For the first time since 2008, the Summer Olympics men’s 100m dash will not feature Usain Bolt, who has since retired from the sport and enjoyed a short, eight-week-long career as a professional footballer in the A-League. However, even with Bolt out of the picture, there are plenty of athletes in the line to become worthy successors to “Lightning Bolt,” most of whom will travel to Tokyo.
The field competing in the Tokyo Olympics 100m men’s dash will consist of 17 runners, headlined by Trayvon Bromell, who travels to Japan with a chip on his shoulders. The goal for the 26-year-old is simple, improve his 9.84 in the US National trials and take the crown as the fastest man in the world – a time no one came even close to since Bolt’s record-breaking run at the 2019 World Championships in Berlin.
Tokyo Olympics 2020 – Men’s 100m Dash Schedule
The 2020 Tokyo Athletics kick off on Friday, July 30, with the first round of men’s 3000m steeplechase; however, it won’t be until Sunday, July 31, when the first men’s 100m race will take place.
The preliminary round will be followed by the first round later that day; with the semi-finals and the finals scheduled for Sunday, August 1. The Men’s 100m finals will mark the day’s final event, with decathlon and relays following through Wednesday – Friday.
- Preliminary Round – Saturday, July 31
- Round One – Saturday, July 31
- Semi-Finals – Sunday, August 1
- Finals – Sunday, August 1
Favourites For Tokyo Olympics 2020 Men’s 100m Dash Title
Trayvon Bromell of the United States travels to Tokyo as the odds-on favourite (2.20 at Bet365) to claim gold at the men’s 100m dash, after the reigning world champion Christian Coleman’s two-year suspension for missing three drug tests within 12-months.
The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Christian Coleman of the USA for whereabouts failures, a violation of the @WorldAthletics Anti-Doping Rules.
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 17, 2020
Find out more ⬇️https://t.co/opInfkVlnV#AIUNews#CleanSport pic.twitter.com/JPMAh41Eke
However, even with Coleman in the field, Bromell would be a strong candidate to compete for a medal. He has posted an impressive time of 9.77 in June and seems to be peaking in form just in time to make some serious noise at the Olympics.
Ronnie Baker is priced as the second favourite (6.00 at Bet365) to win gold in men’s 100m dash despite his lack of experience. The 27-year-old has never competed at the Olympics, nor has he made a US team, which should make you wonder whether the rookie will manage to deliver on the big stage.
Baker finished second to Bromell at the United States Olympic Trials, where he ran his personal best of 9.85, and ran the third-fastest time in history over 60m. Finishing behind the two was Fred Kerley (6.50 at Bet365), who is priced as the fourth-favourite for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Like Baker, the 26-year-old posted a PB at the trials at 9.86. A week later, he also posted a personal-best 200m time at 19.90, although he still finished behind Noah Lyles (19.74), Kenny Bednarek (19.78), and the 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton (19.84), who posted a World U20 record, beating Usain Bolt’s time of 19.93 from 2004.
Akani Simbine joins the field as the third-favourite to win the gold medal at 6.50 (Bet365). Simbine anchors the 4x100m South African team and has broken the African record at the beginning of July with 9.84, making him South Africa’s biggest hope for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics 100m dash.
Canada’s Andre De Grasse (9.00 at Bet365) won bronze in Rio in 2016, which is enough of a reason to have him priced as one of the favourites; however, he hasn’t been in the best shape ahead of Tokyo. His experience will undoubtedly serve as a positive, however with a season-best of 9.99, it will take a major upset to see the Canadian cross the finish line first.
Underdogs Looking To Cause An Upset
Zharnel Hughes (23.00 at Bet365), Yohan Blake (26.00 at Bet365), Lamont Marcell Jacobs (26.00 at Bet365), Reece Prescod (34.00 at Bet365), and Bingtian Su (34.00 at Bet365) travel to Tokyo as underdogs to win the 100m dash.
Although all exceptional athletes, neither can compare to the top favourites. Great Britain’s biggest hope, Zharnel Hughes is also the only out of the group capable of causing an upset, but he hasn’t ran under 10 seconds this year and seems more focused on the 200m discipline.
Tlotliso Gift Leotlela (51.00 at Bet365), Chijindu Ujah (51.00 at Bet365), Ryota Yamagata (51.00 at Bet365), Tyquendo Tracey (67.00 at Bet365), Divine Oduduru (81.00 at Bet365), Arthur Cisse (101.00 at Bet365), and Alex Wilson (101.00 at Bet365) are priced as complete outsiders, and we can’t argue with that.
They have done well to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics; however, with how stacked the top half of the field is, neither should stand a realistic chance to win the race. Out of the group, Tlotliso Gift Leotlela stands out with his time of 9.94, which he posted in the South African finals in May and seemed to be in great shape ahead of Tokyo.
Although it’s highly likely that the US three will take home medals, you could make a case for the South African to be the one to spoil the plans should anything go wrong with the fancied runners.
Trayvon Bromell Too Good To Pass On
The up-and-coming Trayvon Bromell is priced as the main favourite to win in the men’s 100m dash, and there are good reasons for that. He has been phenomenal on the season and is clearly above his two compatriots, as proven at the trials in June.
He has already won bronze at the 2015 World Championships and has looked better than ever since he returned to the sport following an Achilles tendon injury in 2017. His 9.77 at the trials last month marked Bromell’s personal-best time, excluding the wind-assisted 9.87 in 2015.
There is a world where Bromell loses; however, with the form he has been showing on the year, it will require a major upset for any of the remaining runners to edge him out to the finish line.
Prediction: Trayvon Bromell to win – 2.20 at Bet365
