Gamblers expecting fall in Olympics medal tally for Czech team

Most Czech punters are betting on their country to win fewer medals in Beijing than at the last Olympic Games, bookies have reported. The majority of bets are for the Czech Republic to take home fewer than seven medals, a spokesperson for the betting agency Fortuna said on Tuesday. One gambler has placed a million-crown bet on the country getting three or fewer medals. At the last Olympics in Athens the Czech Republic picked up eight medals. Among the individual athletes currently receiving the most backing are canoeist Štěpánka Hilgertová, a two-time Olympic champion, and javelin world champion Barbora Špotáková.