China is on track to return to the top of the medals table at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year ahead of the US and Russia, according to a benchmark study yesterday released by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
The annual study, which analyses the results in Olympic events at world championships and other elite events, gave China 39 gold medals based on the performances of its athletes this year.
The US, table-toppers in London in 2012, would have won 35 gold medals ahead of Russia (25) with Japan the best of the rest behind the three sporting superpowers on 18.
Meanwhile, Rio host nation Brazil would have finished outside the top 20 on the medals table with just three golds.
Britain, which benefited from the traditional host nation bump to finish third in London, would have been joint fifth with neighboring France on 15 golds, while Australia and Germany tied for seventh on 13 in the study.
That tally would nearly double Australia’s tally of seven golds in London, where a 10th place finish on the medals table gave the sports-mad country one of its most disappointing Olympic Games of recent years.
Kitty Chiller, Australia’s Chef de Mission for Rio, was encouraged by the data and said that the AOC’s target of a top-five finish next year was a viable, if tough, goal.
“We have moved from a total of seven gold in London in 2012 to 13 gold this year,” she said. “Overall we’ve had a better year, the gold medal tally is a tremendous improvement and the signs are good for Rio. Fifth to eighth position on the medal tally is extremely tight and we are still aiming for that fifth spot in Rio if everything goes our way.”
The study showed Australia’s traditionally strong swimming team, which produced just one gold medal in a chaotic London campaign, would have won seven golds.
Russia’s tally included two golds from track and field. The Russian Athletics Federation was suspended last month following a report that exposed widespread, systematic state-sponsored doping and related corruption.
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