Olympics 2024: Men's and Women's 100m Preview

The Paris Olympics are almost upon us, but who will come out on top in the competition's showcase 100 metre sprint?

Odds Now have taken a close look at the betting odds to run you through the key contenders in the French capital.

When do the 100 metres take place at Paris 2024?

The men's 100 metre preliminary round take place on Saturday August 3rd. The first round also takes place later that day, while the semi-finals and final are both set for Sunday August 4th.

The women's preliminary rounds take place on Friday August 2nd , along with the first round. The semi-finals and final are both set for Saturday August 3rd.

Men's 100 metres

Kishane Thompson (6/4)

The Jamaican native enters as a narrow betting favourite to win the gold medal, ahead of rival Noah Lyles. 

Paris 2024 will be Thompson's first appearance at an Olympics but he arrives in good stead.

The 23-year-old won the Jamaican Olympic Trial in June, setting a personal best of 9.77 seconds in the process.

The time made him the joint-ninth fastest male 100m runner ever.

Noah Lyles (7/4)

Three-time 100m world champion Noah Lyles is hot on Thompson's heels, coming in a narrow second favourite with the bookies. 

Lyles was named the Athlete of the Year in 2023 and heads to Paris having ran a personal record 9.81 at a London Diamond League meeting on July 20th. 

The 27-year-old first competed at an Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, winning bronze at 200m. 

Oblique Seville (10/1)

Jamaica's Oblique Seville also competed at Tokyo 2020 but was unable to make the final, though he did feature in the 4x100m relay showpiece in the Japanese capital. 

Seville raised eyebrows with a world-leading time of 9.82s at the Racers Grand Prix 100m final in June, finishing ahead of the aforementioned Lyles who came in second. 

At just 23-years-old, Seville also made consecutive World Championship finals in 2023 and will fancy his chances of landing a spot on the podium at Paris 2024.

Above: Seville comes in as third favourite to win gold at Paris 2024. (Photo Credit: Alamy Images)

Women's 100 metres

Sha'Carri Richardson (8/13)

Team USA star Sha'Carri Richardson qualified for Tokyo 2020 but was unable to compete due to a one-month suspension handed down by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. 

Richardson has since rebounded though, winning gold in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

The 24-year-old heads to Paris an overwhelming favourite to win gold again as she looks to put the ghosts of three years ago behind her.

Above: Johnson is set for her first appearance at an Olympics after suspension ruled her out in Tokyo. (Photo Credit: Alamy Images)

Shericka Jackson (9/2)

Unlike her American counterpart, Jamaica's Shericka Jackson has bags of experience competing at the Olympics.

The 30-year-old took part at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, bagging five medals in the process, including a bronze at 100m three years ago. 

Jackson also won at both 100m and 200m in the Jamaican trials in June to qualify for a third consecutive Games.

Julien Alfred (5/1)

Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred heads to Paris 2024 hoping to land her nation's first ever Olympic medal. 

Like Richardson, Alfred is set for her first ever appearances at an Olympic Games and looks to have hit form at the right time, running a personal best of 10.78s in the Racers Grand Prix last month.

The 23-year-old also won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games last year, building on the silver medal she won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.