100m men’s final: Why It Is A Good Idea To Bet On a Jamaican Athlete in Paris

The men’s 100-metre dash is consistently one of the most electrifying events of the Summer Olympics. 

As we approach the 2024 final on August 4th in Paris, it will mark the second Olympic Games and sixth major global championship since Usain Bolt’s last gold medal. 

Bolt, the incomparable and nearly indomitable Jamaican sprinter, left an indelible mark on the sport with nearly a decade of record-setting dominance, establishing himself as the finest in the field. 

However, no athlete has since managed to assume the mantle of a dominant 100-metre force.

In the past four World Championships and the Tokyo Games, the gold medal has eluded repeat victors, prolonging the search for the next preeminent sprinter. 

American Noah Lyles, known for his flamboyant and entertaining style, is positioned as a potential successor to Bolt. Entering the Olympics as the reigning 100m and 200m world and U.S. champion, Lyles is a favourite for gold in his signature event, which he has dominated for three years. Yet, his victory in the 100m is far from assured.

• There have been no repeat winners over the previous four World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics Games in the men’s 100m
• Regning 100m World Champion Noah Lyles hasn’t lost in three years in the 200m
• No Jamaican racer has won a Worlds or Olympic 100m medal post-Bolt

The renewal of a big rivalry

The competition is fierce, with the Olympic qualifying standard set at an exacting 10 seconds and a narrow gap between elite sprinters. 

Lyles secured his first 100m gold with a personal best of 9.83 and may need to surpass this performance in Paris to overcome his formidable opponents.

The USA vs. Jamaica rivalry remains intense. 

No Jamaican man has clinched a Worlds or Olympic 100m medal since Bolt, but that drought could end this year. 

Oblique Seville, 23, finished fourth in the last two World Championships and recently clocked a personal best of 9.82, defeating Lyles in Jamaica. Seville, coached by Glen Mills—Bolt’s former coach—is among Jamaica’s brightest prospects.

Yet, another 23-year-old Jamaican, Kishane Thompson, has emerged as a serious contender. Thompson’s impressive Diamond League performances in late 2023 and his 9.77 run at Jamaica’s Olympic trials have catapulted him into the spotlight. He became the first Jamaican to break 9.8 since Bolt’s 2015 world title win. 

Thompson and Seville will be accompanied by a 22-year-old Ackeem Blake, who, despite his inconsistencies, boasts a personal best of 9.89.

A surprise winner?

Fred Kerley of the USA, the 2022 world champion, is arguably the most versatile sprinter in the field. With a personal best of 9.76, making him the joint sixth-fastest of all-time, and a silver medal from the last Olympics, Kerley has shown potential. 

Despite a lacklustre start to his 2024 season and a surprising exit in last year’s Worlds semifinals, Kerley could peak at the right moment to convert his Tokyo silver into Paris gold.

Marcell Jacobs, the reigning Olympic champion, also deserves attention. 

The American-born Italian sprinter, who had zero sub-10-second races to his name at the beginning of 2021, stunned the world with three personal bests culminating in Olympic gold. Though hampered by a sciatic nerve issue that limited his performances, Jacobs has shown signs of resurgence, winning the European Championship in Rome and clocking 9.92 in Finland last month.

For those expecting Bolt’s world record of 9.58 to be challenged, that seems unlikely. 

However, fans of competitive racing will be treated to an event of immense depth and no clear favourite, promising a thrilling contest.

Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

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