*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Ireland have high hopes of bringing home medals from the 2020 Olympics this summer and not all of them rest on Mr Chunky. That’s the horse equestrian rider Padraig McCarthy will hope to steer to at least an eventing bronze in Tokyo.
New to Paddy Power?
Thankfully Mr Chunky isn’t the only medal hope for the Irish this summer. Indeed, the Olympics betting odds are hotting up as we near the world’s most iconic sporting festival – and Ireland have some very real medal hopes.
The Irish won two silver medals at the 2016 Games and are yet to better the haul of six earned in 2012 in London. Can they return from Japan with gold, silver and bronze in the bag? Here, Paddy Power examines three viable medal hopes for the summer…
Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy – Rowing
Men’s Lightweight Double Skulls
If Ireland are to win a gold medal at these Games it’s likely to come from these two. Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have rowed together for years and were down to compete last summer before the Games were postponed 12 months. The pair were crowned lightweight double skulls world champions in Ottensheim in 2019 and backed up their domination of the event with a gold at the 2021 European Championships in April.
O’Donovan is three years older than McCarthy and actually has previous Olympic experience. Indeed, he won silver in this lightweight doubles event in 2016 with brother Gary O’Donovan.
Elsewhere in the rowing, Sanita Puspure is second-favourite to win the Women’s Single Skulls and could well claim a silver medal, while Ronan Byrne and Daire Lynch are pitched in the Men’s Double Skulls as second-favourites also.
Kellie Harrington – Boxing
60kg Lightweight
There are few more feared boxers heading to Tokyo this summer than Kellie Harrington. The Dublin native edged Great Britain’s Caroline Dubois in a split decision to win gold at a Tokyo Olympics European qualifier event earlier this year and book her spot on the plane to Japan.
Harrington boasts a handful of European medals and won her first World Championships gold in 2018 in New Delhi. She fought at Lightweight that year and has also claimed a European Games silver medal since. Harrington is currently ranked sixth in the world and could well be on for a bronze or better this summer.
Olympics betting guides
- Olympics tips: Paddy’s complete guide to betting on the Games
- Olympics tips: Paddy Power’s guide to the 5 new sports in 2021
- Olympics tips: Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s 5 best gold medal hopes
- Olympics tips: How to bet on medal table when USA will likely win
- Olympics tips: Best bets for 2021 football tournament at Tokyo Games
- Olympics tips: 5 rowing best bets for Tokyo 2020 Games
- Olympics tips: 3 athletics best bets for track and field action at Tokyo 2020
The Paddy Power Guide To Responsible Gambling – Everything You Need To Know
