[Roy The Boy]

Very underwhelmed by today’s Racing Post Olympic Games treatment which is comparable to their Fish O’Mania coverage and as sizeable as their daily Tour de France reporting which, as we know, goes on for week after week after… Additionally the Games do not start tomorrow (only some obscure qualifiers) but on Saturday. Irksomely the piece, in places, features some amazing similarities to a preview I distributed a few weeks back.

Granted a little more time I would have scratched the surface but this may help:

The Good Things

A) Get you conkers on American Mikaela Shiffrin in the Woman’s Slalom. Simply an amazing talent, the 18-year-old has seven World Cup Slalom race wins and an additional seven podiums on her CV. Naturally this will be her first Olympic Games but the Colorado native has been to Sochi before and, in her current form allied to her seeming obliviousness to the pressure of the big occasion, odds of 6/4 should be devoured.

B) Norwegian Axel Lund Svindal is an even shorter price, even-money, in the Men’s Super G. He’s bombproof in this sphere and the betting market of 20/1 bar two says all that needs saying.

C) Norway will win the most Gold Medals. The Norwegian Team is mighty strong in Cross Country and Biathlon events (as short as 1-10 to win gold in some disciplines, such as the women’s Cross Country Relay) and will pick up a hatful of Gold Medals in this sphere.

True, Norway only came joint-third in the Gold Medal table at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics behind host country, Canada and Germany. Norway’s nine Gold’s actually drew with the USA in third. But, Canada have had a mighty fall from grace as reflected by their odds of 12/1. 25/1 looks a more accurate reflection of their chances this time on the balance of form. They have nothing for the Alpine Skiing and there is not enough Ice Hockey for them.

Amongst Germany’s Vancouver haul were three woman’s skiing Gold’s which cannot be repeated this year. Their women athletes are not strong this Olympics and men claimed just two of their Gold medals last time around.

The USA’s 2010 Gold’s came from a broad cross-section of sports but this time they have some serious strength (odds-on shots like Hannah Kearney in the Moguls and the Davis/White coupling in the figure skating, Shaun White Snowboard Half-pipe) but are now very much lacking in depth.

The Ice Hockey, Bobsleigh and Curling events are scheduled for the closing days of the Olympics. The Luge, however, is done and dusted on Thursday February 13th (ten days before the Game’s conclusion. As Germany are massive odds-on to scoop the Gold’s in the Luge events, it’s likely they will tumble in the Gold Medal betting before other countries have an opportunity to make a name for themselves. USA are strong in the Bobsleigh and so consider a late flurry of money for them if in contention half-way through the closing week. Backing Norway remains the only play, but timing is everything as they should drift in the betting at some stage.

D) The host nation will win the Figure Skating Pairs with 1/2 poke Trankov & Volosozhar. And, unlike in 2002 when a French/Russian mafia-style vote fixing hit the headlines, they will do it on merit.

The Not Such Good Things

A) Ted Ligety is too short at 11/10 in the Giant Slalom. Brilliant at his best, the American has been a little hit-and-miss this season and has posted one too many DNF’s for my liking.

B) In the showpiece Men’s Downhill the 6ft 3in monster Axel Lund Svindal is the rightful favourite. He claimed three medals at the last Olympics and is a five-time World Champion. However 36-year-old Bode Miller looks to be hitting top-form having missed 2012/2013 with knee injury/surgery. There’s been turmoil aplenty in Miller’s personal life, which saw him getting married several months before a former flame gave birth to his son! Additionally, in a surprising result, Austria’s Hannes Reichelt trumped Svindall in the biggest dress rehearsal (Kitzbuehel in late January) and therein, on this occasion, for this event, Svindall rates a reluctant ‘avoid’ at 15/8.

C) Maybe I’m speaking purely as a recreational skier but I detest anyone/anything with a board attached to it. Snowboarding is a load tosh. It’s loud, noisy, new-age high-five nonsense. Little wonder the Yanks are so good at it. However their North American neighbours could upset their candy store so lay Shaun White in the Men’s Slopestyle (not the Half-pipe which he will win) where two good Canadians stand in his way and back Canadian Spencer O’Brien in the Woman’s Slopestyle at 9/2.

Familiarise yourself with some of the competitors maybe? Great viewing…

Lindsey Vonn (sadly missing the Olympics through injury)

Aksel ‘The Machine’ Lund Svindal

Bode ‘Jack Rabbit’ Miller

Mikaela Shiffrin

Anglo French/Russian Relations
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/01/russia.sport