With the Paris Olympics just 100 days away, projections suggest that the United States and China are poised to dominate the medal standings once again, mirroring their performance in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
According to Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, renowned for its statistical analysis in sports, the United States is expected to claim a total of 123 medals, including 39 golds, while China is forecasted to secure 89 medals, with 35 of them being gold.
Gracenote’s rankings, based on overall medals won, indicate a strong performance from the USA, continuing its streak of being the top medal-winning nation in the Summer Games for the eighth consecutive time. However, in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China edged out the USA in the gold-medal count, showcasing the investment dividends made by the host nation.
Following closely in the medal projections are other powerhouses like Britain, France, Australia, and Japan, each anticipating notable medal hauls in various sporting disciplines.
France, as the host nation, is expected to capitalize on home advantage, potentially tripling its gold-medal output from the Tokyo Olympics. With an expanded participation across 25 sports, France aims to leverage increased investment in athlete training and the support of enthusiastic local crowds.
However, the projections come with a caveat regarding the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes, who have been largely absent from international competitions due to geopolitical tensions. Gracenote acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding their participation and its potential impact on the final medal standings.
While Russia and Belarus are barred from team sports due to the conflict in Ukraine, individual athletes undergo a stringent vetting process to compete under a neutral status, adding another layer of complexity to the medal predictions.
Despite these uncertainties, Gracenote expresses confidence in the accuracy of its forecasts, emphasizing its reliance on available data to provide insights into the potential medal outcomes at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
