From trailblazing superstars to precocious teenagers, we have picked out the names to watch in our 2020 Tokyo Olympics betting tips.
The opening ceremony gets under way in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, July 23 with coverage on BBC 1 from 12.00pm BST.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
The 34-year-old Jamaican, winner of the women’s 100m in both Beijing and London, sent a timely reminder she remains the one to beat when she clocked 10.63sec in June – the second-fastest time in history behind the late Florence Griffith-Joyner.
In a field now shorn of American rising star Sha’Carri Richardson, the Jamaican’s rivals – including Dina Asher-Smith for Team GB – have their work cut out.
Fraser-Pryce is the clear favourite in the women’s 100 metres at 23/20, with fellow Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah seen as her biggest rival in the Olympics betting at 2/1. Asher-Smith is 9/2 to win gold for Great Britain.
Simone Biles
The world’s greatest gymnast, who won four gold medals and one bronze in Rio, is aiming to become the first woman to defend the all-around title since Vera Caslavska in 1968.
Biles earned her place despite a series of uncharacteristic errors in the US trials: bank on her being back at her best in the Japanese capital.
The American team are 1/10 to win the most gold medals in Olympics betting tips which is reflective of their strength and Biles spearheads their assault.
Naomi Osaka
All eyes will be on Osaka when she returns to action in front of her home fans in Tokyo – whether she likes it or not.
The 23-year-old, a four-time grand slam champion, withdrew from the French Open after being fined for not talking to media, and also skipped Wimbledon to take some time out with her family, but has committed to making her Olympic return.
There would be no more popular winner than Osaka, who is one of the leading lights for the host nation who are 20/1 to win the most gold medals and 3/4 to win a total of over 51.5 medals.
Filippo Ganna
Undisputed king of the cycling time trial, Ganna will start as a clear favourite in the men’s event, and will also switch to the track to join his Italian team-mates in the team pursuit, and potentially also the omnium.
The Team Ineos rider – nicknamed ‘La Bestia’ (‘The Beast’) – won both time trials in this year’s Giro d’Italia and he is expected to figure strongly for Italy, who can be backed at 17/20 to win over 32.5 medals in total in Olympics betting tips.
Ganna will expect to win gold for his country and it is 61/100 that Italy record a haul of more than 8.5 gold medals.
Teddy Riner
The 32-year-old Frenchman heads into the men’s +100kg judo event as the double defending champion.
Riner has won 10 world titles in the course of his illustrious career and was unbeaten for the best part of a decade until February 2020.
His potential final battle with Japan’s Harasawa Hisayoshi could prove one of the moments of the Games.
France’s Olympics odds of 11/10 to eclipse 12.5 gold medals in total may rest on whether Riner can go all the way.
Katie Ledecky
The American swimming superstar is a near-certainty to significantly expand upon her six-medal haul at her third Games.
Ledecky soared through the US trials and is expected to compete in up to six events, including the women’s 1500m, a discipline appearing in the Games for the first time and in which she is almost untouchable.
Looking at the Olympic swimming odds, Ledecky is 5/2 to win the women’s 200m freestyle and 7/4 in the 400m freestyle but Australia’s Ariarne Titmus is favourite in both events so this could be a thrilling battle.
Mary Kom
The remarkable 38-year-old, a six-time world boxing champion who also won Olympic bronze in London in 2012, is back for another shot.
Having risen from a remote part of rural India to become a member of parliament, a mother-of-three and a bona-fide superstar in her homeland, nothing fazes Kom in her quest for another medal.
Armand Duplantis
Nicknamed ‘Mondo’, the American-born Swede is in a world of his own in the men’s pole vault, and a heavy favourite for his first Olympic gold.
Duplantis set a new indoor world record of 6.18m last year, then went on to usurp the great Sergei Bubka’s 26-year-old outdoor best by clearing 6.15m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.
While he is likely to take gold, Sweden are 6/5 to win at least four gold medals in Olympics betting tips so he will need others to step up too if his country are to reach that target.
