Hosts Brazil will win 22 medals at their home Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year – according to the latest version of Infostrada Sports’ Virtual Medal Table (VMT).
The table predicts performance at the Games and is based on world-class sporting events across the globe, including previous Olympics, World Championships and World Cups.
Events are ranked by importance with medal predictions determined by the points accumulated by athletes.
Since the last VMT was revealed at the beginning of January, major events have taken place in handball, tennis, equestrian, golf, judo, sailing and badminton which has led to a readjustment of the tallies.
Infostrada Sports say they have also changed their formula to take into account personal bests for athletics and swimming.
Brazil’s tally of 22 medals will consist of nine golds, eight silvers and five bronzes, according to the VMT.
That increases the tally from January by three, due to the performance of Brazilians in judo, sailing and tennis.
The South American country have set a target to finish inside the top ten for the first time in Rio, and according to the VMT they would just achieve their aim by finishing tenth.
Other changes to the table see Australia move up from sixth to fourth in the medal table, above Great Britain and Germany.
They have now been forecast to win 46 medals, 14 of them gold, with Britain slipping a place to fifth as their Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill fell behind Canada’s Brianne Theisen Eaton in the standings due to the adjustment made to the athletics formula.
Another change has seen France move above South Korea and into eighth, while the United States are still on top of the pile with a projected 94 medals – 42 golds, 24 silvers and 28 bronze.
Russia are third, despite the suspension to their athletics team which threatens their Rio participation.
It was predicted that the country would lose eight medals if the ban is not lifted in time for the Games.
Infostrada developed the first VMT in the build-up to London 2012, with The Times publishing a monthly update from the end of 2010.
The final VMT for London predicted that hosts Britain would win 67 medals, only two more than they actually did.
- By Dan Palmer
- Republished with permission insidethegames.biz