- CJ Nickolas of the United States won silver at the 2023 World Championships in the -80 kilograms class
- Simon Alessio from Italy is the betting favorite to win the 2023 -80kg class in Paris
- The men’s -80kg taekwondo competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris takes place on August 9
Taekwondo has been an official part of the Olympic program since 2000. Since then, South Korea has been the dominant force in the sport, winning 22 medals (12 gold, three silver, seven bronze). China has 11 medals (seven gold, one silver, three bronze). The United States has the third most medals in the sport with 10 (three gold, two silver, five bronze). This year, 128 taekwondo fighters, with an equal distribution between men and women, will compete in the sport in Paris. The men’s and women’s divisions each have four weight divisions, with each weight class consisting of 16 athletes.
There is a rule change at this year’s Olympic Games. Each match will be decided in a best-of-three format. The winner is the athlete who wins two of the three rounds. If a round ends in a tie, several tiebreakers are in effect. Because of the new format, there is no “golden point round” or sudden-death overtime period in Paris.
Before we look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the men’s -80kg Taekwondo 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 -80 kg Olympic Taekwondo betting picks
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Simone Alessio
In 2019, a 19-year-old Simone Alessio became the first Italian to win gold in taekwondo at the World Championships. Alessio captured his medal in the -74kg division that year. In 2020, Alessio qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at -80kg, but he did not last long, losing in the second round to eventual bronze-medal winner Seif Eissa of Egypt. Things did not go well for Alessio at the 2022 World Championships, as he was matched up with Altangereliin Azbayar in the first round. Azbayar went on to win silver that year. Undaunted, Alessio won the 2023 World Championship, defeating Eissa in the semifinals and CJ Nickolas of the United States in the final.
The 24-year-old won the Austrian Open, Belgian Open, and Serbia Open this year while losing in the quarterfinal of the European Championship to Maksim Khramtsov of Russia.
Seo Geon-Woo
Korea did not win a single gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, the first time that had ever happened. The team did medal, picking up one silver and two bronze in Tokyo, but not one South Korean athlete stood at the top of the podium. The team hopes to change that outcome in 2024 in Paris. One athlete who will be in the running for a gold medal is Seo Geon-Woo, who is participating in his first Olympic games at 20 years old.
This year, Woo won a gold medal at the US Open, a bronze medal at the Canada Open, and a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.
Carl Nickolas
Carl Nickolas, who is better known as CJ, might be the US teams best hope for a gold medal in men’s taekwondo at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The American team did not have a single man earn a medal in Tokyo in taekwondo. That had never happened before to the US squad in Olympic competition.
Nickolas, who recently turned 23, fell to Alessio in the World Championships in 2023 for a silver. He has performed well in 2024, winning gold medals at the WT Presidents Cup, Pan American Championships, and Rio Open, while picking up a silver at the Austrian Open and a bronze at the US Open. Alessio defeated Nickolas in Austria, and Henrique Marques bested him at the US Open.
Best Bets 2024 Men’s Olympic Taekwondo –80kg
Simone Alessio has been the dominant force in the men’s -80kg division in taekwondo as of late. The betting pick is that Simone Alessio will win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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