Home » Paris Olympics 800m Odds: The Fastest Race Of The Games?

Paris Olympics 800m Odds: The Fastest Race Of The Games?

Sports

Paris Olympics 800m Odds: The Fastest Race Of The Games?

by
July 25, 2024February 12, 2023
Paris Olympics 800m Odds: The Fastest Race Of The Games?

The 800 meters is back and arguably more sensational than ever before.

On July 7, 2024, in what was basically training before the Paris Olympics, several runners broke the 1-minute, 42-second barrier in the 800 meters. Astonishingly, their performances put them each in the top 5 all-time in the event, which has been one of the premier athletics races for over a century. 

At Stade Charléty in Paris, Djamel Sedjati (Algeria), Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) and Gabriel Tual (France) went 1-2-3 in a photo finish.

Sedjati narrowly won with a time of 1:41.56, making him the third-fastest man in history over two laps. He crushed his personal best by more than 1.5 seconds.

Wanyonyi was close behind at 1:41.58, making him the fourth-fastest runner in the event’s storied history. He ran a 1:41.70 in June, so his time was a smaller improvement over his personal best.

And then there was Tual, whose 1:41.60 obliterated his previous PB of 1:43.99.

Watch this historic race below:

At just 19, Wanyonyi is the youngest of the trio. Sedjati is 25 and Tual is 26.

The July 7 race was even more improbable when you consider that another pair of runners (Aaron Cheminingwa and Wyclife Kinyamal of Kenya) ran 1:42.08, tying for the 10th-fastest time in event history.

And another athlete, Eliott Crestan of Belgium, ran 1:42.43, good for 17th all-time.

The world record of 1:40.91 was set by Kenyan David Rudisha at the 2012 London Olympics. Rudisha led from the start in one of the greatest Olympic track and field performances ever. 

The first men’s 800-meter world record was recognized in 1912 when American Ted Meredith ran 1:51.9 at the Olympic Games in Sweden.

Sedjati Favored For Gold

The performances on July 7 mean that Rudisha’s world record is vulnerable at the Paris Olympics and the 800-meter final on August 10 could be the fastest ever by average time.

Rudisha’s record falling would be a betting underdog, as he still has the fastest three single performances in 800-meter history.

Despite losing on July 7, Wanyonyi probably would have been the betting odds favorite to win gold because he had two sub-1:42 performances this year. However, Sedjati proved his 1:41 performance wasn’t a fluke in a July 12 race in Monaco. Sedjati took a tenth of a second off his recent personal best with another jaw-dropping time of 1:41.46.

Accordingly, Sedjati is the betting odds favorite in Paris, with Wanyonyi sitting in second on the odds board.

Here’s a look at the full list on DraftKings Sportsbook.

  • Djamel Sedjati [ALG]: −185
  • Emmanuel Wanyonyi [KEN]: +250
  • Gabriel Tual [FRA]: +700
  • Marco Arop [CAN]: +1200
  • Bryce Hoppel [USA]: +2000
  • Wyclife Kinyamal [KEN]: +2200
  • Mohamed Attaoui [ESP]: +2200
  • Slimane Moula [ALG]: +3500
  • Ben Pattison [GBR]: +5000
  • Koitatoi Kidali [KEN]: +5000
  • Max Burgin [GBR]: +5000
  • Jake Wightman [GBR]: +5000
  • Andreas Kramer [SWE]: +8000
  • Yanis Meziane [FRA]: +8000
  • Benjamin Robert [FRA]: +10000
  • Hobbs Kessler [USA]: +10000
  • Catalin Tecuceanu [ITA]: +10000
  • Brandon Miller [USA]: +15000
  • Peyton Craig [AUS]: +20000
  • Elvin Canales [ESP]: +20000
  • Tshepiso Masalela [BOT]: +20000
  • Adrian Ben [ESP]: +25000
  • James Preston [NZL]: +25000
  • Mark English [IRL]: +30000

A rabbit on July 7 took the field out in a sub-49-second first lap. There won’t be one in the Olympics.

Also in contention for a medal is American Bryce Hoppel, who won the U.S. Olympic Trials in June with a 1:42.77, becoming the 32nd-fastest ever in the event. Donavan Brazier set the American record of 1:42.34 in 2019.

Most sports betting sites posted odds for the 800 meters.

Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images