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If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that betting on the Olympics won’t be easy. Well, I guess it all depends on what markets you target. And that, when in doubt, bet on the US to win.
Team USA is favored to win the most gold medals, and due to that reality, it should shock no one that three of their athletes have some of the best women’s surfing odds.
Caroline Marks projects as the top challenger to France’s Vahine Fierro, who is favored. It’s a fairly wide open race, which can also be said when looking at the 2024 men’s Olympic surfing odds.
Of course, that also means there’s value to be had. If you’re wondering how to bet on who will win gold in women’s surfing in Paris, read on.
Odds to Win Gold in Women’s Surfing at Paris
France’s Vahine Fierro owns the best odds going into the Paris Olympics. She’s the betting favorite to win gold in women’s surfing, but she’s far from a lock.
There are six total women with odds at +750 or better, suggesting this race is wide open. Take a look at the latest pricing at sports betting sites online.
2024 Women’s Surfing Gold Medal Odds | |
---|---|
Vahine Fierro +300 | Carolina Marks +450 |
Caitlin Simmers +500 | Tatiana Weston-Webb +500 |
Molly Picklum +750 | Brisa Hennessy +750 |
Tyler Wright +1000 | Carissa Moore +1000 |
Johanne Defay +1400 | Luana Silva +3300 |
The odds to win gold in women’s surfing at the 2024 Paris Games are pretty interesting. First, you have newcomer Fierro as the favorite, even though there are more proven options around her.
Of course, she’s a French athlete and these are the Paris Olympics, so conventional wisdom suggests the crowd could be on her side.
There’s also Carssa Moore, who at +1000 feels like a steal since she won gold in Tokyo in this event four years ago. Repeating as the gold medal winner won’t be easy, but the value associated with her is clear (more on that in a bit).
Overall, there are several viable contenders here, but my job is to separate the true contenders from the rest of the pack. First, let’s inspect why Fierro might be a good favorite to back, and then look at what other bets might be worth making.
Why is Vahine Fierro Favored to Win Women’s Olympic Surfing Gold?
The 24-year old Fierro will have the backing of her home country, but is there more reason to bet on her as the 2024 women’s Olympic surfing favorite?
I’d say so, as she has some strong history – and quite a bit of talent – behind her.
Not only did she take the surfing world by storm by winning the Jeep World Junior Championship in 2017, but she’s since taken home titles at the Turtle Bay Resort Pro and most recently won the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro.
Fierro has also had solid success in the World Games. She claimed gold at the 2021 La Bocana, and two silver medals – 2023 La Bocana and 2024 Arecibo – along with a bronze medal finish at the 2022 Huntington Beach.
This is a very accomplished surfer, and now she’s ready to finally put her name on the map from a global level. She doesn’t necessarily have the competitive experience of some of the other athletes in this event, but she’s as good of a bet as anyone.
Top 2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Surfing Contenders
Vahine Fierro is a great option to start with, but she’s far from the only women’s surfer you should consider betting on when the Paris Games start.
Here are two other viable contenders that could win gold in women’s surfing in 2024.
Caroline Marks +450
If you’re interested in betting on Team USA this year, one solid option to start with could be Caroline Marks. She owns the second best women’s Olympic surfing odds, and she also has some nice experience.
She competed at the last Summer Games in Tokyo, finding a way to reach the bronze medal match. She ultimately lost to Amuro Tsuzuki, but it was a relatively close competition.
While her end result wasn’t what she wanted, Marks performed well up to that point in Tokyo. In her initial Heat, she scored 13.40, which was second best among all surfers.
Marks didn’t bring home a medal in her first Olympics, but the 22-year old gained valuable experience. She’s also racked up seven WSL Championship Tour wins and has gained serious steam after winning the 2023 World Surf League title.
It’s quite arguable Marks should be the women’s Olympic surfing favorite going into Paris. The fact that you can get her at +450 odds makes her a solid value compared to the current favorite.
Brisa Hennessy +750
There are a few other contenders in terms of price and other accolades, but I’ll just focus on the other surfer I think can actually win gold in Paris this year.
That’d be none other than Brisa Hennessy. Apart from having an awesome last name, Brisa was also among the best performers in her initial Heat, and smoked Ella Williams in the third round.
She wouldn’t get any further than that, but she now knows how to get out of the first round and advance to the Quarter-finals.
Hennessy has since had even more success, too, as she locked up the Roxy Pro France title in 2021 and won the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach championship in 2022. Other accomplishments on her resume include a gold medal at the Pan American Games and two ISA World gold medals.
Her showing in Tokyo wasn’t exactly ideal, but Hennessy has the experience and talent to take things up a notch in Paris. Getting her at +750 as she heads into the Summer Games makes her an even more appealing bet.
Best 2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Surfing Value Bet
There are quite a few surfers worth backing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but if we’re talking pure value, Carissa Moore stands out at +1000. And in all reality, it’s not particularly close.
The price is obviously fantastic, but it’s made more alluring by the fact that the American is the only woman to win gold in surfing.
She was the big winner four years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, and it wasn’t that close. Moore made quick work of Bianca Buitendag (14.93 to 9.46) and the rest is history. Her journey to gold wasn’t easy (she barely made it out of the Semifinals), but she performed well at every stage.
The 31-year old Moore is probably looking at her last crack at a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, too, so there’s a narrative backing her repeat bid. This is also one of the most accomplished women surfers of all-time, too.
That gold medal was the icing on the cake for an illustrious career, as she’s been inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame and has piled up numerous titles. She’s also had plenty of recent success, having claimed a world championship in 2021 and winning the Triple Crown of Surfing in 2023.
When you package the price with her talent and production, Moore is far and away the most intriguing bet for the women’s Olympic surfing competition in Paris.
2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Surfing Prediction
Ultimately, the value associated with the only women’s Olympic surfing gold medal winner is too good for me to pass up.
You can roll with the top betting favorite or some of the other contenders, but getting Carissa Moore at +1000 odds is difficult to ignore.
Moore obviously dominated four years ago at Tokyo, and her resume speaks for herself. When you can get a surfer that is this accomplished and this experienced, you have to pounce.
The nice thing is Moore has maintained strong form since her big gold medal win, and she’ll also have a major incentive to take advantage of this opportunity.
With this almost certainly being her last shot at another gold medal, she should be determined and focused as she tries to secure another win at the Olympics.
Bet: Carissa Moore +1000