Multiple world record holders will take to the pool in Paris for the Olympic men’s 100m backstroke in swimming. American Ryan Murphy once held the record for the best time in this discipline, while Italian Thomas Ceccon is the current world record holder. But only one of them can win gold, while the rest of the field looks to snatch it away from them. Here, we break down the 100m backstroke race on the men’s side and pick our winner from Paris.
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Olympic Men’s 100m Backstroke Betting Odds
| Swimmer | Gold Medal Odds |
| Ryan Murphy | +200 |
| Thomas Ceccon | +250 |
| Apostolos Christou | +350 |
| Jiayu Xu | +450 |
| Oliver Morgan | +1400 |
| Hunter Armstrong | +1400 |
| Hugo Gonzalez | +2500 |
| Yohann Ndoye-Brouard | +3000 |
| Pieter Coetze | +3000 |
| Mewen Tomac | +3000 |
| Jonathon Marshall | +4000 |
| Evangelos Makrygiannis | +4000 |
| Hubert Kos | +5000 |
| Michele Lamberti | +10000 |
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Murphy and Ceccon are the two favorites to win the Olympic men’s 100m backstroke, which is understandable given their track record in this event in the past. Murphy has a gold (2016) and a bronze (2021) to his name in this event, while Ceccon had to settle for fourth in Tokyo, but has won the European and World Championships after that in 2022. It would take a special swim from anyone else in this field to snatch the gold away from that duo.
Olympic Men’s 100m Backstroke Major Storylines
The duel between Murphy and Ceccon is the number-one storyline going into the Olympic men’s 100m backstroke. They are the star attractions here and deservedly so given the way they have performed in this race in the past. Having two elite contenders for a gold medal is box office stuff all the way, even if there isn’t any Michael Phelps level star power on display in this event.
But the potential for some party crashers is also a storyline worth keeping an eye on in the men’s 100m backstroke. There are four swimmers inside of +500 to win this race, while the short distance here can open the door for some surprises as well. This could end up being one of the most thrilling races of the Olympic swim meet as all of those factors converge to create an exciting affair.
Olympic Men’s 100m Backstroke Medal Contenders
Along with Murphy and Ceccon, the other top medal contenders in this event are Apostolos Christou of Greece and Jiayu Xu of China. Christou is the reigning European champion in the 100m backstroke, winning that race in Belgrade this year. Jiayu Xu, meanwhile, finished second in this race in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Either of those men could very well win gold, silver, or bronze and should put some serious pressure on the two headliners in this race.
Men’s 100m Backstroke Betting Prediction: Thomas Ceccon (+250)
We will go with Ceccon of Italy to come away with the gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke event. Ceccon has enjoyed superior performances in the more recent past than Murphy, including his world record swim in this distance in 2022. Look for the Italian to claim gold and at a decent enough price of +250.
