The Olympic Games is one of the most impressive spectacles in all of sport. The world will come together once again this year to celebrate the best athletes and watch them compete for those coveted gold medals.
Ahead of this year’s games, NetBet has provided everything you need to know and we are one of the best destinations for betting on the Olympics, with a range of athletics markets to choose from.
Read on for our preview…
Key Information
The Olympics take place every four years and this edition will be held in the beautiful French capital of Paris. The opening ceremony will take place on July 26 and the closing ceremony is scheduled for August 11.
Over 10,000 athletes representing 206 different countries will travel to Paris to compete across 329 events. This will include 327 Team GB athletes competing in 24 of the showpiece’s 32 sports.
You can expect non-stop action across Paris and the 16-day event also represents an excellent chance for viewers to get involved in unfamiliar sports, or those that are not usually televised.
Breaking, Sport Climbing, Skateboarding and Surfing have all been added to the Olympic roster and will be making their debuts in Paris at the XXXIII Olympiad – alongside the other 28 returning sports.
How to Watch The Olympics
The BBC will once again be broadcasting the Olympic Games in the UK and are planning to show over 250 hours of live coverage on their BBC One and BBC Two channels.
Key Dates
July 26: Opening Ceremony
July 24 – August 10: Football
July 27 – August 5: Gymnastics
July 27 – August 11: Basketball
July 27 – August 4: Swimming
August 1 – August 11: Athletics
Events To Watch
The three most watched parts of any Olympic Games tend to be Athletics, Swimming and Football. But here are our picks for some other thrilling events to keep an eye out for in Paris:
Gymnastics: A true spectacle and feat of human talent, Gymnastics never ceases to amaze at just what people are capable of. Many of us have played football or enjoyed a game of table tennis, but few people can claim to have done anything remotely close to what these seemingly superhuman athletes are capable of.
Board Sports: Truly something different that would not be on your TV were it not for the Olympics, summing up what the Games is all about by bringing these sports to the masses. Not too difficult to follow and explained well by expert pundits, Skateboarding and Surfing competitors are so evidently masters of their craft and it is an absolute pleasure to watch.
Martial Arts: Combat sports are famously some of the most exhilarating for viewers in the world and this is no different at the Olympics, which boasts five Martial Arts events. Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Wrestling and Boxing complete the line-up and all promise to demonstrate the talent, hard work and dedication of the athletes involved. You certainly do not want to miss any of them.
Athletes To Watch
As already discussed, the Olympics is one of the only places where you will see the very best athletes in the world in their respective sports and get to enjoy the magical moments they produce, moments that would perhaps be missed were it not for the exposure levels of the Games.
Here are a few of the athletes we are most excited to see in action:
Simone Biles: American gymnast Biles is already a four-time Olympic champion, as well as holding 30 World Championship medals. She did not get the result she was hoping for last time out in Tokyo as she pulled out of multiple finals to protect her own well-being, so will be targeting a big comeback in Paris this year.
Rayssa Leal & Sky Brown: Sixteen year olds (yes, you did read the correctly) Leal and Brown will be competing for Team Brazil and Team GB respectively in the women’s skateboarding and as some of the youngest competitors at the Games, we are sure they will leave their mark on fans.
Eliud Kipchoge: Kenya’s legendary athlete – who famously in 2019 became the first person to run a sub two-hour marathon – is one of the biggest names there has ever been in long-distance running and he will be on the hunt for his third consecutive marathon gold medal at the Olympics.
Olympics Odds
It is well documented that at the Olympic Games, what are considered to be the main event by many are the 100 and 200 metre sprints.
This year will be no exception, once again featuring a star-studded line-up in the men’s and women’s events. So, here are the favourites for gold in Paris.
*Odds are subject to change
Men’s 100m
Kishane Thompson – 2.10
Noah Lyles – 2.70
Oblique Seville – 7.50
Letsile Tebogo – 11.00
Marcel Jacobs Lamont – 15.00
Women’s 100m
Sha’Carri Richardson – 1.50
Shericka Jackson – 5.50
Julien Alfred – 5.50
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – 10.00
Melissa Jefferson – 15.00
Men’s 200m
Noah Lyles – 1.40
Letsile Tebogo – 6.00
Kenneth Bednarek – 6.00
Erriyon Knighton – 10.00
Andre de Grasse – 15.00
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