The 100m race is often considered the headline event of athletic competitions in the Olympics. In the men’s section, this race has been dominated by a certain Usain Bolt for the better part of a decade.
But now that the fastest man on earth has hung up his boots after a glittering career, it is time to look for the new speed king. And the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will give us a fair idea of who that might be.
Athletes like Usain Bolt do not come around often, maybe once in a generation. What we might see instead will probably be several young rising stars facing off against more experienced sprinters who were forced to run in the shadow of Bolt.
Whatever the outcome, this increased competition and the suspense and drama that will inevitably accompany is good for the future of the sport in general. And there is a special reason for Canadians to feel optimistic about the future as well!
That last point will become clearer as we take a look at the favorites for the 100m Olympic race in 2020 right now:
- Christian Coleman – USA
The American sprinter is the current hot favorite to take the Olympic crown in 100m held by Usain Bolt for the last three games. The 23-year old finished ahead of Bolt in his final race at the 2017 IAAF World Championships.
Since then, Coleman’s star has been on the ascendancy. After claiming gold in the 60m race at the World Indoor Championships in 2017, Coleman went on to win the World Athletic Championships in 2019, with a stunning time of 9.76s, making him the sixth-fastest man in the world.
Controversies about missed drugs tests have slightly dented his achievements so far. But of all the current crop of sprinters, Coleman looks the most likely to claim the top spot in Tokyo. And the bookies agree, having given him odds of 1/1which is quite telling.
- Noah Lyles – USA
The post-Bolt era in sprint seems destined to be dominated by Americans, not Jamaicans. 22-year-old Noah Lyles is yet another promising sprinter from the US with a chance to strike gold in the next Olympics.
He is a specialist in the 100m and 200m events, with personal bests of 9.86 seconds and 19.50 seconds. A former gymnast who made the switch to track and field at the age of 10, Lyle has gold medals in the 2018 Continental Cup (100m and 4×100 relay).
His most recent exploits in the Doha World Athletics Championships saw him win gold in the 200m, as well as the men’s 100m relay. Thanks to these results, Olympic 2020 Betting Odds has him at 3/1for gold in 100m at Tokyo, behind Coleman.
- Andre De Grasse – Canada
Canada’s biggest hope in 2020, De Grasse is the first Canadian to win three medals in sprint events at a single Olympics. The reigning champion of 100 and 200m races at Pan American Games, the 24-year-old is the fastest Canadian athlete of this generation.
The Scarborough, Ontario native has competed against Usain Bolt in the past and earned praise from the legend. A huge fan ofthe current NBA Champions– the Toronto Raptors, he is entering the prime of his career and will be looking to bring further sporting glory to Canada in 2020.
In 2019, De Grasse finished behind Coleman and Lyles at the World Championships in Doha, with bronze in the 100m and silver in the 200m. Understandably, his odds are longer at the moment, at 12/1for the 100 Olympic sprints.
- Justin Gatlin – USA
It is quite a miracle that Justin Gatlin is still racing at the age of 37, and winning as well. Although unfortunate enough to have competed against Usain Bolt in his prime, Gatlin has survived longer on the track.
A controversial figure due to his various doping infractions including a 4-year ban in 2006, Gatlin is still considered a very capable sprinter. He has five Olympic medals to his name and holds the record of the fifth fastest man in history.
2020 will be his final season in track and field. If he successfully competes at the Tokyo Olympics, he will break Gail Dever’s record of the oldest US Olympic sprinter. With odds of 7/1, he might even win the race!
- Zharnel Hughes
Rounding off the list of top 5 sprinters for 2020 is the British-Anguillan athlete Zharnel Hughes. Born in the British territory in the Caribbean, Hughes has been competing for GB since 2015. A clubmate of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake at the Racers Track Club in Jamaica, Hughes is the Commonwealth and European champion in 100m and 4x100m relays.
With a personal best 9.91s in 100m, he is by default the slowest of the five listed here. As a result, his odds are also the longest, at around 20/1.
