As per usual dominance at the Olympic Games, USA is expected to win the most medals, but China may surpass them in terms of winning the most gold medals — say the Gracenote predictions.The United States is expected to win a total of 112 medals, comprising 39 gold, 32 silver, and 41 bronze. China, on the other hand, is predicted to secure 86 medals in total, with 34 gold, 27 silver, and 25 bronze.
In the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed due to the pandemic and held in 2021, the United States left China at No. 2 to lead in both the overall medal count and the gold medal tally.
Gracenote has based its standings on the total number of medals won, although some others prioritize the rankings based on the number of gold medals earned.
The United States is projected to lead the medal count, marking the eighth straight Summer Games where they have claimed the most overall medals. The last time the US did not top the overall medal count was in 1992 in Barcelona, when the Unified team, made up of athletes from the dissolved Soviet Union, took the top spot.
In terms of gold medals, the last time United States couldn’t secure the highest number was in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.
Following the United States and China, the countries expected to perform well in both overall and gold medal counts are: Britain (63 total – 17 gold), France (60-27), Australia (54-15), Japan (47-13), Italy (46-11), Germany (35-11), Netherlands (34-16), South Korea (26-9).
Rounding out the top 20 are: Canada (21 total – 7 gold), Hungary (20-7), Brazil (18-8), Spain (18-5), Poland (17-3), Denmark (14-5), Turkey (14-4), New Zealand (14-4), Ukraine (13-2), Ethiopia (12-6).
The upcoming Olympics in France are expected to see the host nation’s medal count soar, potentially tripling their gold medal haul from the Tokyo Games. The medals themselves will be unique, featuring a small piece of the iconic Eiffel Tower embedded within them.
Hosting the Olympics often leads to increased investment in sports and the advantage of competing on home turf, which can boost athletes’ performances. Japan, for example, achieved a record-breaking 58 total medals, including 27 gold, when they hosted the Tokyo Olympics. However, their medal count is likely to decrease this time around.
The suspension of Russian and Belarusian participation due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is going to have an effect. In the previous Tokyo Olympics, over 300 Russian athletes competed, but this time, their numbers may be reduced to just a handful, who will play as ‘Neutral Athletes’ and won’t be representing their respective country.
The IOC has mandated that any medals won by these athletes will not be included in the official medal table.
(With AP inputs)