- Teddy Riner of France looks to win a record-tying third individual Olympic gold medal
- Kim Min-jong of South Korea is the 2024 World Champion in judo in the +100 kg weight class
- Tatsuru Saito of Japan, who won the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, is in the hunt for a medal in Paris
One of the best judokas to ever compete, Teddy Riner, looks to win his third Olympic gold medal in front of a hometown crowd in Paris. The 35-year-old Riner won gold at +100kg in 2012 and 2016, while earning bronze in 2008 and 2020. In addition to his Olympic successes, Riner has 11 world championship titles to his name, most recently winning in 2023. There is speculation that the 2024 Olympics in Paris could be the last games for Riner, but he recently said he wants to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.
Kim Min-jong became the first Korean judoka to win the heavyweight world championship since 1985 when he took the title in 2024. The 23-year-old participated in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but he did not get past the round of 16. Look for that outcome to be different in Paris.
Tatsuru Saito, the son of Hitoshi Saito, who won back-to-back gold medals in judo for Japan at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, placed second in the World Championship in 2022.
Before we look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the men’s +100kg Judo competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, check out our tips for betting on the 2024 Paris Olympics and while you’re at it, check out our UFC betting picks.
Men’s +100 kg Olympic Judo betting picks
Teddy Riner
Teddy Riner is the most successful judoka to ever compete. The French heavyweight has won eleven world titles, no other man has won more than four world championships in Judo. When talk of the greatest judoka of all time comes up, Riner’s name is often mentioned. Riner won gold at the 2024 Paris Grand Slam beating Kim Min-jong and then won the Antalya Grand Slam by defeating Tatsuru Saito.
When Riner lost to Kageura Kokoro of Japan at the 2020 Olympics, it ended a 10-year-unbeaten streak of 154 matches.
Riner has been looking forward to competing at the Paris Olympics for some time. Earlier this year, after his victory at the Paris Grand Slam, he said, “Having the Olympics at home is what motivates me. It is magical and it brings a lot of emotion.” Winning an Olympic gold medal in his home country will be a dream come true for Riner.
Kim Min-jong
In 2024, Kim Min-jong defeated 2020 Olympic silver medal winner Guram Tushishvili to win the 2024 world championship. Kim feels that he has learned a great deal since his first Olympic run in 2020. “As I prepare for my second Olympics, I’ve been working hard on my mental game, and I am ready to show people that I’ve grown mentally as well as physically,” Kim said earlier this year. “When you compete at a high level, I think there is very little separation between athletes in terms of technical abilities. It really comes down to mental fortitude.”
Kim battled Riner in the final of the 2024 Grand Slam in Paris, but came up short in that matchup, capturing silver.
Tatsuru Saito
In 2022, Tatsuru Saito won the All-Japan Judo Championships to become the third-youngest athlete to win that event. He had turned 20 one month before his victory. Saito earned a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships and picked up gold at the Grand Slam Qazaqstan Barysy in 2024. Most recently, Saito won a silver medal at the Grand Slam in Antalya in 2024, losing in the final to Riner. The matchup against Riner gave him some experience against the betting favorite heading into the 2024 Olympics, it also gave him confidence, as Saito said after that loss, “I think I can win, I have no fear. I will get stronger. I just have to keep improving.”
Best Bets 2024 Men’s Olympic Judo – +100kg
Experience will play a massive role in the men’s +100kg judo Olympic competition, and no one has the experience or the accomplishments of Teddy Riner heading into the event. The betting pick is for Teddy Riner to win Olympic Gold in the +100kg weight division in judo in Paris. For those looking for better betting value, a wager on Kim Min-jong and/or Tasuru Saito to pull off an upset is worth it, considering the odds.
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