Tokyo Olympics: Women's 100m track preview
The women's 100-meter race takes place on Thursday, July 29, at the Tokyo Olympics.
The market's identified a clear-cut favorite amid a deep field, but is the chalk the way to go?
Let's dive into the odds and break down the competition.
Odds to win gold
Athlete | Odds |
---|---|
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) | -110 |
Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) | +160 |
Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) | +450 |
Blessing Okagbare (NGR) | +900 |
Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) | +900 |
Shericka Jackson (JAM) | +900 |
Javianne Oliver (USA) | +5000 |
Murielle Ahoure (CIV) | +5000 |
Dafne Schippers (NED) | +6500 |
Teahna Daniels (USA) | +9000 |
Kelly-Ann Baptiste (TTO) | +20000 |
Carina Horn (RSA) | +20000 |
Tynia Gaither (BAH) | +20000 |
Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) | +20000 |
Gina Luckenkemper (GER) | +20000 |
Daryll Neita (GBR) | +20000 |
Rodah Njobvu (ZAM) | +25000 |
Wei Yongli (CHN) | +25000 |
Tebogo Mamathu (RSA) | +25000 |
Ge Manqi (CHN) | +25000 |
Ivet Lalova-Collio (BGR) | +30000 |
Tatjana Pinto (GER) | +30000 |
Asha Philip (GBR) | +30000 |
Marije Van Hunenstjin (NED) | +50000 |
Gina Bass (GAM) | +50000 |
Ewa Swoboda (POL) | +50000 |
Salome Kora (SUI) | +50000 |
Liang Xiaojing (CHN) | +50000 |
Competition breakdown
This is Jamaica's medal to lose. Three athletes are listed at 9-1 or shorter, headlined by generational talent, Fraser-Pryce (-110).
The 34-year-old owns more global titles in the 100-meter than any other female in sprinter history and has a solid overall track record in the Olympics: two golds, three silvers, and a bronze. Fraser-Pryce has also dominated the World Championships, racking up nine gold medals and another pair of silvers.
Fraser-Pryce - the first mother to win a world title in the 100-meter race in 2019 - can also become the oldest flat sprint champion of all time with a victory at Tokyo.
Her biggest competition is teammate Thompson-Herah (+160), who just this month edged out Fraser-Pryce in the Gyulai Istvan Memorial.
Then there's Jackson (+900), who ran the fastest time of anyone (10.91 seconds) in the opening round at the Jamaican Olympic trials. The 27-year-old was awarded bronze in the 400m in the 2016 circuit.
After Jackson, there's a substantial drop-off in the odds to 50-1.
There isn't a sleeper down the list worth betting, but one flier to consider is Okagbare (+900). She came up empty in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, but just recently tied Fraser-Pryce's mark of 10.63 in the 100-meter; she has the speed to win gold and pull off the upset.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. Find him on Twitter @AjKolodziej.