London tipped to be New Zealand’s golden Games

July 24, 2012

London tipped to be New Zealand’s golden Games

New Zealand sports bosses are targeting 10 medals of any colour at the 2012 Games but there are plenty of punters with the TAB who reckon at least half that number will be gold.

When the TAB launched betting on Monday on the number of gold medals, and medals in total, that the Kiwi team would pick up in London, prices were set at $10 for a haul of at least five golds and $7.50 for a total medal tally of 11 or more.

But a plunge from punters positive that New Zealand will win five or more gold medals forced the TAB to shift its price from $10 to $5.50, with the 11-plus overall haul dropping to $5.

“This is possibly the best team we’ve ever sent to the Games and Sport New Zealand’s total medal target of 10 in London could very well be a conservative one,” said TAB bookie Mark Stafford.

“We’ve got about 20 or so decent medal shots overall and high hopes for gold in some events, so clearly punters are taking an optimistic approach.”

Kiwi favourites for gold in London include defending Olympic champion shot putter Valerie Adams ($1.45), red-hot rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond ($1.22) and single sculler Mahe Drysdale ($2.20).

“If you look at those three as short-priced favourites for gold and then consider some of the other good chances we have in other events – particularly in rowing – then a haul of five or more golds is a very real possibility,” said Stafford.

“The punters have certainly signalled that they think London will be our golden Games.”

New Zealand’s best tally of gold medals at any Games was eight at Los Angeles in 1984.

“But we need to remember that the Eastern Bloc countries boycotted LA,” said Stafford. “Take that one-off out of the equation and our best-ever gold medal haul since 1908 is three, so to win five or more in London would be an amazing result.”

The TAB has identified three golds in London as the sweet spot at odds of $2.75, with a Kiwi Games disaster – no golds at all – a possible silver lining for punters at odds of $20.

The full range of Games 2012 betting options are available at www.tab.co.nz.

NEW ZEALAND’S GOLDEN GAMES?

Total gold medals

None: $20
1: $6
2: $3
3: $2.75
4: $5
5 or more: $5.50

Total medals overall

0-5: $18
6: $10
7: $5.50
8: $3.75
9: $3.50
10: $5
11 or more: $5

ENDS

© Scoop Media