Paris Olympics 2024: Lyles and Thiam feature on Thursday, plus 20/1 tip in open water

• Lyles and Holloway short odds to claim golds

• KJT may struggle in strong Heptathlon field

• Mitton (15/82.88) capable of something big in Women's Shot Put

• Can USA put in safe round in Men's 4 x 100m?

• Team GB's Hayter preferred to Finucane in Velodrome

• Back 20/121.00 Katie Grimes to take open water title

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

Lyles and Holloway long odds-on

The big two finals in the Athletics on Thursday are the Men's 200m, where long odds-on favourite Noah Lyles (USA) 1/91.11 will be seeking his second gold of the Games, and the 110m Hurdles, where a similarly short-priced Grant Holloway (USA) 1/121.08 will aim to add an Olympic title to his three World titles. Both should win. But then both should have won in Tokyo, too, and neither did.

KJT will struggle against Thiam and Hall in Heptathlon

Double World Champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GB) 4/15.00 begins her attempt to add an Olympic title to her resume on Thursday, but her task will be made difficult by Nafi Thiam (BELGIUM) 8/111.73. Thiam withdrew from last year's World Championships - won by KJT - with an injury that kept her out of competition for a year, but returned at this year's European Championships to win with the third-best score of her career. Thiam will be hard to beat as she aims to win her third Olympic gold.

Rather than from KJT, Thiam's biggest challenges may come from Anna Hall (USA) 11/43.75 and Auriana Lazraq-Khlass (FRANCE) 25/126.00. 23-year-old Hall looked dominant in an early-season Heptathlon last April, before injury derailed her World Championships. If she's back to that kind of form, she's capable of breaking the 7,000-point barrier, which would almost certainly give her the win.

Those looking for a more speculative bet might favour Lazraq-Khlass. The 25-year-old improved exponentially to win a surprise silver at the recent European Championships. Buoyed by a home crowd, she might find further improvement to go close here.

Mitton to put Jackson to the test

One of the more open field events at this year's Olympics, the Women's Shot Put features favourite Chase Jackson 11/102.11, who makes her Olympic debut having won the last two World Championships. She has gone over 20 metres five times this season, winning six of the eight competitions she has entered.

Three rivals have thrown further than Jackson this year, though, including world leader Sarah Mitton (CANADA) 15/82.88. Mitton won silver at last year's World Championships and the World Indoor Championships in March, and she's one of the few competitors in this field who seem to be improving, and could conceivably take this over the 21-metre mark.

Lyles will demand USA take 4 x 100m seriously

As Thursday's heats for the Men's 4 x 100m get underway, it's remarkable to reflect on the fact that the USA have not won gold in the event since Sydney 2000, and more remarkable still, have only picked up one medal since: a silver in Athens in 2004. With Noah Lyles on a gold hunt at this year's Games, though, the USA 4/91.44 seem a little more focused, and have already posted the three fastest times this season, including a win at the World Athletics Relays in May with a team that might mirror their final line-up in Paris.

Italy 25/126.00 were the dominant force at the European Championships on home soil in June, and are probably better value to profit from any USA errors than Jamaica 12/53.40 who field a team with lots of talent but limited experience.

Back 4/15.00 Hayter to repeat World Championship wins

In the velodrome, Team GB eyes will be on 2021 and 2022 World Omnium Champion Ethan Hayter 4/15.00, who will need to compete in four events across the course of the day as he attempts to claim Olympic gold.

Hayter's biggest rival is likely to be Benjamin Thomas (FRANCE) 10/34.33, the World Champion in 2017. Thomas was fourth in Tokyo, and has been runner-up in the event at three other world championships.

The home crowd might give Thomas an advantage, but Hayter is preferred, who pulled out of the time trial at these Olympics in order to target the Omnium.

Finucane looks under odds in Women's Keirin

Emma Finucane (GB) 10/111.91 is a very short price in the Women's Keiran considering she has never won a major medal at the highly volatile discipline. Finucane is a talent, for sure, but has been beaten twice in the last two European Championships by Lea Friedrich (GERMANY) 7/18.00, who looks a huge price to take the title here.

Back Beck and Grimes to topple favourites in 10km Open Water

At the time of writing, arguments abound as to the safety of the water in the Seine, so whether the Women's Open Water 10km takes place on Thursday morning remains to be seen. Assuming it does, 2022 and 2024 world champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (NETHERLANDS) 15/82.88 goes into the event as the rightful favourite, but those odds look short.

Defending Olympic Champion Ana Marcela Cunha (BRAZIL) 4/15.00 won the last World Cup stop in May and is considered by many to be the best female open water swimmer of all time, having also won seven golds across various disciplines at World Championships. At 32 years old, though, there is a sense that a new generation of swimmers are now challenging her dominance.

With this in mind, the pairing of Leonie Beck (GERMANY) 7/18.00 and Katie Grimes (USA) 20/121.00 is preferred. Beck was World Champion in 2023 and picked up a World Cup stop in March, and 18-year-old Grimes won silver in the pool at these Games in the 400m Individual Medley and is tipped by many to become the dominant force in open water swimming in years to come.

Now read more Paris 2024 Olympics tips and previews here.