Paris Olympics 2024: Friday's eyes on medal tables and shooting events

• Robin Walter can upset Zhang in 10m Air Pistol

• GB's Amber Rutter will struggle in Skeet

• China at 7/2 can run USA close on gold medals

• Expect Tour de France, not Olympics, to determine BBC Sports Personality

• Use Betfair's Safer Gambling during the Paris 2024 Olympics

Zhang an uneasy favourite in shooting

Friday's schedule sees pre-event training in three of the 15 shooting events at Paris 2024. The big stories at the Chateauroux shooting ranges will surround Nino Salukvadze, the Georgian markswoman who is competing at her 10^th straight Olympics Games, and Vincent Hancock, the Team USA star who is aiming to win his fourth men's skeet title.

For punters, of interest on Friday is the over-supported Bowen Zhang in the Men's 10m Air Pistol. Although winning the World Championships last year, he wobbled over the line that day and can be beaten by world ranked number one, Robin Walter at 7/2.

Team GB hopes rest in the sights of Amber Rutter in the Women's Skeet. Becoming a new mum three months ago, it would be a big story if she were to triumph in Paris. At 9/2, she's not much of a betting proposition, and far better value can be found in France's Lucie Anastassiou. Ranked third in the world, she is a pig price to take the title on home soil.

Some golden value available in medal betting

Unsurprisingly, Team USA are short odds to claim the most gold medals, but their odds of 1/7 look noticeably short. USA will comfortably win more medals of assorted colours than any other country, but converting them to gold will be more difficult, whereas China look set to have a higher strike rate. USA are the most likely to top the table, but at 7/2 China are worth an interest.

Team GB may also struggle to meet expectations. Predictions are for Great Britain to claim 16 or 17 golds, but this is a big ask, with around 13 more likely. Backing Under 16.5 at 5/6 looks a solid bet.

France, on the flipside, can benefit from home advantage (both psychologically, and because host status allows competitors to pre-qualify). 5/4 to claim Over 24.5 gold medals looks good value, with France likely to be closer to 30 by the end of the Games.

Olympics not certain to supply BBC Sports Personality

In the early days of BBC Sports Personality, the Olympics was always uppermost in the minds of the voting public when choosing their annual sporting hero. Indeed, it wasn't until 1988 that Steve Davis became the first non-Olympic competitor to pick up the coveted trophy in an Olympic year.

Since then, though, things have been less predictable, with Olympic success only being a precursor to Yuletide public adulation 50 per cent of the time.

Punters would be well advised, then, to ignore Olympic hopefuls and weigh-in on the likes of Mark Cavendish at 7/1 to claim the prize in December. He's a better bet than Luke Littler at 5/1, who would become the first darts player to win, whereas the nation has picked cyclists on five previous occasions.

Now read more Paris 2024 Olympics tips and previews here.