iBet: Will Usain Bolt win 100m gold at the Olympics?

Olympic Men’s 100m

Ladbrokes go a stand-out even money about Usain Bolt

Bookmakers are concocting all manner of creative markets to drum up some interest in betting on the Olympics, and I can report that Ladbrokes are really shaking things up this morning by going a stand out even money about Usain Bolt claiming Olympic gold. The market centres around how serious Bolt’s right hamstring strain is. The world’s fastest ever human was not even Jamaica’s fastest sprinter at their recent trials – losing out in both the 100m and 200m to training companion Yohan Blake. He’s now undergoing specialist treatment which, his camp says, is ‘routine’. The question is, was he just doing enough to get through in the Jamaican trials, or does he have a more serious injury problem? My friends at betting comparison website Oddschecker.com confirm that as a result, Blake has been backed from 20-1 last August, to a best priced of just less than 2/1 with Betfair. Tyson Gay is best priced 19-1 third favourite. Most other firms go around 8/11 Bolt, but Ladbrokes Alex Donohue told me: “We think that we can get him beat on the basis that Blake isn’t that far behind and there is always the danger of the false start.” Bolt’s 6ft 5in frame means that he takes up to seven fewer strides than other runners in the field. However, with eight races to run in nine days (the two main events and the relay), an injury will be found out. But even money is mighty tempting…

Advices

There are a host of others markets in the 100m. If you fancy the world record to go, the place to bet is Betfair where you can get 4/1. It’s 11/4 an Olympic record, and 11/4 with William Hill that all the finalists will break 10 seconds.

Betfair gives you better value. To see how much more you can win go towww.betfair.com/betchecker

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