There may not be an event that defines the Olympic Games quite like the 100m dash, as the fastest athletes in the world sprint for gold medal glory. In the men’s 100m dash this year, we might already be down to two or three competitors with a real shot to win gold. Here, we break down the Olympic men’s 100m race and give you our pick to come out on top of the field in this prestigious event from Paris.
Olympic Men’s 100m Betting Odds
| Athlete | Gold Medal Odds |
| Kishane Thompson | -105 |
| Noah Lyles | +225 |
| Oblique Seville | +700 |
| Letsile Tebogo | +1500 |
| Akani Simbine | +2000 |
| Kenneth Bednarek | +2200 |
| Fred Kerley | +2200 |
| Lamont Marcell Jacobs | +2500 |
| Ferdinand Omanyala | +2500 |
| Zharnel Hughes | +4000 |
| Andre De Grasse | +5000 |
| Ackeem Blake | +5000 |
| Favour Ashe | +7000 |
| Chituru Ali | +10000 |
| Louie Hinchliffe | +10000 |
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
As you can see, there are only three athletes at shorter than +1500 odds to come out on top of the men’s 100m event in Paris. Jamaican Kishane Thompson is the odds-on favorite to come out on top, while American Noah Lyles is second on the list of favorites. While upsets can happen and false starts and other chaos can always pop up, it looks like Lyles and Thompson will be battling it out for the gold in this distance.
Olympic Men’s 100m Major Storylines
As usual, the biggest storyline for this race will be whether it will be the USA or Jamaica that comes out on top in the final. Jamaica has had the upper hand in recent Olympics, thanks to greats like Usain Bolt. But Lyles is a special talent who can deny the Jamaicans the gold in this event for the second straight Olympics on the men’s side, after Italy’s Marcell Jacobs took the top spot in Tokyo.
Lyles himself has become a storyline going into these Olympics and not just because of his ability to tear it up on the track. Lyles made some comments that made headlines about the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, questioning their credentials as world champions in basketball after Lyles won the world title in multiple races at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. If Lyles can back that talk up with an Olympic championship, he would earn a ton of respect on top of what he has already earned.
Olympic Men’s 100m Medal Contenders
Beyond Thompson and Lyles, the race for the top-three will be a very interesting one. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville is certainly in the mix for the podium, along with Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Akani Simbine is South Africa. But there are a couple of Americans who also have a decent shot at landing on the podium if they can bring their best to the track in Paris.
Kenneth Bednarek is one of those men who can finish in the top-three in the men’s 100m race at these Olympics. He looked very good at the US Olympic trials, even if he is expected to finish behind Lyles once again in this event. Also in contention from the US is Fred Kerley, who would really have to show us something special for that to happen, though it is by no means impossible.
Men’s 100m Betting Prediction: Kishane Thompson (-105)
Our pick to win the men’s 100m race in Paris is Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. His personal best in this event came earlier this year at the Jamaican Olympic trials, while Lyles hasn’t run his best time since the world championships in 2023. With Thompson running faster right now, he is a deserved favorite and he should be able to come away with the gold in what should be a spectacular final race.
