Weir to join Bolt and Blake in 200m Jamaican Olympic clean sweep

Jamaica look assured of gold and silver in the men’s 200m final, but Warren Weir can provide them with the clean sweep by taking bronze.

Weir is 4/1 in the market without the big two and although he faces stern competition in what looks like a tight race for bronze, he has shown enough through the heats and semi finals to suggest he can take third.

Six of the eight finalists have dipped under the 20.00secs barrier this season, with Weir setting his personal best of 19.99secs at the Jamaican Olympic trials, where he took third behind Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt.

It is inconceivable that this pair will not fill the first two positions in London, with Blake a potentially tempting 4/1 to take gold by upsetting Bolt as he did in the trials.

However, from a betting perspective it is who will win in the market without Bolt and Blake that offers the most interest and Weir has arguably looked the most relaxed in progressing to the final.

Jamaica have only ever won three men’s 200m Olympic medals heading into London, but their chances of doubling this tally are enhanced by the fact that the US achieved a clean sweep as recently as 2004 in Athens.

Wallace Spearmon is their only hope of a medal this time, but the fact he can be slow in the first 100m could cost him a medal.

The same is true of France’s Christophe Lemaitre and there have to be doubts as to whether this duo can make up enough ground in the closing yards to potentially gain a bronze.

Spearmon is the 6/4 favourite in the market without Bolt and Blake and Lemaitre is 9/4 in the same market.

Therefore, the big rival for Weir may prove Churandy Martina at 7/2, who has been running consistently around the 20.00secs mark this season and will have gained confidence from finishing sixth in the 100m final.

Arguably the 200m is his preferred event.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.