Saturday's Olympic Games predictions: Ireland's hockey team can start with win

Three things to watch out for in the Olympic Games on Saturday.

Best bet

Ireland to beat South Africa in women's hockey
2pts 8-11 bet365

Ireland's women's hockey team at are their first Olympics but they were runners-up in the last World Cup and should beat South Africa, who they saw off in three straight games in February 2020.

Jones going for the hat-trick

Taekwondo from 2am Sunday

Great Britain's Jade Jones will begin her quest for a third gold medal in the women's 57kg category, although she will have to see who qualifies to face her in her first bout.

She is odds-on in places but Hills go 11-8 that she will be able to complete her hat-trick.

The market suggests that Lee Ah-Reum from South Korea will be the 28-year-old Welsh star's biggest threat. She is available at 4-1, having beaten Jones in the semi-finals on the way to victory in the World Championships in her home country four years ago.

Slalom looks an open affair

Canoeing from 5am Sunday

The men's canoe slalom looks like being one of the most open events in the first few days of competition.

Germany's Sideris Tasiadis, who was fifth in Rio, leads the market but Slovenian Benjamin Savsek is not far behind at 7-2.

Matej Benus from Slovakia, who won silver in Rio, is 4-1 while bronze medalist and home favourite Takuya Haneda is available at 14-1.

Tasiadis has said he believes at least ten competitors are capable of winning a medal, and Britain's Adam Burgess, who was world junior champion in 2015, will be hopeful of outrunning odds of 22-1.

Featherweights enter the fray

Boxing from 9.15am Saturday

Britain have two boxing medal hopes in early action on Saturday morning in the two featherweight divisions.

Karriss Artingstall, who won silver at the 2019 European championships and bronze at that year's worlds, is 9-1 for glory and starts her bid against Botswana's Keamogetse Sadie Kenosi.

Meanwhile, in the men's section, Liverpool's Peter McGrail is fourth favourite at 17-2 and the 25-year-old Commonwealth Games champion takes on Thailand's Chatchi-Decha Butdee.

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