Michael Phelps and Jordan Spieth predicted to lead U.S. Olympic medal haul
The U.S. team should end up winning the medal count at the 2016 Summer Olympics with swimmer Michael Phelps and golfer Jordan Spieth leading the way, according to a computer-generated forecast.
The Americans are predicted to finish with 92 medals — 41 of them gold — in Gracenote’s latest Virtual Medal Table released Wednesday.
Phelps and gymnast Simone Biles are expected to win four golds each. Spieth is picked to finish atop the podium in his sport’s return to the Games.
Gracenote uses results from major sporting events over the last four years to calculate its forecast. The formula also takes into account recent developments away from competition.
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That means Spieth should benefit from the absence of Australia’s top-ranked player, Jason Day, who withdrew from the Games citing concerns about the Zika virus outbreak.
And Russia could finish with six fewer medals than previously expected because its track team has been banned from the Games, Gracenote said.
The Russians are nonetheless expected to place third in the medal count with 57, behind second-place China with 82.
Continuing a trend at recent Olympics, women athletes should account for more than half of the medal haul for many of the leading nations.
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