Men’s 1500m Speed Skating Pick
Which skater will come away with gold in the Men’s 1500m speed skating event when the competition is held early Tuesday morning?
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Kjeld Nuis is the favorite to win this event, as he has +120 to win. Other short odds to win are Koen Verweij (+150) and Sverre Lunde Pedersen (+800).
Nuis is a 28-year-old Dutch skater that is seeking his first Olympic medal. He is the 2017 World Champions in the 1500m and he finished second in 2016. His best time in the event is 1:42.14, which he skated in 2015.
Verweij is a 27-year-old Dutch skater that is looking to follow up a silver medal in the 2014 games with a gold on Tuesday morning. He has never claimed a world championship of any kind in this event, but has a PR of 1:41.63, which he skated in December.
Pedersen is a 25-year-old skater from Norway that has already won a bronze in these Olympics in the 5000m. That event is his specialty, as he hasn’t had much success on the world stage in the 1500m. His PR is 1:43.08, which he recorded in 2015.
This looks like it will be a race between the two Dutch skaters and I give the edge to Verwij. He has had the faster times in more recent skates and has some Olympic success already, so competing in the final shouldn’t rattle him. If you are looking for a skater with longer odds, American Joey Mantia has +1400 odds. He has a lot of skating experience on ice and road, succeeding in both. His PR is 1:42.45, which is right in the mix with some of the best in this event.
WINTER OLYMPICS PREDICTION: KOEN VERWEIJ +150