Olympic athletics predictions and betting tips: Sprint baton can pass to Italy

Free athletics tips, best bets and analysis at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Best bet

Italy to win men's 4x100m relay
1pt 5-1 general

Holly Bradshaw's pole vault bronze lifted the spirits of the British athletics team after a largely forgettable few days at the Olympic Stadium, and the sprint relay teams could widen those smiles further.

A fit-again Dina Asher-Smith, Asha Philip and Daryll Neita – part of the quartet who won 4x100m bronze in Rio – plus Imani-Lara Lansiquot, smashed the British record in producing the fastest qualifying time for Friday's final.

But the dangers are obvious. The US qualified, as did the Swiss, who lest we forget had two participants in the women's 100m final.

Jamaica remain the short-priced favourites though. Their gold and silver medallists from the individual race – Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – didn't even have to take their tracksuits off for the heats and presumably one or both will pick up the baton come showtime.

As for the Britain's men, CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake won't have the Americans to worry about following their shambolic effort in the heats which even had the great Carl Lewis berating them as "an embarrassment".

The British four stopped the clock at 38.02, second behind Jamaica in their heat. They went through with the fifth-fastest time, also trailing China, Canada and Italy, who are going to be a genuine threat with new Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs in their quartet.

Elsewhere on the track, Laura Muir goes for gold in the 1500m where 5000m champion Sifan Hassan and Kenya's Faith Kipyegon are the favourites.

Andrew Butchart has made the men's 5000m final but lining up against him are a who's who of the world's best long-distance runners.

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