2024 Olympic Men’s 800m Freestyle Predictions: Who Wins Wide Open 800 Free Final?

The list of potential winners in the Olympic men’s 800m freestyle final from the Paris Olympics is longer than the list of potential winners in most races in this meet. With five or so swimmers who could very well win the gold, we are in for a competitive race for gold, silver, and bronze. Here, we look at the odds to win this 800m freestyle race and pick our winner in what could be a tough race to call.

Olympic Men’s 800m Freestyle Betting Odds

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

All swimmers are at plus money to win the Olympic men’s 800m freestyle race in the Paris Olympic swim meet. The favorite is Samuel Short of Australia, while Daniel Wiffen of Ireland and Bobby Finke of the United States are also in clear gold medal contention here. With five swimmers at shorter than +800 odds to win this event, we could see a really competitive race across several lanes for gold.

Olympic Men’s 800m Freestyle Major Storylines

There are three swimmers with a real shot at gold in the Olympic men’s 800m freestyle, with those men making up the bulk of the top storylines in this event. Wiffen won this race at the world championships in Doha in 2024, putting him in a great position to claim the gold here. Meanwhile, Short took silver in the 800 free in the 2023 world championship race from Japan and will be hungry to erase the disappointment of finishing fourth in the 400m freestyle earlier at this meet.

Then there is Bobby Finke, who is looking to defend his Olympic title after winning gold in Tokyo in 2021. Finke pulled off an impressive double in Tokyo, winning both the 800 free and 1500 free at those games. A win here would cement his status as one of the better long-distance freestyle swimmers in the 50m Olympic pool in the recent history of the Olympic Games on the men’s side.

Olympic Men’s 800m Freestyle Medal Contenders

It is hard to see anyone grabbing a medal outside of the trio of Short, Wiffen, and Finke. But there are a couple of names that bettors and swimming enthusiasts alike should keep in mind in the medal hunt. Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy is a former world record holder in the 1500m freestyle and clearly has the gas tank to hang around in this event. Meanwhile, Australia’s Elijah Winnington is fresh off of a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and he could also contend for a top-three spot here.

Men’s 800m Freestyle Betting Prediction: Daniel Wiffen (+225)

Our top pick to win the Olympic men’s 800m freestyle final in Paris is Daniel Wiffen of Ireland. He comes into this race off of a very encouraging result in the 2024 Doha meet and is at a slightly better price than Short, who was somewhat underwhelming in the 400m freestyle final. Look for Wiffen to prevent Australia or the United States from taking another swimming gold in this race on Tuesday.