OLYMPICS : Will Usain Bolt win the 100m again?

The 100m sprint is the headline event of the Olympics track and field program and especially since the arrival of record-breaking Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

WHO ARE THE CONTENDERS FOR THE MENS 100M RACE?

Usain Bolt is currently the fastest man in the world and holds the Olympic and World Records in the 100m. He shot to fame in 2008 by winning two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, setting a 100m world record in the process. He later beat his 2008 time of 9.69secs in 2009, which saw him lower the 100m to 9.58secs.

However, it has not been all plain sailing as Bolt was disqualified from the 100m final at the 2011 World Championships because of a false start. Despite that Bolt is the 1.78 favourite at PinnacleSports to defend his Olympic title and win Olympic gold at London 2012.

This year Bolt held his nerve and ran the year's fastest 100 metres at the Jamaica International Invitational. He ran 9.82sec in his first individual race of 2012, erasing the season‑leading time of 9.90 set by Yohan Blake.

But Yohan Blake is a major threat, as the current World Champion and training partner of Usain Bolt holds the national junior record for the 100 metres as is within 1/10th of second of Bolt this season.

Blake is priced as the 2.79 second favourite at PinnacleSports to win the 100m final at London 2012 and heads to the Olympics in fantastic form after beating Bolt in the 100m final at the Jamaican Olympic trials.

An outside contender to win the Men’s 100m sprint is American Tyson Gay, who is offered at 14.50(again at PinnacleSports) to win in London. Gay remains the only sprinter to have defeated Usain Bolt in a final since Bolt made his first world record run in 2008.

Will The 100m World Record Be Broken?

Despite the excitement around a Bolt/Blake face-off, bookmakers at Pinnacle Sports predict that the rivalry won't push either of the pair to break the existing 100m sprint World Record of 9.58 seconds.

It's no surprise that the existing 100m record is priced at a low 1.23 to remain in place after London – Bolt hasn't even come close to that time since setting it in China. He ran a 9.84 in Paris and a 9.97 at the DN Galan in 2010. 2011 saw him reach 9.79 in a Diamond League race – still over 0.2 seconds above his best.

Blake still only has a personal best of 9.75 seconds – a long way away from the World Record. Still, he has already shaved his 2012 time down from 9.84 seconds at the Cayman Invitational to 9.75 at the Jamaican Olympics trial – could he cut a further 0.18?

Check out PinnacleSports for the best betting lines on the 2012 London Olympics)