Olympics: Bookies favour Kiwis with gold medal odds

NZ Herald

18 Jul, 2016 04:24 AM2 mins to read

Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand celebrate in their gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

The bookies have found favour with several New Zealand athletes heading to Rio, with odds firmly on some of our Olympic favourites.

Hamish Bond and Eric Murray top the list with odds of just 1.02 euros at Irish bookermaker Paddy Power for them to back up their London gold medal in the coxless pair.

Lisa Carrington closely follows with odds on her to win the Women's K1 200m at 1.16.

Despite being the favourite in the K1 500m as well, Carrington's odds for the longer form are much more profitable at 3.00.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke go for 1.33 in the Men's 49er Sailing. Considering they only just lost their first race in four years last week, there is money to be made with the next best competitor coming in at 4.00.

Next down the list is the Men's Sprint Team Cycling who are favourites to gain gold at 1.40. France is the next best at 4.50.

London gold medallist, Mahe Drysdale, is at 1.57 to win the Men's Single Sculls while Valerie Adams is the favourite in the Women's Shot Put at 1.80.

After that, the odds push out a lot further.

The more risky punters will be looking to cash in on some of our outside hopefuls.

The Men's Sevens team is paying at 3.50 and the Womens at 3.00.

Tom Walsh is paying a whopping 9.00 in the Men's Shot Put while Lauren Boyle is second favourite in the Women's 800m Freestyle at 15.00.

If the favourite, Katie Ledecky from the United States, should happen to false start or blow a fuse, betters could land huge money from a bet on Boyle.