All eyes on Paris

Paris 2024 is almost here. For 17 days, the best of the best will compete for gold silver and bronze in 329 events across 32 sports in the Olympics. The whole event will be watched by an estimated TV audience of over 1 billion.

The tradition of including non-mainstream sports continues in Paris, where a new one has been added for 2024 – breaking (or breakdancing as it’s commonly known).

transported by boat down the Seine

The opening ceremony starts Friday at 19:30 (CET) and will be what the French describe as an “open ceremony.” It will involve the athletes being transported by boat down the Seine before congregating in a temporary stadium at the Place du Trocadero where the torch will be lit. And then it begins.

No less than 24 sports take place on Day 1, albeit the football, rugby sevens, archery, and handball tournaments all kick off in the two days preceding the opening ceremony. For the athletics – the Games’ blue riband event – spectators have to wait until Day 6 when the 20km walking races take place around the streets of Paris. On Day 7, the track and field finally starts in the Stade de France.

But it’s not just the competitors who can win during these Olympics. For the bettors, there is potential to find some great value, especially if they know where to look. In this article, we have selected a few events – some mainstream, some niche – where we believe there is potential to win and, in some cases, win big.

Athletics – Men’s 100m

This is, arguably, the most prestigious event of the Games – the one where the winner’s name is remembered forever.

Favorite to win gold is Kishane Thompson – the 22-year-old rising star of Jamaican sprinting. With a personal best of 9.85 seconds, Thompson’s raw talent has brought a new dynamic to the established order of elite sprinting. With the best odds available (at the time of writing) at just +125, he is most definitely the man to beat. ???

Noah Lyles of the USA is second-favorite at +225. The 2023 world champion and winner of the 2019 Diamond League, is regarded as a 200m specialist but has become equally adept at the shorter distance. He thrives in high-pressure situations and they do not get bigger than the Olympics’ Men’s 100m? ?

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville is another in with a genuine chance of gold. He is being mentored by legendary coach Glen Mills, who oversaw the rise of Usain Bolt, so is in very safe hands. He also has the raw pace, including a blistering start, to get himself on the podium in Paris. At +700, he is the value bet.

Alongside Thompson, another youngster who threatens to tear up the existing order of elite sprinters is Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. The 21-year-old has a PB of 9.88 seconds, which he posted on the way to winning silver at the 2023 World Championships. At +1000 he offers decent value to bettors who fancy a slightly longer shot. ????

PICK: Lyles to win gold (+225)

Athletics – Women’s 100m

The battle in the race to be crowned the world’s fastest woman over 100m looks to be a three-way battle between the USA, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia.

The odds-on favorite is US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson who is as short as -188 with some bookmakers. The 2023 world champion – she won the title in a time of just 10.65s – is the person to beat and anyone who does so will likely win gold. Ominous for the rest is that her form is good and only a few weeks ago she defended her US title in 10.71s.?

a 30-year-old veteran of the sport whose career has been littered with medals

But she will be pushed hard by Jamaica’s Sherika Jackson, a 30-year-old veteran of the sport whose career has been littered with medals and who was the Diamond League 100m and 200m champion in 2023. At +450 for gold, she can’t be ignored and looks great value.

The only sprinter who looks capable of getting close to Richardson and Jackson is St Lucia’s Julien Alfred. The 23-year-old is the current world indoor champion over 60m and recently set a PB of 10.78s, which puts her well and truly in the mix for gold. Alfred is on offer at +700 with some bookies, which looks outstanding value.

But Olympic sprinting has thrown up plenty of surprise results over the years. So also in the mix for a medal is veteran Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (+900), who has two Olympic 100m gold medals to her name, the USA’s Melissa Jefferson (+1400), and Marie-Josee Ta Lou (+1600) of the Ivory Coast who came fourth in the 100m at Tokyo 2020.

A possible wildcard is Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (+2000) who, in an attempt to get on the medal podium, moved from London to Texas to benefit from the improved facilities and weather. While seen as a 200m specialist, she is a decent outside bet for a medal here.

PICK: Jackson to win gold (+450)

Athletics – Men’s 1500m

This, along with the sprints, is always one of the Games’ high-profile races and this summer’s middle-distance events all promise to be no different. The list of winners includes the illustrious names of Walker, Coe, Ovett, and co but new heroes could emerge in Paris.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the current holder of this Olympic title and is the odds-on (-200) favorite to retain it. The 23-year-old is in great form and has been the world number one the last three seasons.

broke the British outdoor record for the mile

Great Britain’s Josh Kerr is second-favorite at +200 and will test Ingebrigtsen. The 26-year-old Scot arrives in Paris off the back of a good season and in February, he broke the world indoor 2000m record. In May he also broke the British outdoor record for the mile – a race in which he beat Ingebrigtsen.

Experienced Kenyan, Timothy Cheruiyot is another with a shout of gold even though the bookies have pitched him at a generous +1200. He won silver over this distance in Tokyo 2020 and is the eighth fastest man of all time over 1500m. He has not beaten Ingebrigtsen this season but came close in May’s Diamond League meet in Oslo when he was beaten by just three-hundredths of a second.

Also in the medal mix is the US pairing of Cole Hocker (+1500) and Yared Nuguse (+1800). In March of this year, Hocker won silver at the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships, while Nuguse is the North American outdoor record holder over both 1500m and a mile.

Outsiders for a bronze medal are Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot (+3300), Great Britain’s Neil Gourley (+4000), and Niels Laros of the Netherlands (+4000), although it would be a shock to see any of these on the top two steps of the podium.

PICK: Kerr to win gold (+200)

Athletics – Women’s 800m

This event has had its fair share of controversy over the years – both on and off the track – but the International Olympic Committee will be hoping all the drama in Paris is confined to the track.

Favorite for gold is Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson who at -300 is seen by most bookies as almost a shoo-in. With USA’s Athing Mu, the winner of gold in Tokyo 2020, missing out on qualification, it has opened up for the 22-year-old who set a world’s best time of 1:54:61 when setting a British record in London recently.

Her closest rival, based on form, looks almost certain to be Kenya’s Mary Moraa. The 24-year-old was the world number one over this distance in 2023 and won gold at the World Championships but now sees the 400m as her main event. At +250 she is the value bet.

But, as ever in the white heat of the Olympics, what is expected to be a two-horse race rarely is. This brings Great Britain’s teenage sensation Phoebe Gill (+1000) very much into the equation, along with her GB teammate Jemma Reekie (+1500).

Both have had good seasons, with Gill winning the British 800m title in June, and Reekie winning silver in the World Indoor 800m Championships.

Prudence Sekgodiso (+2000) of South Africa is another who will consider herself to be in medal contention. The 22-year-old won her first?Diamond League?title in Marrakech in May with what was, at the time, the fastest record in 2024 and a new PB.

PICK: Hodgkinson to win gold (-300)

Swimming – Men’s 100m Freestyle

For the swimming competition, the spectators don’t have long to wait as it begins on the first morning of the Games. The 100m is seen as the blue riband event on the athletics track and the same applies to the the pool.

a 100m world record of 46.80 in this year’s World Championships

This is a star-studded field, with two 19-year-old superstars leading the betting. China’s Pan Zhanle (-115) is the favourite after setting a 100m world record of 46.80s in this year’s World Championships – his fourth world championship gold. But not far behind him is Romania’s David Popovic, who has a best time this year of 46.88s.

The USA’s Jack Alexy (+650) is next in the betting with a season’s best of 47.08s, while his compatriot Chris Guiliano (+1400) is only seventeen-tenths slower. Sandwiched between the pair in the betting is Aussie Kyle Chalmers (+850) whose qualifying time of 47.15s puts him in with a genuine medal shout.

Home advantage may count for France’s Maxime Grousset (+2300) who posted a time of 47.33s in the 2024 French Elite Championship, but it still looks like Zhanle’s race to lose.

PICKS: Zhanle (gold) / Grousset (each-way)

Swimming – Women’s 100m Freestyle

Based on current form and recent history, this one looks like a three-way battle for gold between Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan (-110), Netherland’s Marrit Steenbergen (+500), and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (+270).

Despite being just 20 years old, O’Callaghan already has a pair of Olympic relay golds from Tokyo 2020 but it was in the 2023 World Championships when she came of age – winning two individual golds (100m and 200m freestyle) and three relay golds.

The Australian’s absence in this year’s World Championships opened up the field for Steenbergen who claimed gold, and in doing so put herself well and truly in the frame for gold here in Paris.

Steenbergen’s Olympic qualifying time was just sixteen-hundredths of a second behind O’Callaghan’s time, but both were slower than Haughey, who set a blistering time of 52.02 to claim her spot in Paris. The Hong Kong swimmer is by some distance the most experienced of the three and may be the one to capitalize if O’Callaghan has an off day.    

Others in with a medal shout are Australia’s Shayna Jack (+1100), whose qualifying time for Paris was just two-tenths of a second slower than her compatriot, and China’s Junxuan Yang (+3300).

PICKS: Haughey (gold) / Steenbergern (each-way)

Cycling – Men’s Time Trial

The time trial has become one of the must-see cycling events of the Olympics and this one, through some famous Paris landmarks, will be no exception. Similar to the women’s 100m freestyle above, this looks to be another three-way battle.

winning the European Championship time-trial title while still in his teens

Favorite to win is 20-year-old Brit Joshua Tarling (-120) who stormed his way through the pro ranks in 2023, winning the European Championship time-trial title while still in his teens and finishing second in the World Championships. Inexperienced he may be but, based on his current form and career trajectory, he is the one to beat.

Chasing Tarling down all the way will be the experienced Italian Filippo Ganna (+250) – a two-time world champion whose powerful riding is well suited to the Paris course. The 28-year-old has tailored his 2024 program around the Olympics but still found time to win his national championship and the final stage of the Tour of Austria.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (+333)?makes up the trio of favorites although, having just completed the grueling Tour de France, appears the least-rested of the three. But the current world champion has an outstanding record and is regarded in the sport as a ’machine.’ He is slighter of build than his two main rivals but, still at only 24 years old, has huge amounts of experience.?

Outside of the big three, Evenepoel’s compatriot, Wout van Aert (+1400) has plenty of experience and wins to draw on. The 29-year-old is both a cyclo-cross and Tour de France veteran. Not far behind him in the listings is Swiss-Liechtensteinian Stefan Kueng (+3300), another veteran of track and road. The 30-year-old is regarded as a powerhouse, who may find the Paris course to his liking.

22-year-old American Magnus Sheffield?(+4000) is another in the ‘powerhouse’ mold, whose style is suited to the course and who is in with an outside chance of a medal.

PICKS: Ganna (gold) / Evenepoel (each-way)

Gymnastics – Women’s All-Around

In Tokyo, this sport triggered one of the Games’ biggest talking points, with USA’s Simone Biles withdrawing from the all-around event mid-competition. Her withdrawal opened the door for her compatriot Sunisa Lee to capture gold, just ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

Three years later, both Lee and Andrade are still the best-placed gymnasts to challenge Biles, who arrives in Paris in good form and in a far better place than when she arrived in Tokyo.

Unsurprisingly, however, Biles (-500) opens the event as a big odds-on favorite but Andrade (+600) has all-around strength over the four disciplines – all with a high degree of difficulty – which makes her a strong contender. If she can stay with Biles’ scores over the first two stages, she will give herself a chance.

Defending champion Lee (+450) remains in the mix but will need to score big on her two favored events – the uneven bars and balance beam. Her perceived weakness in the other two disciplines leaves her little room for error but she’s a fierce competitor who will be in the mix for gold.

China’s Qiu Qiyuan (+1100) is fourth-favorite with good reason. The 17-year-old sensation had an outstanding 2023, which included a fourth-place finish in the World Championships. The Italian challenge comes in the form of Alice D’Amato (+1500) and Manila Esposito (+4000), with the former a genuine medal contender if she can find consistency across the four disciplines.

Belgium’s Nina Derwael is listed at +2000 and after finishing sixth in the all-around event at Tokyo will be looking to, at least, challenge for bronze. GB’s Alice Kinsella is also listed at +2000, and is an outside bet for a podium finish but will need to improve upon her level at the 2024 European Championships where she won bronze in the all-around competition.

A wildcard worth keeping an eye on is France’s Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (+3500) who will be roared on by the Paris crowd. If they can inspire her, it would be France’s first-ever in the all-around event.

PICK: Biles (gold) / Andrade (each-way)

Other Value Bets

While the events listed above are considered high-profile by Olympic standards, there is some good value to be had for the bettors in some of the less publicised obscure events. The trick is to find them, so allow us to try and help.

In Men’s Hockey, defending champions Belgium start as +300 favorites but, for me, the value is with in-form Australia (+350) to pip both the Belgians and the Netherlands for gold. In Women’s Hockey, it looks very much like the Netherlands’ competition to lose and even at -200 they look to be the value bet.  

Rugby Sevens has turned into one of the most entertaining sports of the Games, and in the men’s event, it’s the Fijians who started as favourites. But nicely priced at +250 is the home nation, France, who with vociferous home support behind them are capable of going all the way. In the women’s tournament, look no further than the favorites New Zealand who, even at evens, look excellent value.  

confident of following up on their country’s recent win at Euro 2024

The home side is clearly in the medal mix in Men’s Football but with France starting as favorites, the value looks to be with the second-favourites, Spain. They will be confident of following up on their country’s recent win at the European Football Championship 2024 and at +225, the Spanish look well worth a wager. In the women’s competition, the USA at +200 will almost certainly be there or thereabouts.

One of the Games’ newer sports, and certainly one of its most exciting, is BMX Racing. The cut-throat nature of this racing makes it tough to predict a winner but also offers some attractive bets. In the men’s competition, French rider Romain Mahieuis nicely priced at +400, while in the women’s race, USA rider Alise Willoughby looks good value at +225.

While BMX is one of the newer sports, the newest, and making its Olympic debut in Paris, is Breaking (or breakdancing). In the men’s event, Japanese athlete/dancer Shigeyuki Nakarai (Shigekix) looks an attractive bet at +500. In the women’s event, another Japanese athlete, Ami Yuasa looks good value at +350.