Paris Olympics 2024 Tips: Back 11/2 Jepchirchir in Marathon for Olympic climax

• Fascinating Women's Marathon will be a thriller

• Emily Campbell can win weightlifting medal for Team GB

• USA no certainty against France in Women's Basketball

• Ota 7/18.00 looking for redemption in Men's Keiran

• Back Emma Finucane 11/82.38 to claim Women's Sprint

• Australia's Giorgia Baker has versatility for Women's Omnium

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

Thrilling Women's Marathon to be climax of Games

Starting at 07:00 British time, organisers have left the best until last: the Women's marathon is arguably the most fascinating contest we will have seen over the three weeks of this Olympics.

Run over the same ridiculously hilly course that the men faced on Saturday, not only are the best women showing up to compete, but they are competing over a course different to anything they would usually encounter.

This means times will be slow, so despite the fact that 80 women in history have now run under 2.20 for the marathon, it's entirely likely this Olympics will follow the pattern of previous ones, where the winner has never dipped under that mark.

The 2.11.53 world record of Tigist Assefa (ETHIOPIA) 9/25.50, then, set when she won the Berlin Marathon last September, is not at risk. And neither is the second-fastest best of all time, the 2.13.44 set by Sifan Hassan (NETHERLANDS) 15/82.88 when winning Chicago in October.

Hassan already has two bronze medals from these games, from running the 5,000m and 10,000m. Much is being made of the fatigue this will cause Hassan, but it's worth remembering that marathon runners will typically train two or three times each day, running more than 100 miles each week, so running three track races in a week leading up to a marathon - whilst difficult because of their intensity - will not have a significant effect on Hassan's performance on Sunday morning. Given her track speed, in what will likely be a tactical affair, she is the most likely winner, although her odds are unattractive.

Hassan shares favouritism with Hellen Obiri (KENYA) 15/82.88, the double world champion at 5,000m. After a lacklustre debut at the New York Marathon in 2022, she went on to win her next three Marathons, twice in Boston and once in New York. Her cross-country background means she will also adapt to this course. Those odds are again short, though.

Peres Jepchirchir (KENYA) 11/26.50 perhaps represents better value than the market leaders. The winner in London in April - beating Assefa, Jepkosgei, and Megertu Alemu (ETHIOPIA) 7/18.00 - she is also the defending Olympic champion, winning in Sapporo in 2.27.20 in the early morning at high temperatures. Jepchirchir is preferred to 2022 New York Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi (KENYA) 9/110.00.

Back Emily Campbell 4/51.80 to medal in Weightlifting

Team GB will be hopeful of a late medal in the Women's +81kg Weightlifting with Emily Campbell 19/120.00, who won silver in Tokyo and at the last World Championships, and is four time European champion. Gold is likely out of reach for Campbell, as Li Wenwen (CHINA) 1/40 looks dominant. Wenwen won the 2022 World Championships in Bogota, outlifting her rivals in both the Snatch and Clean & Jerk, and although missing the 2023 competition, showed she retains her best form when winning the Asian Championships.

Backing Campbell to win a medal at 4/51.80, though, looks value. Her Clean & Jerk nearly matches that of Wenwen, so her Snatch will be key. Provided she lifts somewhere near her best of 124kg in the discipline, a medal should be hers.

USA no certainty for Women's Basketball gold

France look value at 13/114.00 to cause a shock and win the Women's Basketball gold. The USA may be gunning for their eighth consecutive Olympic title, but although they have looked dominant throughout these Olympics, reaching the final undefeated, France have been similarly impressive, only losing once - to Australia in the group stages - but looking strong in the knockout phase, despite needing overtime to beat Belgium and take their place in the final.

France's defence has been impressive during this competition. They forced 22 turnovers against Belgium and can make things difficult for USA 1/251.04, who have not yet faced a team (and crowd) that will bring this intensity.

Ota can surprise Lavreysen in Men's Keirin

In the velodrome, it's hard to look past Harrie Lavreysen (NETHERLANDS) 4/71.57 in the Men's Keiran. Matt Richardson (AUSTRALIA) 11/26.50 did his best to compete with the Dutch phenom in the sprint final, but to no avail, and Jack Carlin (GB) 15/28.50 has looked inexperienced at these Olympics.

A speculative bet on Kaiya Ota (JAPAN) 8/19.00 may be worthwhile, though. He was unlucky not to progress through to the latter stages of the sprint and can claim redemption in what is always a febrile event.

Team GB's Finucane to add 11/82.38 gold late on

Emma Finucane (GB) 11/82.38 can add a second gold to her tally in the Women's sprint. Her inexperience was evident in the Keiran final, but this is an event she knows well, having won the world title in Glasgow in it last August. She should have the power and tactical nous to get the better of Lea Friedrich (GERMANY) 3/14.00 and Keiran winner Ellesse Andrews (NEW ZEALAND) 7/24.50.

Open Women's Omnium may not go way of Kopecky

Laying claim to being the best road cyclist in the world in recent seasons, Lotte Kopecky (BELGIUM) 13/102.30 is well-suited to the demands of the Omnium and will be hard to beat. She should have the better of Ally Wollaston (NEW ZEALAND) 9/52.80 and Jennifer Vallente (USA) 21/10. Those odds are not especially generous, though, in what is a volatile discipline.

Preference is for Giorgia Baker (AUSTRALIA) 12/113.00, who won silvers at the World Championships in both the Points Race and Madison, showing she has the versatility to do well here.

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