2024 Olympics most gold medals predictions: China can throw down a strong challenge to US

Best bets

China to win over 34.5 gold medals 
2pts 8-11 Betfair, Paddy Power

Canada to win over 5.5 gold medals
1pt 8-11 general

Olympics medal table predictions

The overall medals-table markets for the 2024 Olympics don't look the most exciting at first as the United States are long odds-on in both the most golds and most total medals categories.

That's no huge surprise as the US team have topped the medal table at 18 of the 29 summer games, including six of the last seven .

However, the exception was in 2008 when China won on home territory in Beijing with a massive 48 golds, 12 more than the US, although the Americans had the most overall medals with 112 to China's 100.

It's hard to argue with the States being 1-20 for most medals this time after gaining 24 more than China in Tokyo (113-89) but there was just one gold medal between the pair last time, with the US winning 39-38, and China are a lively alternative at 7-2 to the 1-5 favourites in the gold-medal market.

The issue for China is that they are already close to maxing out their potential in their specialist sports such as table tennis and diving, so they need to excel in new areas to improve their tally.

The Chinese training programmes make that a strong possibility and they could make gains in shooting and gymnastics among other areas.

China could get off to a strong start as they have the potential to cut into the Americans' early success in the pool, while piling up gymnastics and shooting golds. The price about China winning most golds may therefore provide a decent trading opportunity but it could also pay to back China to exceed their gold-medal expectation of 34.5 whether or not that proves to be enough to top the table.

For another team gold-medals bet, consider Canada at 8-11 to win six or more golds. The Canadians made great strides in 2020, jumping from 20th to 11th overall with 24 total medals and their haul of seven golds was their best showing since Barcelona in 1992. 

Swimming sensation Summer McIntosh is 1-25 with bet365 to win the women's 400m individual medley and also has a chance of gold in the 200m butterfly and 200m IM.

Damian Warner has a great shout in the decathlon after injuries struck his main rivals, while Canada are fielding the world champions in both hammer events.

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