Switzerland’s Melanie Meillard Is Out Of The Olympics
The Swiss ski team is poised to medal frequently during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, but now they’ll be missing one of their top athletes. Switzerland’s Melanie Meillard is out of the Olympics after tearing the ACL in her left knee during a fall in practice on Thursday. Meillard, who currently sits in 6th place in the World Cup slalom rankings (behind leader Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA), was thought to be one of Shiffrin’s main rivals heading into the Olympics. That said, while Shiffrin’s Bovada odds to win the Giant Slalom sit at +185, Meillard was well down the board at +10000 before her injury. Meillard was expected to place better in the regular Slalom, where she was carrying +4000 odds to Shiffrin’s dominant -400.
Bear in mind, right now at legal sites for olympic betting odds like Bovada, Meillard is still listed on the betting boards in both of her disciplines, so make sure you don’t wager on her (even though most books would likely refund any new bets on Meillard posted since news of her injury broke). To their credit, Bet365 has already removed Meillard from their boards.
Unfortunately, Melanie Meillard is likely not the last athlete that will suffer a Games-ending injury during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and bettors should remember to always keep an eye on the news so they can modify their wagers accordingly. And, since many disciplines have untelevised qualifiers and trials, it’s especially important to stay on top of the Olympics injury reports, as most injuries tend to happen during practice sessions and not during the Games events themselves.