{"id":120246,"date":"2024-07-31T16:32:58","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T20:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=120246"},"modified":"2024-07-31T16:35:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T20:35:32","slug":"olympic-champion-donovan-bailey-spills-his-paris-2024-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/the-scene\/olympic-champion-donovan-bailey-spills-his-paris-2024-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic champion Donovan Bailey spills his Paris 2024 predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"
Like most Canadian track and field fans, 1996 Olympic champion and former 100m world record holder Donovan Bailey<\/strong><\/a> is eagerly awaiting the start of athletics at the Paris Olympics (the sprint events begin Friday). With a deep roster of Canadian athletes making their Olympic debuts<\/a> or returning for another Games, Bailey has high hopes for breakthrough performances and trips to the podium, and he shared his top picks for the sprint events with us.<\/p>\n The Canadian 100m record holder has bumped watching the Olympics to the very top of his to-do list. Since sprinting runs in his blood, it’s no surprise he’s excited to watch the Canadian men’s and women’s 100m and 4x100m relay performances;<\/a> he also looks forward to cheering on 2023 world champion Marco Arop<\/strong> as he aims to upgrade his 800m semi-final finish at Tokyo 2020 with a trip to the podium in Paris.<\/p>\n The 100m prodigy isn’t certain where he should place his bets for who will take gold in the men’s 100m. He believes the two Jamaicans, Kishane Thompson<\/strong> and Oblique Seville<\/strong>, should be favoured, along with the reigning world champion, Noah Lyles<\/strong><\/a>. But Bailey suggests not overlooking Team USA’s Fred Kerley <\/strong>and the three Africans (Letsile Tebogo<\/strong>,\u00a0Akani<\/strong> Simbine<\/strong> and\u00a0Fernidand<\/strong> Omanyala)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n “The match-up is going to be fierce,” Bailey says. Of course, we can expect him to be cheering the loudest for Canada’s Andre De Grasse<\/strong><\/a>, Duan Asemota<\/strong>\u00a0and Aaron Brown<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On the women’s side, he agrees that Sha’Carri Richardson<\/strong> is the obvious favourite, on paper. “My sentimental favourite would be Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce<\/strong><\/a>,” Bailey says. “She’s one of the greatest female sprinters, and one of the greatest ambassadors for our sport. It’s her last Olympics, so it would be great to see her win.”<\/p>\n
Men’s 100m predictions<\/h2>\n

Women’s 100m favourites<\/h2>\n