Winter Olympics Betting: Brit Watch Day 1

Britwatch / Dan Fitch / 12 February 2010 / Leave a comment

Ed Drake has a very messy bedroom.

Let's face it, the only British Winter Olympians you've ever heard of are Eddie 'The Eagle and Torvill & Dean. Dan 'The Betting Man' Fitch is here to educate you on British hopes in Vancouver.

"Team GB still has a strong presence in Vancouver and if you can get over the fact that each and every one of them comes from the sort of over-privileged background that saw them swanking off to St. Moritz every school holiday, then they need your support."

Whilst we're waiting for Boris Johnson to do something to embarrass the nation during the opening ceremony at 2012, the Winter Olympics has arrived to serve as a well-chilled aperitif.

Well actually, Vancouver isn't that chilled at the moment, which is why they've been struggling to find enough snow for the competitors to plummet down mountains on. For you winter sports laymen out there, the need for snow is the chief reason why the Winter Olympics aren't ever held in places such as the Maldives.

No one thought that the usually snowy Canada would be struggling to get hold of the white stuff. If only they'd asked for some of ours back in December, when the nation came to a standstill, due to our snow to grit imbalance.

Traditionally, we don't get much snow in Britain, which is why we're not one of the stronger nations when it comes to alpine sports. When it does come, we like nothing better than mucking about in it, but unfortunately there are no official Olympic events for sliding down hills on car doors, or making snowmen that are engaged in depraved sexual practices.

Yet Team GB still has a strong presence in Vancouver and if you can get over the fact that each and every one of them comes from the sort of over-privileged background that saw them swanking off to St. Moritz every school holiday, then they need your support.

In action today is Ed Drake in the Alpine Skiing - Men's Downhill event. You can only bet on him to win, by selecting Any Other at [9.2] from the market, which gives you a rough indication of the sort of remote chance he has of getting a medal.

Still, Ed is taking part in all five of the Alpine events, so he's at least being made to earn his money. His best event is the Super-G.

There's no point pretending that one of the major attractions of the winter games isn't the potential for people to fall arse over tit. Speed skating is especially good for that sort of thing, but let's hope that we're not all laughing at Anthony Douglas, who is in action in the Men's 1500m Short Track.

Again, the only way you can have a bet on him now is to go via the Any Other route, but rest assured that if the Brits get anywhere near the final, then they will be available for you to put your patriotic pounds on.

The Ladies 500m Speed Skating also sees Sarah Lindsay and Elise Christie representing team GB.

In the Men's Luge, Britain's Adam Rosen competes in the men's singles, having broken his hip at the Whistler track last October.

Finally, you might think that the Ladies Moguls is a reference to that sour-faced woman off Dragon's Den, but it's actually a Freestyle Skiing event, where 18-year-old Ellie Koyander represents Britain.

I'll be back with more Brit Watching tomorrow.

Tags: ed drake, Ellie Koyander, great britain winter olympics, team gb, vancouver betting, winter olympics betting