When most people think of International Ice Hockey they tend to think the sport is dominated by the top three teams : USA, Canada and Russia. Ice Hockey, however, especially at the more recent Winter Olympics, has seen Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic win more of the medal share than the much more fancied big three.

Of-course, Canada, with home advantage, start as early favourites. The Canadians contribute more players to the NHL than any other country, and will be looking to emulate their 2002 success. However, Winter Olympics betting enthusiasts should not overlook Sweden (who won gold in 2006 and 1994). The Swedes are the only country to win Olympic Gold and the World Championships in the same year, back in 2006. As for the Russians, they have never won Olympic Gold, their best effort was Silver in 1998. The United States face a tough task to win Olympic Gold. The USA face Canada, Norway and Switzerland, although they should beat Norway and Switzerland, I find it hard to see the USA beat Canada in their own backyard. And it will be a good barometer to test just how good this American team are, before they face tougher challenges in the quarter-finals.

If you fancy having a flutter on the Winter Olympics Mens Ice Hockey Betting, don’t forget you can earn yourself a free £25 bet from Free Betting Online.

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Obama spent a large part of his adult life growing up in the windy city and now wants to play his part in pitching Chicago 2016 to the IOC. The First Lady, Obama’s wife, Michelle, has been in Copenhagen since Wednesday, buttering up the members of the IOC prior to the Presidents arrival.

Of the other 3 competing cities, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo will also have prevalent figures representing them. King of Spain Juan Carlos, the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama will all be present and pitching to the IOC.

Rio de Janeiro will be tempting the IOC to hold the Olympics for the first time ever in the South American continent.

Madrid, who lost out to London for the 2012 Olympics has a head start of the other bidding cities with most of the venues required to host the games already built.

While Tokyo have put together a formidable pitch based around green and reusable technologies and show the World that it is not just Beijing that can put on a spectacular show.

2016 Olympic Host Betting Odds

Chicago	4/6	4/5	4/6	5/7	4/6	8/11	8/13
Rio de Janeiro	9/5	13/8	15/8	39/19	7/4	7/4	7/4
Madrid	9	14	16	42/5	9	10	10
Tokyo	22	7	8	35	25	9	12

Many may mock this as just another publicity stunt by the former glamour model intent in keeping herself within the headlines. However, I for one, would never stand in the way of someones ambition. Jordan’s appearance has probably helped the image of Horse Riding rather than hindered it. Somewhere, within this country, we have future Olympic stars who have yet to realise their dream. And that is the stuff you just can’t pass over for the sake of a few headlines.

Jordan Doing Dressage

The Olympic Board are holding talks with the 2012 Olympic Legacy Plan members to see if some venues can be moved, in order to cut costs. Sports such as shooting, equestrianism and basketball have all come under close scrutiny as to where the best place to host and build for these events. However, it is the Olympic Village, where the biggest attention will be upon. If the Government does not underwrite developers’ loans from the banks then the question must be asked : who is going to pay for all this? Of course, as normal, it will be the Taxpayer who ends up carrying the cost.

There is another plan, however, that the Olympic Committee could take. Back in 1948, when London last held the Olympic Games, the Olympic Village was nothing more than an unused war barracks. The athletes were shipped by double decker bus to the Olympic venue each day. And food was still rationed. Perhaps, we might be having similar games in 2012 if this credit crunch continues to hang around till then.

London has a great opportunity to have a party but also make it fun as well. There is no point in even attempting to keep-up-with-the-joneses attitude because London, never mind the UK could afford that extraordinary budget that Beijing was allowed to spend on throwing the Olympics. No, London has to think on a smaller more personal scale. If they win the hearts and minds of people by allowing the 2012 Olympics to come across as a fun filled games then, perhaps, London might climb out of Beijings shadow.

You just know that the opening ceremony will be different, with all that talent to pull from in London’s West End we’re bound to come up with a good singing and dancing number. Heck if all else fails we know we can just throw a few rock and pop artists in there, perhaps even call it Band Aid 4 and kill 2 birds with the one stone.

Here is London’s 2012 Olympic Video as used in Beijing’s closing Ceremony

Is Funding the Answer to British Olympic Gold Success?

The true spirit of the Olympics surely has its origins in the Platonic notion of the importance of the development of the body as a necessary part of personal growth. The original Olympic sports were designed to test the strength and stamina of individuals and provided an excellent standard for individuals to reach. Nothing has changed on this front and that’s what’s happening today. It’s about individual triumph and not a measure of a country’s potency.

The medals table does, however, have two useful purposes. The first is that it enables a country to justify to its electorate the amount of funding provided by the state for the development of sport. There have been a number of articles in the press recently about how increased funding, since the last Olympics, has helped the development of athletics, cycling and swimming in our country. Olympic betting enthusiasts will be forgiven for wryly thinking ‘what a surprise!’. Expect more spending after the current Olympic successes.

Team GB and the Aussie Complex

The other use for the medals table is to be able to go up to Australian acquaintances and casually say ‘I see Great Britain are number three in the table. Where’s Australia again? Oh yeah, number five. Oh well, better luck next time, tee hee’.

Just kidding, we love ‘em really.

When you look back at previous Olympics there is a gradual development in team GB’s medal haul. Back in Barcelona 92, team GB had a woeful games and finished in 13th place with 5 golds. Things got even worse in Atlanta 96 with Team GB scraping in at 35th with a solitary Gold Medal. Sydney 2000 saw the rot stop as Team GB finished in a respectable 10th position with 11 Gold medals. And finally in Athens 04 we again cemented ourselves with tenth position again with 9 golds.

Team GB Past Olympic Gold Tables

Venue	Team GB’s Medals	Overall Medal Position
	Gold : 5 Silver : 3 Bronze : 12	Rank : 13th
Barcelona 92
	Gold : 1 Silver : 8 Bronze : 6	Rank : 35th
Atlanta 96
	Gold : 11 Silver : 10 Bronze : 7	Rank : 10th
Sydney 00
	Gold : 9 Silver : 9 Bronze : 12	Rank : 10th
Athens 04
So Far in Beijing as of Day 11
	Gold : 15 Silver : 8 Bronze : 8	Rank : 3rd
Beijing 08

What’s the secret behind our success? The majority of the sports where we have dominated involved sitting : Cycling, rowing, sailing, horse riding and canoe. Coincidence? Perhaps, perhaps not!

What Price to Pay for Olympic Success

Fellow sports betting enthusiasts know there is every excuse to take the latter view in the four year period between each Olympiad. A pompous and powerful committee presides over the granting of the right to host the games and huge amounts of cash, expended by hopeful nations in the grovelling effort to establish their worthiness just to be considered, causes many a jaundiced eye to be cast over the proceedings. The winning nation then has to spend the equivalent of the gross national product of Sri Lanka to build the site where they will be held.

Olympic Spirit

Then, sometime after the absurdly extravagant opening ceremony, costing the same as the gross national product of Egypt, the moment arrives when the athletes convene on the playing field and the games begin. As if by magic, all cynicism is suddenly washed away and our hearts go out to all these individuals, regardless of nationality, as we share their pain and hopes and aspirations in their ultimate moment of reckoning. Here is laid bare the true nature of the Olympics. The absolute trials and tribulations. The sheer joy on the faces of the triumphant as the sacrifices they have made are rewarded and the dues they have paid are returned to them in full. In this it becomes clear that the Olympics are unquestionably an unqualified affirmation of the potential of the human spirit.

Team GB’s Gold Medal Winners and Impressive Performances

Who can forget Nicole Cooke’s breathtaking victory in treacherous wet conditions to win Gold in the women’s cycling 126km road race.

The Saunders brothers – whose names most boxing betting fans will be familiar with and are boxing for Team GB have looked really impressive in their opening bouts. Bradley Saunders stopped his Ghanian opponent with a thunderous rib shot that left the Ghanianon the floor for about 5 minutes. Billy Joe Saunders was also impressive defeating Turkey’s Adem Kilicci, a former bronze medal winner by 14 – 3.

Rebecca Adlington became the first woman to win Gold for Team GB in the swimming pool for over 48 years. It was a truly stunning victory and also adds to morale as Jo Jackson took the bronze in the woman’s 400m freestyle.

David Florence wins Silver in the Men’s Slalom Canoe, being pipped for Gold by the last man down, still it is our first medal in this event for 16 years.

I’m sure Team GB’s good early start will inspire the rest of the British olympians to aim for Gold in their individual and team events. Let’s hope so. It’s been a great start and long may it continue.

But once the showy bit is over, the games begin in earnest and sports betting fans are scrutinising the many events with a keen eye for our own medal chances which this time are expected to yield our best ever tally, exceeding the total of 30 won four years ago in the Athens games. Of course, the medal tables themselves are the source of much sports betting activity but where are the top honours going to come from this time around? One hot favourite for gold is Phillips Odowu in the triple jump. He has already achieved gold in the World Indoor Athletics this year and he appears to be reaching his peak performance levels at just the right time.

Team GB on The Lookout for Gold

Keep an eye on the cycling events where British teams and individuals are strongly tipped to reap a healthy crop of top honours. William Fox-Pitt and Mark King lead a strong equestrian team and you can always bank on the Brits when it comes to both rowing and sailing. Rebecca Adlington will almost certainly achieve gold in the 400m and 800m freestyle swimming.

Gold will undoubtedly come from the shooting team which is traditionally strong but here’s also a healthy crop of silver and bronze within reach of the Great Britain team and a final medal total in the upper thirties is entirely within reach. With sixteen days of top class events, olympic betting fans are going to have the time of their lives.