Tokyo Olympics: Women's 100m freestyle preview
The Women's 100-meter freestyle takes place at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, July 28. The market has identified a clear favorite, but is there value elsewhere down the board?
Let's preview the odds to win gold, as well as who can supplant the chalk.
Odds to win gold
| Athlete | Odds |
|---|---|
| Emma McKeon (AUS) | -110 |
| Cate Campbell (AUS) | +250 |
| Penny Oleksiak (CAN) | +500 |
| Wu Qingfeng (CHN) | +850 |
| Zhang Yufei (CHN) | +1000 |
| Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) | +1000 |
| Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | +1100 |
| Femke Heemskerk (NED) | +1400 |
| Erika Brown (USA) | +2000 |
| Pernille Blume (DEN) | +2000 |
| Siobhan Haughey (HKG) | +2000 |
| Yang Junxuan (CHN) | +2000 |
| Abbey Weitzeil (USA) | +2000 |
| Marie Wattel (FRA) | +2500 |
| Anna Hopkin (GBR) | +3300 |
| Freya Anderson (GBR) | +3300 |
| Taylor Ruck (CAN) | +4000 |
| Maria Kameneva (ROC) | +5000 |
| Federica Pellegrini (ITA) | +5500 |
| Michelle Coleman (SWE) | +5500 |
| Rikako Ikee (JPN) | +6600 |
Competition breakdown
McKeon showed why she's the favorite at the Australian Olympic trials last month, posting a time of 52.35 seconds. The 27-year-old's poised for success after nabbing four medals - one gold and two silvers in relay races and another bronze in the 200-meter freestyle - at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Behind her, Campbell might be the best value pick on the board. The former world record holder's been great in the games, taking home two bronze medals in 2008, gold in 2012, and one gold and one silver in 2016. Campbell also finished second behind McKeon at the trials, recording a time of 52.59 seconds.
The United States boasts one of the top overall groups, but good luck trying to pinpoint which athlete will beat out McKeon or Campbell: None of the qualifiers posted a time better than 53.5 in the trials.
The Netherlands also has a pair of hopefuls, led by Kromowidjojo. The 30-year-old's been great on the big stage, winning three gold medals and a silver to boot at the Olympics. She's also racked up plenty of hardware in the World Championships, earning three gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals in total.
Oleksiak, meanwhile, is also another intriguing look at +500. She took the world by storm as a 16-year-old at the 2016 Games and racked up four medals, including gold in the 100m freestyle.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. Find him on Twitter @AjKolodziej.