Bookmaker William Hill closed its market on who will light the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremony on Friday after a flurry of bets on Sir Roger Bannister. Bannister, the first man ever to run inside four minutes for the metric mile, was backed in from 6-1 to even money on Thursday.
“Just a week ago we were 33-1 for Sir Roger,” Hills spokesman Rupert Adams said. “Although he was an amazing sportsman we felt that his connection was not Olympic enough. “If he does win, an awful lot of punters will be running, perhaps not four-minute miles, down to their betting shops to pick up their winnings.” Bannister, 83, ran his sub-four-minute mile in May 1954.
Earlier Thursday, Britain’s chef de mission Andy Hunt confirmed that the decision — voted on by all Team GB athletes — was unanimous. The identity will only become known at the ceremony itself and even British Olympic Association Lord Moynihan says he does not know who it will be.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I have kept out of it and I honestly don’t know,” he told reporters at the Olympic Park on Thursday.
“Andy (Hunt) has signed a confidentiality agreement and I don’t want to know, to be honest.” Until the late flurry of support for Bannister, five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave was the strong favourite.”