NOTE: This post has been updated after Shericka Jackson withdrew from the women’s 100m race. Bets on Jackson have been voided based on her decision to withdraw.
The race to become the fastest woman in the world will take place at the Paris Olympics in the women’s 100m dash. An American is the favorite to win this race, but there Sha’carri Richardson will face a tough field in France with a gold medal on the line. Here, we break down the Olympic women’s 100m race in track and field and make our pick as far as who will come out on top.
Olympic Women’s 100m Dash Betting Odds
| Athlete | Gold Medal Odds |
| Sha’carri Richardson | -280 |
| Julien Alfred | +380 |
| Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | +1200 |
| Marie-Josee Ta Lou | +1500 |
| Darryl Neita | +3000 |
| Melissa Jefferson | +3000 |
| Dina Asher-Smith | +3700 |
| Tia Clayton | +4500 |
| Ewa Swoboba | +4800 |
| Audrey Leduc | +5000 |
| Twanisha Terry | +7500 |
| Gina Bass | +7500 |
| Zoe Hobbs | +11000 |
| Mujinga Kambundji | +12000 |
| Gina Luckenkemper | +13000 |
| Rosemary Chukwuma | +18000 |
| Patrizia van der Weken | +21000 |
| Zaynab Dosso | +21000 |
| Boglarka Takacs | +21000 |
| Karolina Manasova | +21000 |
| Imani Lansiquot | +21000 |
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook
American Sha’carri Richardson is the favorite to win the Olympic women’s 100m race. Richardson will face pressure from Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, along with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. But Richardson is a deserved favorite based on the way she has run this year, as she is the reigning world champion from 2023 in this distance and she won the 100m at the US Olympic Trials. And without Shericka Jackson in the field, the path is clear for Richardson to grab her gold medal in this event.
Olympic Women’s 100m Dash Major Storylines
The biggest storyline coming into the Olympic women’s 100m dash is the fact that Sha’carri Richardson is competing in this year’s Olympics. Richardson was suspended for this event during the Tokyo Olympics, serving a suspension due to a positive test for marijuana use, which was simply preposterous to suspend her over. Now Richardson will be appearing on the biggest stage in the sport and she will likely want to make those who kept her out of the last Olympics look foolish.
On top of the presence of Richardson being interesting in the context of her previous suspension, it is also interesting in that it could be what ends the run of Jamaican dominance in this event. Jamaican sprinters have won the gold medal in each of the last four Olympic Games dating back to 2008 in Beijing. Richardson could be the person to end that streak, unless one of the top contenders from Jamaica can beat her.
Olympic Women’s 100m Dash Medal Contenders
Along with Richardson, the top contenders to end up with a medal in the women’s 100m dash are Julien Alfred and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Alfred is an explosive starter having won the world championship in the 60m at the Indoor World Championships.
And it would be foolish to count out Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the medal discussion. The Jamaican has one gold, one silver, and one bronze to her name from the last three Olympic Games in this distance. While she may not be in her prime any longer, having run her personal best all the way back in 2021, she’s still incredibly fast and could grab a medal for herself in this race.
Women’s 100m Dash Betting Prediction: Sha’Carri Richardson (-280)
At the end of the day, Sha’carri Richardson is probably going to end up winning the Olympic women’s 100m race for track and field. The value from a betting perspective was on Shericka Jackson in this event before she withdrew from the competition. She has run just as fast as Richardson before, but without Jackson in the field, Richardson should be able to blow by the rest of the competition to complete her redemption story and win Olympic gold.
