Beijing Olympics 2008 Betting
The Olympic Games have to be one of the highlights of the sports betting calendar, bringing together millions of viewers and fans of a good range of sports, including track and field events, rowing, and tennis. The Summer Olympics are held once every four years, with 2008 being the year for Beijing. The Winter Olympics occur in in-between years and will next be held in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.
The Beijing games will begin in China's capital city on the 8th August.
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics betting
After all the hype, politics and fevered anticipation, the 2008 Olympic Games is finally here and Athletics Betting fans can now relax and feast on an extravaganza of betting opportunities in this, the most exciting highlight of the sports betting calendar. The Olympics consists of 302 events in 28 sports held over a period of sixteen days. Sports too numerous to list in full are represented at the Olympics but, in addition to the traditional games, the Beijing event sees the debut of BMX cycling, a 3000m steeplechase for women and marathon swimming events for both men and women.
The two hundred or so countries participating in the Olympics fiercely covet their place in the final medals table and Britain is no exception. Betting on the games is not just about the outcome of the individual events but also extends to the medals won overall by each country as well as most gold, most silver and most bronze. In 2004 we were eighth in the final tally but, in Beijing, British coaches hope to jump two places to sixth. Great Britain will take 313 athletes to the games while China has 639, the USA, 596 and Russia, 467. Our best hope for gold is Paula Radcliffe in the marathon. We will struggle in athletics but Alan Willis in the archery, Amir Khan in boxing, canoeist, Tim Brabants and divers, Tom Daley and Blake Aldridge are all worth watching. We should continue to do well in the rowing and shooting and good old Andy Murray will be looking good in the tennis after this weeks sensational Cincinnati results.
The programme of events is a complicated one and Online Betting enthusiasts are advised to consult one of the many sites offering a clear outline of the various heats and events that precede the finals. Many online betting sites will offer guidance and advice as well as free bets to new customers. On top of that there are stacks of sites offering all manner of inside information and gossip to help you on your way..
Origin of the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games originate from Greece and were first held in 776 BC. The Games, as we know them now, were introduced by the Baron de Coubertin in 1894 with the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Baron saw them as a way of bringing nations together in brotherly harmony to demonstrate their strengths on the sports field rather than the battle field. The event then grew and grew until today it can be truly described as a global event with almost every country in the world having its own Olympic Committee. With the advent of satellite communications most of the world’s population is able to watch their team performing on television.
The Olympics draws all the top athletes in the world and records set here are truly the best that can currently be achieved. Many existing ones will be broken as new horizons are set by athletes who progressively grow stronger each year and benefit from advanced training techniques and dietary plans as well as having access to the latest developments in both equipment and clothing. The events certainly demand the absolute peak of performance from people who have devoted their lives to reaching for the absolute pinnacle of perfection within their sport.
It looks like betting will be as strong for the Beijing games as it was in Athens in 2004. We"ll have more information on markets as it becomes available, but expect standard win markets and medal markets for men and womens events plus a variety of specials like the number of medals to be won by individual nations.
The Olympic Games truly represent the cream of international sport as men and women compete in some 28 of the world's top sports. The games have been running since 1896, when they were first hosted in Athens, the spiritual home of the Olympics. They returned to Athens in 2004, when Great Britain was lucky to walk away with 9 gold medals. Let's see if we can do as well this time round.
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