Men's Olympics 100m Predictions: Top Contenders & Latest Odds
- Written by David Bet
The 100m sprint is one of the highlights of the 2024 Olympic Games this summer. The gold medal in the men’s 100m at the last Olympics in Tokyo went to Italy courtesy of Marcell Jacobs’ shock victory. Will the Italian retain his title? Who are the top contenders? Read here our betting preview, including predictions, latest odds and sign-up offers!
Top bookmakers to bet on the Olympic Games
Bet £10
Get £30 in Free Bets
Men's Olympics 100m Top Contenders
Noah Lyles
Triple world champion at Budapest 2023 on the 100, 200 and 4x100, the twenty-seven-year-old American sprinter until a couple of years ago was considered almost unbeatable only on the half lap of the track, where moreover at Tokyo 2021 he was overtaken by both the Canadian De Grasse and his compatriot Kenny Bednarek. Nowadays he has also gained great confidence on the fastest race where he boasts the third best annual performance with 9"81, made in London in the last meeting of the Diamond League before the Olympics, showing an extraordinary condition with his usual devastating acceleration that follows a start where he notoriously tends to lose something. Certainly the great favorite for his technical skills combined with great experience in the most important events.
- Win Chance: 35%
- Podium Probability: 90%
- Best Odds: 13/8 with 10bet
Kishane Thompson
The winner of the Jamaican Trials, ahead of his fellow countryman Oblique Seville, with the best time of the season 9"77 as his personal best. His limit should be the fact that he is making his absolute debut in a major international event, as well as the fact that he has only been running the 100 meters with a certain continuity since last year. We back him to be a finalists considering the condition shown in recent times, with good chances to make the podium too.
- Chance of winning: 40%
- Podium Probability: 90%
- Best odds: 11/8 with Boylesports
To Win Men's 100m
Kishane Thompson 11/8Bet
Oblique Seville
A 23-year-old Jamaican sprinter, constantly growing in the panorama of the discipline that took a few years to reorganize in his country after the retirement of the myth Usain Bolt. He is fresh from two fourth places in the 100-meter finals at the world championships in both Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023, which combined with his annual best time of 9"82 which puts him in the ranking just behind Lyles.
- Chance of winning: 5%
- Final Probability: 60%
- Podium Probability: 30%
- Best odds: 10/1 with BetMGM
Marcell Jacobs
The 2024 season of the twenty-nine-year-old Italian sprinter has been rather shortened, with the obvious aim of saving physical and nervous energy to arrive at the crucial event of the year in the best condition. His personal best this season is 9"92, which earned him the 13th world time, was obtained in Turku in Finland with ideal environmental situations. The 2021 Olympic Gold has demonstrated in recent years that he is a master in crucial circumstances and therefore, despite the competitive logic dictates not to include him among the possible candidates for the podium, in the final act he could always have some, albeit minimal, chance of reserving a big surprise in this sense.
- Chance of winning: 5%
- Final Probability: 50%
- Podium Probability: 15%
- Best odds: 40/1 with Betfair
To Win Men's 100m
Marcell Jacobs 40/1Bet
Akani Simbine
A 30-year-old South African sprinter, he has never missed a world event except for the Budapest 2023 World Championships, always coming close to the podium with fifth place in the Rio 2016 Games and London 2017 World Championships, fourth in Doha 2019 and the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, fifth again in the Eugene 2022 World Championships. This year he seems to have reached the ideal condition at the right time with the excellent 9"86 in the Diamond League in the British capital which places him in fifth place in the seasonal rankings. Given the consistency and ability to conquer finals repeatedly over the years, this could be the right opportunity for him to fill the lack of a great world podium in his career.
- Win Chance: 3%
- Podium Probability: 20%
- Best odds: 66/1 with Betfair
Letsile Tebogo
A twenty-one-year-old sprinter from Botswana, with still unexplored potential over 100, 200 and 400 meters. He had some small physical problems between the end of May and the beginning of June that made him fear participation in the Olympic Games. In his last outing, the Diamond 100 in London, he finished third with 9"88 - the ninth best performance of 2024 - showing his definitive recovery. In Paris he will certainly be able to fight for a podium in the fastest discipline, recalling how at the Budapest 2023 World Championships he was second behind Lyles.
- Chance of winning: 2%
- Podium Probability: 25%
- Best odds: 25/1 with Betfair
Kenny Bednarek
Second at the US Trials behind Noah Lyles with a personal best of 9"87 which earned him his eighth overall seasonal performance. At 25 years old he is at his first great world experience over the 100 meters, after getting silver medals over the 200 both at the Tokyo 2021 Games and at the Eugene 2022 World Championships. The final is certainly within his reach with some chances of a podium.
- Chance of winning: 5%
- Final Probability: 75%
- Podium Probability: 35%
Fred Kerley
29 years old in May, he is the third American of the US Trials with a time of 9"88 which earned him the ninth world performance of the year. He won silver in the 100 meters at Tokyo 2021 behind Marcell Jacobs, and then won the world title in the same discipline the following year in Eugene. In 2023 World Championships in Budapest he was eliminated in the semifinals. In 2024 Kerley seems to be back to levels of absolute excellence that should allow him access to the final, especially if he manages to better manage the pre-race stress that he feel more than other top sprinters.
- Chance of winning: 5%
- Final Probability: 80%
- Podium Probability: 20%
- Best odds: 33/1 with BetUK
Ackeem Blake
22 years old, he is the third Jamaican in the race and arrives with the thirteenth seasonal time of 2024 of 9"92, equal to Marcell Jacobs' best. In the last race before the Olympics, the Diamond League in London, he ran in 9"97. For him it is the second great world experience after the semi-final of the 100 in the World Championships of Eugene two years ago, which makes him a slight underdog compared to others in terms of access to the final in a specialty in which experience and mental solidity are as important as physical condition.
- Final Probability: 25%
- Best odds: 100/1 with Livescore Bet
Zharnel Hughes
The twenty-nine-year-old British sprinter of Caribbean origins, is back from an injury in May that precluded him from the possibility of contending with Marcell Jacobs, as was within his possibilities for the European title, and also put his presence in Paris at risk. In the British meeting of the Diamond League he finished in 10"00 of his best time of the year, the 33rd overall in the world. Among the athletes mentioned, he is certainly the one with the least chance of reaching the final, but his experience can make the difference.
- Final Probability: 15%
- Best odds: 75/1 with Betfair
Louie Hinchliffe
The Briton, who turned 22 a few days ago, is the newcomer of world speed in recent weeks, having won the NCAA title immediately after the European Championships - where he was not present - with his personal best of 9"95 which earned him the 20th time of the year. He also performed well in the last English Diamond before the Olympics, running in 9"97 on his absolute debut in the circuit. His access to the final should in any case be considered as a great surprise, but the ability to win an important title such as that of the US university student championships as a foreigner, certainly demonstrates his ability to performat his best when it counts.
- Final Probability 5%
Our predictions
It should be a two-horse race between Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson. Americans Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley will fight for the bronze medal while reigning Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs will aim to upset the odds once again.
- 1st - Kishane Thompson
- 2nd - Noah Lyles
- 3rd - Kenny Bednarek
