Tokyo Tips: Day 14 – Friday 6th August

Ladbrokes is not a sponsor of the Olympic Games, any Olympic Committees or teams.

Japanese favourite Kawano may only be 22 but his talent in this event is undeniable and I’ll back him to take gold in his home event.

The world number five set a national record of 3:36.45 back in 2019 and has been eying off this event since he switched to this event from long distance running.

With his pedigree he will be tough to beat on his home track.

For so many reasons, this match is not going to live up to the hype that a normal football tournament final would.

To begin with, it’s being played at 11:00am local time, in the searing heat that comes with that time of day because NBC just assumed Team USA would make it and they would want it shown in primetime back home.

Secondly, it’s a final and neither team will want to screw up the start of the game so badly that they lose it in the first quarter of an hour.

Finally, it’s been a gruelling tournament and this will be the sixth match in the space of 16 days for both Sweden and Canada.

I’ll back the Swedes to come away with the gold medal as they are just a better side than Canada, and the Canadians played their final knocking off the USA in the previous round.

We might not get many highlights from this but the celebrations will be just as enthusiastic at the fulltime whistle.

Count out the Aussie girls at your own peril, they have been very impressive in their run to the gold medal match.

Not to mention this will be the fourth time they have faced the American duo this year, having taken two of the three meetings in Cancun earlier this year.

I’ll back the girls with the momentum to take it to the favourites and spring an upset for another Aussie gold.

The ageless wonder that is Allyson Felix will be going for her fifth individual medal having taken three silvers and a gold in her previous four Games.

She qualified in 49.89 and if she produce a run close to her 49.51 silver medal effort from Rio she will be in the mix once again.

While our market has this as a three horse race, I’m willing to back the story and see her make it five individual medals from five games.

Hassan is looking to complete the second part of a miraculous treble when she takes to the track in the 1500m.

While we would all love to see the Aussie duo of Jessica Hull and Linden Hall take a gold-silver double, Hassan is not the runner you want to back against.

After her spectacular recovery in the heats of this event on Monday to not only qualify but win that qualifier and then win the 5000m that night, shows just how quick she can go.

At her current price Hassan looks like a steal and I’ll back her to take out the gold medal.