The Queen has become a surprise late bet to light the Olympic cauldron, with one bookmaker slashing odds on the monarch doing the honours from 25–1 to 5–1 overnight.

Bannister and Sir Steve Redgrave remain the clear favourites, with odds hovering at close to evens. Redgrave’s gold medals at five consecutive Olympics arguably make him a safer choice in protocol terms, given that the honour is traditionally given to a sportsperson with significant history at the Games. Bannister competed at the 1952 Olympics but failed to win a medal.

Similarly medal-less is the Queen, but this has not stopped the bookmaker BetFred dropping the odds on the 86-year-old monarch igniting the cauldron in the Olympic stadium. “We’ve had about 400 bets on the Queen, and the odds have gone right from 25-1 to 5-1,” said a spokesman for the company.

Full article:
Queen Becomes Surprise Late Bet to Light Olympic Cauldron – The Guardian – July 27, 2012
By: Peter Walker
Link to The Guardian article