Athletics Championship Betting: Tatyana Lebedeva can take a huge leap for our Betfair balance

Athletics / Robin Adams / 23 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Tatyana Lebedeva's results haven't been as good as some this year but she's one for the big occasions.

"Finally, the US should clean up in both the 4 x 400m relays, but I’ll take Team Britain to be on the podium in both finals."

It's the last day of the Athletics World Championship and with the USA looking too strong for everyone in the two 4x100 relays, Robin Adams focusses his attentions on the women's long jump.

The women's 1500m final appears a match between Maryam Yusuf Jamal [2.2] and Gelete Burka [3.35] and of the pair, current world champion Jamal makes most appeal. Britain's Lisa Dobriskey can gain Britain's fifth medal with a podium position, priced up at [1.95].

My best bet amongst the women's events today is for current World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Tatyana Lebedeva [6.2] to win the Long Jump final. She is some way behind American Brittney Reese [4.7] and Brazil's Maurren Higa Maggi [2.24] in the 2009 world rankings; however Lebedeva tends to rise to the occasion and looks the value wager to take the gold.

I like the shape of the men's 800m final where Yusuf Saad Kamel [2.24] has been well supported to follow up his 1500m gold medal and do the middle distance 'double'. Much as I rate Kamel, I think he'll have his work cut out here against some specialist two-lappers and I prefer Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy [5.7] and the Moroccan Amine Laalou [9.0] both of whom have clocked faster times this year. I'll also take America's Nick Symmonds at [5.4] to finish on the podium.

Finally, the US should clean up in both the 4 x 400m relays, but I'll take Team Britain to be on the podium in both finals. The women ([2.66]) have to overcome Jamaica and Russia to take home a medal and the men's team ([1.33]) have simply to get the baton round, which has admittedly proved an issue in the past.