Not to be outdone by the men’s 100m competition, this year’s women’s 100m sprint at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games has the potential to be exhilarating.
USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson is the favourite at nearly every online sportsbook to claim the title of the world’s fastest woman, but she’ll be hotly contested by her arch-rival Shericka Jackson from Jamaica.
While much of the media attention is on the battle between Richardson and Jackson, Saint Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred also has a legitimate shot at pulling off a huge upset.
Also in the field is 37-year-old Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a two-time gold medal winner (2008, 2012) in the 100m discipline for Jamaica.
Canada’s best hope of a medal in the 100m and 200m events is Audrey Leduc, but she’s a huge longshot with around +20000 odds to medal in both disciplines. Leduc set a new Canadian women’s 100m sprint record with a time of 10.96 seconds in April, besting Angela Bailey’s 10.98 mark from July 6, 1987, at the Budapest Grand Prix in Hungary.
Women’s 100m outright odds
| Sprinter | NorthStar Bets Odds | bet365 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) | -155 | -167 |
| Shericka Jackson (JAM) | +450 | +400 |
| Julien Alfred (LCA) | +275 | +700 |
| Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) | +1200 | +1200 |
| Melissa Jefferson (USA) | +2500 | +1600 |
| Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) | +2500 | +2000 |
| Tia Clayton (JAM) | +4000 | +2500 |
| Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) | +4000 | +2000 |
| Twanisha Terry (USA) | +4000 | +3300 |
| Audrey Leduc (CAN) | +20000 | +20000 |
Richardson pulled off the sprint double by winning the gold in the 100m and 200m disciplines at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, so it’s no surprise the American is the favourite at these Games. This will be Richardson’s first trip to the Olympics, though after a failed drug test for marijuana squashed her hopes of competing in 2020. Richardson failed to qualify for the 200m at these Games, so she’ll be entirely focused on the 100m discipline, which could work to her advantage.
Richardson may have also caught a break after Jackson sustained an apparent injury while competing in Hungary three weeks ago. The Jamaican won the bronze in the 2020 Olympics in the 100m, and finished second behind Richardson at the 2023 World Championships. Jackson will be competing in both the 100m and 200m events, with the 200m being her stronger discipline.
Alfred is also an intriguing bet as a longshot at +700 odds. She appears to be peaking at just the right time, claiming gold in the women’s 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and setting a personal best time of 10.78 seconds in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix last month. She excels out of the gate, but can she hang on once some of the other top competitors reach their top speeds?
Outlook: This appears to be a three-horse race for gold, with the veteran Fraser-Pryce a candidate to medal should Richardson, Jackson, or Alfred stumble. With questions surrounding Jackson’s health entering these Olympics, it’s hard to bet against Richardson’s electric personality. But if you do, backing Alfred as a long shot seems like a viable play.
Sha’Carri Richardson to win gold in women’s 100m
-155
Women’s 200m outright odds
| Sprinter | Northstar Bets Odds | bet365 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Gabby Thomas (USA) | +125 | +120 |
| Shericka Jackson (JAM) | +175 | +210 |
| Julien Alfred (LCA) | +350 | +500 |
| McKenzie Long (USA) | +750 | +650 |
| Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) | +1400 | +1200 |
| Brittany Brown (USA) | +2500 | +1500 |
| Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) | +6600 | +5000 |
| Daryll Neita (GBR) | +6600 | +5000 |
| Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) | +8000 | +3300 |
| Audrey Leduc (CAN) | +25000 | +8000 |
American Gabby Thomas is the favourite for the gold medal in the women’s 200m, with a little better than even-money odds in most online sportsbooks. Thomas picked up a bronze medal in this event at the last Olympics in Tokyo, and she finished second behind Richardson at the 2023 World Championships. Thomas is in fine form, picking up a come-from-behind win in the 200m at the latest Diamond League event in London a few days ago.
The 200m is Jackson’s best event, and she dominated at the 2023 World Championships to claim a gold medal with a time of 21.41 seconds, flirting with the world record of 21.34 seconds. She also claimed gold at the 2022 Worlds. But concerns surrounding her health entering these Olympics may be a good reason to fade Jackson from a betting perspective.
Just like in the 100m, Alfred has a chance to make some noise in the 200m should the top two women stumble.
Outlook: Jackson’s injury concerns pave the way for Thomas to shine here. With two Olympic medals (bronze and silver) already to her name, she’s only missing a gold to complete the whole set of Olympic excellence.
