Lochte better bet for backstroke than medley

There are 18 London 2012 Olympic Games gold medals up for grabs on Thursday 2 August and the highlight of the sixth day of competition will be the performance of American swimmer Ryan Lochte in not one but two swimming finals.

And therein lies the problem for Lochte and punters keen to strike bets on the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s 200 metres backstroke and men`s 200m individual medley.

London 2012 Olympic Games organisers have scheduled the two finals 31 minutes apart, meaning that Lochte will have very little time to recover from going for gold in the men`s 200m backstroke before facing the men`s 200m individual medley.

Bookmakers have got Lochte at around 2-5 to win the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s 200m backstroke and around 1-2 to win the men`s 200m individual medley. If anything, the gap in his odds for the two events should be wider, with the four-lap backstroke gold medal much more likely to find itself hanging around his neck by the end of the day.

Lochte was 1.15 seconds too fast for Japan`s Ryosuke Irie in the men`s 200m backstroke at last year`s World Championships in Shanghai, whereas he was only 16 hundredths of seconds in front of Michael Phelps in the men`s 200m individual medley.

Although not an Olympic Games swimming superstar to match Phelps of 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing, Lochte is a class act who should justify odds-on favouritism and defend his Olympic crown in the men`s 200m backstroke successfully.

Lochte will probably win the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s 200m individual medley as well but he represents much better in the men`s 200m backstroke given his packed schedule.

Rebecca Soni was the victim of a massive London 2012 Olympic Games upset in the women`s 100m breaststroke, losing out by eight hundredths of seconds to 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. It was a result that no-one saw coming, not even the teenager who burst into tears during the medal ceremony.

Soni does not have to worry about Meilutyte in the London 2012 Olympic Games women`s 200m breaststroke and, having been three-quarters of a second faster than Russia`s Yulia Efimova at last year`s world titles, she looks like a good thing, albeit at the prohibitive odds of 1-4 and shorter.

Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo has marked out herself as the swimmer to beat in the London 2012 Olympic Games women`s 100m freestyle, her performances in the heats suggesting that she is ready to turn world bronze into Olympic gold.

The value prices about Kromowidjojo have gone, though, so it is probably a case of watching her win without backing her.

Away from the swimming pool, the London 2012 Olympic Games headlines on day six will be made at the velodrome where the men`s team sprint and women`s team sprint will be won and lost, with Germany favourite for the men`s gold medal and Australia favourite for the women`s gold medal.

At this year`s World Championships in Melbourne, Australia won the men`s team sprint and Germany won the women`s team sprint so the world champions may represent value at around 10-1 and 15-8 respectively if you are looking for a bet.

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31/07/2012     © Frixo 2026