Tokyo Olympics: Men's Pole Vault Odds

Currently holding both the indoor and outdoor European Championship titles, Armand Duplantis will be on the lookout for gold at his first Olympic Games. A childhood sensation, Duplantis has sent shockwaves throughout the pole vaulting world, despite his tender age.

Born in the United States, the 21-year-old decided against representing his native country, instead, opted for the nation of his mother’s birth, Sweden. Now, after. being crowned Junior World Champion in 2018, Duplantis enters his maiden Olympics as the odds on favourite to take the title.

With a personal best of 6.15 metres, the Swedish athlete is priced at 1/5 to win gold this summer.

A six-time outdoor national champion, the hopes of USA gold in the men’s pole vault rest firmly on the shoulders of Sam Kendricks. Having won bronze at Rio 2016, the 28-year-old will return to the Olympics hoping to improve on his performance from five years ago.

Since the last games, Kendricks has achieved astonishing back-to-back World Championship titles and is best placed to challenge Duplantis. Firstly in 2017 and then in 2019, Kendricks became the first non-European to retain gold in the pole vault at a World Championships.

At 9/2 to win gold, backing the American could turn out to be a solid market.

Without question the most experienced competitor amongst the favourites in the men’s pole vault, Renaud Lavillenie, will compete in his third games when he takes to the field in Tokyo. Jumping to gold in his first Olympic appearance at London 2012, Lavillenie followed up his triumph with silver at Rio 2016.

Now 34 years old, the Frenchman would become the most successful Olympic pole vaulter of all time with another gold this summer. Having recovered from a knee surgery post-Rio 2016, Lavillenie is 12/1 to make history and be crowned Olympic champion once more.

A three-time medallist at the World Championships, Piotr Lisek will be searching for his first Olympic medal after heartache at his maiden games in 2016. Finishing fourth just 0.10 metres off the bronze medal position, the Polish jumper fell agonisingly short five years ago, yet enters the games ranked third in the world.

With a personal best of 6.02 metres, Lisek will no doubt threaten the favourites, but is unlikely to take the crown. As an outside shot to be named Olympic champion, Lisek is priced at 25/1 to upset the odds and finish on the top step of the podium in Tokyo.

Having only turned professional last July, Chris Nilsen is one of a number of athletes who have benefited from the postponement of the games. Tipped for big things, Nilsen is unlikely to challenge for gold this summer, yet he was the only American pole-vaulter to clear 5.90 metres at the Team USA trials.

Making his debut at the Olympics, the 23-year-old does have a gold-medal-winning pedigree, having taken the top spot at the 2019 Pan American Games. With the odds stacked against him, Nilsen’s chances don’t look great going into the event, yet stranger things have happened and the American is 50/1 to cause a shock this summer.