Brits predicted to beat Tokyo haul but with fewer golds

TEAM GB have been predicted to exceed their medal tally from the last Olympics in Paris this summer.

British athletes came away from the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago with 64 medals in all.

Gracenote Virtual Medal Table, a statistical model based on past Olympics, World Championships and World Cups to predict results, has estimated that the British contingent will come away from the French capital with an improvement of 66 medals.

But the gold count is set for a drop to just 13, a big fall from the 22 won in Japan in 2021.

With 100 days to go before the Paris Games begin, the British line-up is far from being finalised, but the 66 medals are expected to come from 22 sports in all, with Britain tipped for the third-highest medal tally of all the nations. It is anticipated the Brits will finish fourth in the medal table behind the United States, China and France by virtue of the host team’s higher gold-medal count.

The British cycling team are once again expected to be responsible for the highest medal haul of 12. Beth Shriever is favoured to successfully defend her BMX racing gold from the last Games, with Tom Pidcock expected to drop back a spot after his golden run in the mountain biking in 2021.

In the wake of Laura Kenny’s retirement, Katie Archibald looks to be the star turn of the track cycling contingent, with the Scot going for gold in three endurance events.

After a tough Tokyo Olympics without a gold, British rowers are expected to win four — and they have a strong contingent in the men’s pair, four and eight.

But the swimmers are not being backed to repeat their four golds in Tokyo, with no golds predicted for a team spearheaded by Adam Peaty, bidding for a third straight Olympic gold, and all-rounder Duncan Scott, who has yet to win an individual Olympic gold.

And no golds are anticipated in the athletics, although lesser medals are expected from Josh Kerr, Keely Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith.