- Three co-favorites at +400 signal a tightly matched men’s 10km sprint field.
- Perrot leads the World Cup overall, but Giacomel’s sprint form keeps the outlook wide open.
- Giacomel racing at home in Italy and Norway’s legendary Olympic track record add major wildcards to the outcome.
MILANO CORTINA – The men’s 10km biathlon sprint at the 2026 Winter Olympics opens with three joint favorites, all priced at +400, pointing to one of the most closely contested betting markets on the board.
To Win the Gold:
- Eric Perrot (France): +400
- Johan-Olav Botn (Norway): +400
- Tommaso Giacomel (Italy): +400
Olympic betting sites list France’s Eric Perrot, Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn, and Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel at identical prices for the Olympic men’s sprint. The 10km race is the shortest solo biathlon format and includes two range visits — one prone and one standing — so success typically comes down to a balance of fast skiing and clean shooting.
Eric Perrot – France’s Consistent Leader
Coming into Milano Cortina, Eric Perrot is at the top of the individual, pursuit, and mass start divisions and is ranked first overall in the World Cup rankings. He won gold in the 20-kilometer solo and mixed relay at the most recent World Championships in Lenzerheide, and he also took home a pursuit bronze. At the Hochfilzen World Cup in December earlier this season, he won his first pursuit event. His flawless performance on the range solidified his place among the top competitors.
Given his consistent shooting under duress, Perrot is still a significant contender in the 10km event even though he is presently ranked third in the sprint rankings. That composed, error-free performance in Hochfilzen demonstrated the kind of poise usually required to compete for Olympic gold.
Johan-Olav Botn – Norway’s Reliable Contender
Johan-Olav Botn has been rock solid this season, sitting fourth in the overall World Cup standings with consistent top-six results across every discipline. At Hochfilzen, he snagged bronze in the pursuit and nearly cracked the podium in the sprint with a fourth-place finish, proving he can run with the elite when the pressure’s on.
Due in significant part to Norway’s traditional supremacy in the biathlon at Olympic contests, he is even with the favorites in legal sports betting markets, but slightly lower overall rankings. With its skiers winning gold in the men’s sprint at four of the last six Winter Games, Norway has more Olympic biathlon medals than any other country.
Tommaso Giacomel – Italy’s Home Ice Advantage
Tommaso Giacomel won the sprint and pursuit races in Oberhof earlier this season. Most significantly, he beat Perrot by four seconds in the sprint in Hochfilzen, the same format in which they would compete for Olympic gold. That head-to-head outcome is really important. Given that Giacomel is dominating the sprint-specific World Cup rankings, which is the precise discipline being contested, the +400 odds on him seem rather significant.
In the mass start, pursuit, and overall World Cup standings, he holds second place. His capacity to perform under pressure was evident with a silver medal in the 20km individual at the World Championships. Competing on home soil in Milano Cortina also gives him the benefit of strong local support.
