All the experts have been predicting it, but now the online bookmakers agree. Richard Murray will earn South Africa’s first medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, writes GARY LEMKE on the Gold Coast.
Murray finished a fast-finishing fourth behind England’s Brownlee brothers at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and this time he’s been priced up at 2-1 to be the meat in the Brownlee men’s triathlon sandwich. Jonathan is the marginal 18-10 favourite with the South African fancied for the silver medal, followed by Alistair, with Henri Schoeman – bronze medallist in Rio – fourth favourite at 9-1. The other South African in the race, Wian Sullwald, is eighth in the betting, at 33-1.
In the women’s triathlon, the Team South Africa pairing of Gillian Saunders and Simone Ackermann are considered outsiders, at 33-1 and 50-1, respectively, with Bermuda’s world champion Flora Duffy being a prohibitive odds-on favourite at 4-10.
The mixed triathlon team are currently tipped to finish fourth, behind England, Australia and New Zealand.
Other markets involving South Africans are (athletics odds haven’t yet been priced up):
Cycling, men’s 4,000m team pursuit: Australia 1-10 favourites, Team SA 100-1 (predicted to finish fifth)
Cycling, men’s team sprint, Australia 12-10, Team SA 100-1 (predicted to finish sixth)
Cycling, women’s 4,000m team pursuit: Australia 4-10, Team SA 100-1 (predicted to finish sixth)
Hockey, men: Australia 5-10, Team SA 33-1 (seventh)
Hockey, women: England 16-10, Team SA 16-1 (fifth)
Netball: Australia 1-3, Team SA 33-1 (fifth)
Sevens rugby (men): Team SA are 18-10 favourites to beat New Zealand to the gold medal
Sevens rugby (women): Team SA are 250-1 outsiders, with Australia favourites
Swimming, men’s 100m breaststroke: Cameron van der Burgh is 25-1 (fourth favourite), with Adam Peaty the shortest-priced favourite of the Games, at 1-25.
Swimming, men’s 200m breaststroke: Ayrton Sweeney is 8-1, fifth favourite
Swimming, men’s 200m butterfly: Chad le Clos is 4-10 favourite to win the gold medal
Swimming, men’s 200m freestyle: Chad le Clos is 10-1 sixth favourite
Swimming, men’s 400m IM: Ayrton Sweeney is 10-1, tipped to win the bronze medal
Swimming, men’s 50m butterfly: Chad le Clos is 12-1 fourth favourite
Swimming, women’s 4x100m freestyle: Team SA are 50-1 fourth favourites
Team South Africa have targeted a fifth-place finish on the medals table – and the bookies have endorsed that, predicting that they will finish behind Australia, England, Canada and India, but ahead of New Zealand and Scotland.
Photo: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images