Medal hopes at track, pool, golf course for Canada

The magic number is 20. Canada’s Olympic team will be hardpressed to get there in Rio.

Canada hasn’t cracked the 20medal barrier at a Summer Olympics since 22 earned in 1996.

Canada likely needs 20 in Rio to be in contention for the stated goal of a top-12 ranking among countries in total medals won.

The Canadian Press predicts 19 medals — two gold, five silver and a dozen bronze — for Canada. CP picks paddler Mark de Jonge of Halifax and Toronto pole vaulter Shawnacy Barber to win gold.

CP predicted 22 medals for London in 2012 and overshot by four. Canada finished tied for 13th with 18 medals, including one gold.

The sports data company Infostrada was projecting 16 medals for Canada on Tuesday — three gold, eight silver and five bronze — and ranked the country 19th.

Canada ranks 11th in world championship medals. Here is a look at where CP believes some of Canada’s medals will come from in Rio:

CANOE/KAYAK

1 gold — A bronze medallist in 2012, Mark de Jonge of Halifax is a gold-medal favourite in the K1 200-metre sprint.

CYCLING

1 silver, 1 bronze — The Pan American Games velodrome in Milton, is a game-changer for Canadian track cycling. Led by quadruple Pan Am medallist Jasmin Glaesser of Vancouver, the women’s pursuit team has been ranked in the world’s top three since a bronze in 2012. The women’s team is deep enough to produce a medal in individual races.

DIVING

2 bronze — Winners of synchro bronze medals in 2012, Montreal’s Meaghan Benfeito and Jennifer Abel and Roseline Filion of Laval, Que., are medal contenders again in both the synchronized boards and their individual events. Abel and Montreal’s Pamela Ware are ranked No. 3 in the world in synchro springboard.

GOLF

1 silver — The meteoric rise of 18year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, to world No. 2 and her first LPGA major win coincides with women’s golf making its Summer Games debut.

GYMNASTICS

1 bronze — Rosie MacLennan says she’s back on track for Rio after dealing with concussion symptoms last year. If the King City, trampolinist doesn’t have another setback, Canada’s lone gold medallist in London is a medal contender again.

RUGBY SEVENS

1 bronze — Paced by international scoring star Ghislaine Landry of Toronto, the women’s side is Canada’s strongest chance for a medal in a team sport.

SWIMMING

1 silver, 2 bronze — Victoria’s Ryan Cochrane, a 2012 silver medallist in the 1,500 freestyle, is a contender again in that distance plus the 400 freestyle. Deep in female freestyle sprinters, a relay medal is possible for Canada. Rio could be the coming-out party for 16-yearold Toronto sensation Penny Oleksiak.

TRACK AND FIELD

1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze — Coming off a best-ever performance at the 2015 world athletics championship, Canada has numerous threats in Rio: Barber (pole vault); Derek Drouin (high jump) Andre De Grasse (100); Damian Warner (decathlon); Melissa Bishop (800); Brianne Theisen (heptathlon).