Paris Olympics 2024 Tips: Three Friday bets between 16/1 & 25/1

• East Africa could sweep the podium in 10,000m

• Keely Hodgkinson's odds continue to shorten in 800m

• South Korea to dominate mixed archery

• Eagerly-anticipated 50m Freestyle kicks off in pool

• McKeown and Marchand likely to deliver short-odds double

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

East African likely, but not certain, in Men's 10,000m

It makes sense that Joshua Cheptegai (UGANDA) (13/82.63) is favourite for the Men's 10,000m, the first track gold on offer in Paris. Former Olympic champion and three-time World Champion, he also holds the world record of 26.11, and at only 27-years-old, he may well yet have more improvement to come.

He's far from unbeatable, though. He again faces Selemon Barega (ETHIOPIA) (7/18.00), who beat him to Olympic gold on that humid night in Tokyo three years ago, and Barega is just one of a stacked field of Ethiopians and Kenyans, any of whom could win this. Yomif Keljelcha (ETHIOPIA) (5/23.50) posted the fastest time of the year when winning the Ethiopian trials in Neerja in June, and Daniel Mateiko (KENYA) (25/126.00) was similarly impressive in winning the Kenyan trials in Eugene, albeit in a more tactical race.

The East Africans of the Rift Valley are likely to fill the podium here, but Grant Fisher (USA) (20/121.00) is capable of causing a shock. He ran the ninth-fastest 10,000m of all time in 2022 and has had a winning preparation leading into these Olympics. Supporting Fisher and Mateiko to surprise the favourites is the way forward.

Hodgkinson's 800m looking increasingly skinny

Keeley Hodgkinson (GREAT BRITAIN) (1/41.25) begins her assault on Olympic 800m gold on Friday. Previewed at the start of these Olympics as a Team GB track banker, Hodgkinson has won every 800m in which she has competed this season, and recently ran a 1.54 at the London Diamond League. Those odds have shortened dramatically in the last week, though, and value seekers might prefer a speculative interest in Mary Moraa (KENYA) (10/34.33). The Kenyan athlete comes from a 400m background, and should the final be tactical, with a slow first lap, this will hand the advantage to Moraa.

Bathe in South Korean archery brilliance

At 1/51.20, they aren't much of a betting proposition, but if you like watching brilliance dominantly executed - and are perhaps looking for a short-odds addition to an accumulator - then tuning-in to see South Korea in the Mixed Gender Archery is well worth it. As previewed earlier in these Olympics, other nations are seeking to close the gap, but South Korea should still win this with ease.

50m Freestyle muscle-men eagerly anticipated

The muscle men of the pool take to the blocks for the 50m Freestyle today, and 2023 World Champion Cam McEvoy (AUSTRALIA) (10/111.91) is the favourite. Those are short odds, though, in what is one of the most storied and eagerly-anticipated contests of the Olympic programme.

Take each of the last four major championships, from Tokyo 2020 through to the 2024 World Championships, and the 50m Freestyle has provided four different winners, all of them in the lineup in Paris. Throw into the mix a returning French veteran, and not forgetting that this is the most febrile of all swimming events - where a minor technical slip ends your hope of a win - and you have quite a contest.

Caleb Dressel (USA) (16/54.20) - the reigning Olympic Champion - took eight months off from swimming in 2022 and 2023 to "prioritise his mental health and stop chasing perfection" but has returned close to his best, winning the US Trials in June in the sixth-fastest time of the season.

Ben Proud (GREAT BRITAIN) (9/25.50) won the 2022 World Championships and set the third-fastest time of this season when winning the GB Trials in April.

Vladyslav Bukhov (UKRAINE) (9/110.00) will be hoping to repeat his shock win at the 2024 World Championships. McEvoy had set the two fastest times of the year in the qualifying rounds there, but wasn't able to hold his form in the final, where Bukhov took the win from him by a hundredth of a second.

So which of these four will come out on top? Well, Cam McEvoy has consistently swam the fastest times this year, but for better value, avoiding the top four might be the play.

Florent Manaudou (FRANCE) (16/117.00) won gold in the event at London 2012 and just missed out at Rio 2016. He then decided to become a handball player (why not, I made a similar decision in 2016 when I abandoned tipping to seek an Olympic gold in fencing (just wait until Los Angeles in 2028)) before returning to the Olympics in time for Tokyo, just missing out behind Dressel to take another silver. In the French trials in June he swam the 11^th-fastest time of the year and could just cause a shock here.

McKeown and Marchand hot favourites for 200m golds

Kaylee McKeown (AUSTRALIA) (3/101.30), the 2023 World Champion, world record holder, and fastest swimmer this year, should get the better of Regan Smith (USA) (13/53.60) in her specialist event of the 200m Backstroke, and the pair have little to fear from anyone else.

And French superstar Leon Marchand (FRANCE) (1/61.17) will likely storm to another gold in the 200m Individual Medley.

Neither McKeown or Marchand are especially good value, but if you're looking for additions to a short-odds accumulator, you could a lot worse at these Olympics.

Now read more Paris 2024 Olympics tips and previews here.