Olympics betting tips: Preview and best bets for swimming events at Paris 2024

Olympics betting tips: Paris 2024

1pt Kyle Chalmers to win men’s 100m freestyle at 9/1 (Unibet)

2pts Ariarne Titmus to win women’s 200m freestyle at 10/11 (General)

2pts Sam Short to win men’s 800m freestyle at 11/4 (Ladbrokes, Coral)

2pts Kate Douglass to win women’s 200m individual medley at 5/2 (Paddy Power, Betfair)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

The battle in the pool between Australia and the United States is keenly awaited with the latter just about topping the medal table in Tokyo three years ago.

Form comparisons are a little tricky to make with several top swimmers, most notably from the United States, skipping February’s World Championships in Qatar. Also, many of the bookies have not yet priced up races perhaps due to a number of swimmers taking part in multiple events.

The market for the men’s 100m freestyle is dominated by China’s world record holder Pan Zhanle, and David Popovici. The Romanian youngster held the world record until earlier this year when Pan eclipsed it with his lead-off swim in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the World Championships.

The pair are the only men in the field with sub-47 second times, while KYLE CHALMERS’ personal best is just outside at 47.08. But the Australian beat them to win gold at last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka and is bidding to regain his Olympic title from Rio 2016 after taking silver behind Caeleb Dressel in Tokyo.

• CLICK HERE to back Chalmers with Sky Bet

Were this a time trial, the winner would surely be one of the two young talents and it’s very possible the world record will fall again in the semi-finals. But the final should be tight, and Chalmers has the experience and big-race mentality to put it up to the big two. At 9/1 with Unibet, he is definitely worth a bet at his last Games.

The women’s 200m freestyle looks to be a match between Australia’s reigning Olympic champion ARIARNE TITMUS and training partner Mollie O’Callaghan. The last time they met, Titmus took more than six-tenths off O’Callaghan’s world record at the Australian Trials in a titanic battle. O’Callaghan was also well inside her own previous mark.

• CLICK HERE to back Titmus with Sky Bet

The race followed a similar pattern to last year’s World Championship final with Titmus going out hard although, this time, O’Callaghan led at the first turn thanks to a strong underwater swim at the start. In Fukuoka, O’Callaghan surged home to take the world title in a world record time with Titmus fading on the final length. But in Brisbane, Titmus finished off her race far better to hold off her rival.

While it was close, I don’t see O’Callaghan reversing the placings from June with Titmus telling Reuters that she thinks she has "prepared the best I ever have for a swim meet". Personally, I would price it up as 1/2 Titmus v 6/4 O’Callaghan. For that reason, I’m a backer of Titmus at 10/11 to retain her title with Sky Bet, bet365 and betway.

The men’s 800m should be a cracker with Olympic champion Bobby Finke and Ireland’s world champion Daniel Wiffen among the favourites. Last year’s world champion Ahmed Hafnaoui is missing, and I think the silver medallist from Fukuoka – SAM SHORT – is the man to beat.

• CLICK HERE to back Titmus with Sky Bet

Tunisian star Hafnaoui was not for catching in a thrilling race with Short the only one who could really go with him. Finke produced his trademark late rally but was still almost a second down on the Australian at the finish.

Short suffered from a gastric illness before the Australian Trials which caused him to lose weight and strength, but still finished second to Elijah Winnington in both the 400m and 800m in Brisbane. With the fastest time in the field – set at those Fukuoka Worlds – he is the outsider of the big three at 11/4 with Ladbrokes and Coral when I think he should be favourite.

While not priced up in many places, the women’s 200m individual medley will be keenly contested. World leader Kaylee McKeown and Canadian teenage star Summer McIntosh head the betting with KATE DOUGLASS the outsider of the three.

The American set a national record at the Olympic Trials with McKeown doing likewise, in a slightly faster time, in the Australian equivalent. McIntosh is a near-certainty for gold in the 400 I.M. but not as strong in the shorter event which should leave McKeown and Douglass to battle this out. They would have done at last year’s World Championships but McKeown was disqualified in the semi-finals for an illegal turn.

While McKeown is the strongest backstroker in the field – she is the defending Olympic champion at 100m and 200m – Douglass can make sufficient inroads on the breaststroke leg to be close enough to make her freestyle superiority count on the sprint for home. At 5/2 with Betfair Sportsbook, she’s a confident pick.

Posted at 2115 BST on 22/07/24

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