Friday, 10 August 2012

2012 Olympics - Women's 1500m


In an event where four different women hold the four fastest times in the world this year, and 14 different women are responsible for the top 16 times, it’s hard to get too enthusiastic about a 4/9 favourite, despite how impressive Areba Aregawi has been so far this year. Aregawi, who has made her name by beating Genzebe Dibaba twice this year, running sub 4 minutes on one occasion, beat Turkey's Gamze Bulut, Russian Tatyana Tomashova, Bahrain's Maryam Yusuf Jamal and Kenya's Hellen Onsando Obir in her semis in impressive style, but is too short to consider seriously here. Asil Cakir Alpetkin (pictured) is less than half a second behind but is 5/1 compared to 4/9, which seems to be a no brainer.

Russian Club Championships Silver medallist Ekaterina Kostetskaya (3:59.28) felt that she lacked the tactical nous for this a year ago – which is why she didn’t take part in this last year – and is an interesting contender for the third medal, while Britain’s Lisa Dobriksey has a medal chance – she’s 3rd favourite - although she would want an ‘all out gallop’ to be getting seriously involved here.

Gamze Bulut – just 19 – ran a screamer to post a lifetime best when making it through her final and has a medal chance, with the second fastest time of them all coming into this, for all that her best is significantly below others.

Of the others, World indoor 3000m champion Helen Obiri has run sub 4 minutes this year and her 3:59.68 in Rome is part of the reason she’s ranked 4th in the Diamond League this season, although there’s a problem that it’s her only sub 4 minute time this season and she was well held at the worlds, which is the same thing that puts one off Morgan Unceny.


Advice

1 pt Asil Akpekin (5/1 Bodog, 9/2 general) 

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