Best bets and predictions for day six of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Ben can make his country Proud

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Best bets for day six

Ben Proud to win 50m freestyle
1pt 5-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Sift Kaur Samra to win women's 50m rifle 3
1pt 33-1 bet365

Joris Daudet to win men's BMX race
1pt 7-4 bet365

Paris 2024 Olympics day six predictions

Swimming predictions

Starts 10am
By Ian Wilkerson

Four swimming events start the path to gold on Thursday and by far the most competitive is the men's 50m freestyle, where Great Britain's Ben Proud has a great chance of topping the podium.

Much of the attention will be on American Caeleb Dressel, who collected his eighth gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay earlier in the week, as he takes on market leader Cameron McEvoy from Australia.

However, Proud can consider himself a live chance as he looks to improve on the fourth he took at the shortest distance in Rio eight years ago and his fifth in Tokyo last time.

The Londoner posted a time of 21.25, his third fastest ever, in this year's British trials, which McEvoy beat at this year's world championships in Doha but only marginally.

With just one length of the pool to cover, it looks an open competition and, at 5-1, Proud could cause a surprise and win another British gold in the pool.

Shooting predictions

Starts 11am
By Ian Wilkerson

Great Britain's Seonaid McIntosh is set to go off as favourite in the women's 50m rifle 3, but there could be a strong challenge from Indian world-record holder Sift Kaur Samra, whose claims are not regarded highly by bookmakers.

Sift took McIntosh's world record on her way to victory at this year's Asian Games, where shooters take aim from kneeling, prone and standing positions.

McIntosh deserves favouritism in an open heat after World Cup victories in Baku and Munich, but Sift finished third in the German leg and looks more than just a lively outsider for gold at a hefty price of 33-1.

BMX predictions

Starts 7pm
By Ian Wilkerson

Just 24 competitors go for glory in the BMX racing - the semi-finals and final take place on Friday - and Great Britain's Tokyo silver medallist Kye White will fancy his chances of going one better this time after his conqueror in Japan, Niek Kimmann from the Netherlands, pulled out after developing a heart-muscle injury.

However, this is a stacked field with three hopefuls from Colombia with live medal chances, while France will be quietly confident that they can fill the podium with the last two world champions, Joris Daudet and Romain Mahieu among their ranks.

Preference is for favourite Daudet, who has collected 12 medals over the last 14 years in the world championships and knows how to perform on the biggest stage.

He should also benefit from huge and loud home support if the crowds at the freestyle events over the last couple of days are anything to go by.

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