Cash in with big Czech in men`s javelin throw final

Vitezslav Vesely stamped his authority on the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s javelin throw with his qualification effort of 88.34 metres and he is going to take a lot of beating when the twelve finalists go for the gold medal.

Vesely produced not only a personal best but also a world best for this year when he hurled the javelin out several metres beyond the automatic qualification distance. Now no-one has thrown within 1.84m of the 29-year-old Czech, whose improvement has come under Jan Zelezny`s training.

If Zelezny`s rings a bell it is because he is the current men`s javelin throw world record holder having registered 98.48m in the German city of Jena 16 long years ago.

No other javelin thrower has propelled the instrument more than 94m so Zelezny is in a league of his own and the best possible man to be guiding Vesely on his Olympic adventure.

Vesely looks a class above everyone else in the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s javelin throw final, including two-time Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen, with his qualification effort 3.87m better than the 30-year-old Norwegian legend.

At the start of this year, Thorkildsen would have been most people`s favourite for the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s javelin throw gold medal, even though he had shown some indications that his best days may be behind him.

But Vesely`s form has made those who rated Thorkildsen above all others to change their minds. While he is not unbeaten throughout 2012, he did win the biggest pre-London 2012 Olympic Games meeting for the javelin elite, the Bislett Games in Oslo. And he did so easily, with his 88.11m throw more than four metres better than the next best effort.

Bookmakers have cut Vesely`s odds of London 2012 Olympic Games men`s javelin throw gold to around 4-6 but even that price does not seem short enough. With reigning world champion Matthias De Zordo failing to make the cut and Thorkildsen on the way down, Vesely would not look out of place with odds of 1-3 on his arm. He is a value bet.

London 2012 Olympic Games men`s 10,000m gold medallist Mo Farah has drifted in men`s 5,000m betting despite qualifying for the final with the minimum of fuss. If you did not get on at around 5-4 then make sure you get on at around 7-4, with bookmakers concerned that the Briton may be tired.

Betting on race walks is fraught with danger because of the possibility of your bets being disqualified for lifting but, if you can put aside those concerns, there is a case for backing Russia`s Sergey Kirdyapkin in the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s 50 kilometres race walk.

Kirdyapkin tops this year`s men`s 50km race walk world rankings and he won the 2009 World Championships event in Berlin by more than two and a half minutes. Unfortunately, he did not finish either the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games or last year`s World Championship competition in Daegu.

What you see is what you get with Kirdyapkin, who is around 100-30 to dethrone Italy`s Alex Schwazer. Race walks are not mediums for big bets but the Russian is the fastest walker in the field and will probably win if he can stay legal.

Brazil and Mexico will contest the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s football gold medal match and, on a line through South Korea, the only common opponent of the finalists, it is clear that the Brazilians are worthy odds-on favourites.

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09/08/2012     © Frixo 2024