Olympics: Aussies bet on Kiwis flopping

We've got no show!

Australian bookmakers believe New Zealand will play a bit-part role at best in Sydney.

Triathlete Hamish Carter is the only New Zealand athlete leading Australian sports bookie Centrebet favours to win a gold medal.

The New Zealand eventing team, who feature double Olympic champion Mark Todd and 1996 gold medallist Blyth Tait, are ranked behind Australia, while champion boardsailors Aaron McIntosh and Barbara Kendall are rated second and fourth respectively.

Odds of better than $10 are available for New Zealand favourite Beatrice Faumuina to win the women's discus crown when the Games begin next Friday.

Centrebet manager Gerard Daffy threw down the gauntlet to New Zealand punters, saying that "if any Kiwis want to try to take our money we'll be more than happy."

The Alice Springs-based bookie spent more than a month creating a betting market for every Olympic event.

In New Zealand, the local Olympic committee refused the TAB permission to take bets on the Games.

Waikato rower Rob Waddell is likely to join Carter - who is at $3 to win the men's triathlon race tomorrow week - as a New Zealand gold favourite when the field for the men's single sculls is finalised.

The shortest-priced favourite at the Games to win gold is Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.

He is a $1.05 hotshot to win the men's 400m freestyle, and he is also expected to blitz the field in the 200m freestyle at $1.08.

Already, a New Zealand punter has wagered $400 to win $8800 on the New Zealand women's hockey team, listed at $22 to take gold.

Another outside punt is the New Zealand men's rowing coxless four, who are at $14 to win gold.

- NZPA

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