Usain Bolt Rio 2016: What Are The Jamaican Sprinter's Odds To Win 100 Meters And 200 Meters?

usain bolt 2016 — Jamaica's Usain Bolt is heavily favored to claim the 100 meter and 200 meter gold medals for the third consecutive time at the 2016 Rio Games. Getty Images

World-record holder and six-time gold medalist Usain Bolt is heavily favored to win the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints for a record third-straight time at the 2016 Rio Games, but oddsmakers like the Jamaican superstar’s chances of winning the latter a little more than the former.

According to Sportsbook.ag, the “World’s Fastest Man” is listed at 1 /2 odds to win the 100 and 3/2 to lose, while his odds to win the 200 are a tad stronger at 1/3. Bolt and his Jamaica teammates are also massive 8/15 favorites to secure the 4x100 meters relay for the third Games in a row.

Bolt, who will turn 30 the night of the Closing Ceremony in Brazil, is far and away the favorite with no other sprinter earning single-digit odds for the 100. American Justin Gatlin is considered Bolt’s biggest threat in both races at 13/10 in the 100, but he’s been given a slightly better chance to topple Bolt in the 200 at 7/2.

Injury and age could be factors that hinder Bolt’s shot at history. A hamstring injury kept Bolt out of Jamaica’s Olympic trials last month and he only made the team through a medical exemption.

Still, Bolt owns the records for the 100 and 200 and won’t be taken lightly by any of the other competitors. In 2009, Bolt fired out of the blocks at the World Championships in Berlin and set the 100 mark at 9.58 seconds and also broke the very 200 record he set at the 2008 Beijing Games at 19.19 seconds.

Both Bolt and Gatlin must overcome each other and their teammates for the gold. American Trayvon Bromwell, 21, is just behind Gatlin at 10/1 odds in the 100 and so is Jamaica’s Yohan Blake. In the 200, 30-year-old LaShawn Merritt is listed at 8/1 odds and Blake is double that at 16/1.

The odds, however, could shift around in Bolt’s favor or against it after the preliminary rounds. The four preliminary-round heats for the 100 take place Saturday morning, followed by the seven first-round heats a few hours later. From there, the field will be cut down to make room for the 100 final on Sunday.

Bolt and the rest of the field will then have two days to rest until the first-round heats for the 200 on Tuesday, Aug. 16 and another two days off until the final on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Odds To Win 100 Meters

Usain Bolt 1/ 2

Justin Gatlin 13/10

Trayvon Bromell 10/1

Yohan Blake 10/1

Andre De Grasse 22/1

Jimmy Vicaut 28/1

Akani Simbine 50/1

Femi Ogunode 50/1

Nickel Ashmeade 50/1

The full list can be found here.

Odds To Win 200 Meters