold in the triathlon and after fighting back from serious injuries he looks back to his best aged 24. A fractured femur in 2009 curtailed his early promise as a youngster, but he has returned to full fitness for London 2012. In his last outing, he dominated the field with his brother second, suggesting that he is good to challenge for a gold.
Victoria Pendleton – Individual Sprint
Best price – 1/3 with Paddy Power here
Pendleton is the reigning Sprint champion from Beijing and after impressively overhauling Anna Mears in the Keirin to win gold, she is hot favourite to defend her title. Australian, Meares looked burnt out in the Keirin so it will be hard to see anyone offering any real resistance to the pin-up of British cycling in her last ever Olympic event. Pendleton shattered the Olympic record in her qualifying heat for the individual sprint (only thousandths of the world record, which was set at altitude) and looks good for another cycling gold medal.
