After being delayed for a year due to the COVID pandemic, the Summer Olympics will kick off in Tokyo, Japan on Friday, July 23. Athletes from around the world will compete for Olympic glory, and there will be betting on most sports given this is one of the slowest times of the year for sports with no NFL, NBA, NHL, or major European soccer in action. Millions of casual sports fans will be glued to their televisions for gymnastics, swimming, basketball, and track and field, as those are the sports that we most often see in primetime.
Who Will Win the Most Gold Medals at the Tokyo Olympics?
The United States is a heavy favorite to take home more gold medals than any other country over the next 16 days. The United States won 46 gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and the only other countries to win more than 20 gold medals were Great Britain (27) and China (26).
We saw the US best China by eight gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and the Americans grabbed four more gold medals than the Chinese at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Since the 1992 Olympic Games, the United States has won the most gold medals at every Olympics with the noticeable exception of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. With China scaling back its Olympic programs and Russia’s Olympic Team falling apart due to multiple doping scandals, it’s very unlikely for another country to take home more gold medals than the US.
How Many Gold Medals Will Simone Biles Win at the Tokyo Olympics?
There isn’t an athlete that will be on your television more than Simone Biles over the next two weeks. Biles has fully accepted the GOAT title as the greatest women’s gymnast of all-time, and she will be out to grow her medal count in Tokyo. She won four gold medals (Team, All-Around, Vault, and Floor) at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and Biles has a whopping 19 gold medals at the World Championships.
Biles has won seven all-around titles at the US National Championships, and she won the all-around by a whopping 4.7 points in June. She is a prohibitive favorite in the all-around and vault, and anything less than three gold medals would be considered a disappointment for the 24-year-old.
How Many Gold Medals Will Katie Ledecky Win at the Tokyo Olympics?
We haven’t seen as much attention paid to Katie Ledecky yet, but she will be the biggest star in the pool. Ledecky is currently the world record holder in the 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1500 meters, and she won four gold medals in Brazil five years ago.
At the Olympic Trials in June, Ledecky won the freestyle at distances of 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1500 meters. She has a chance to do something incredible at this Olympics and win gold medals in those four events as well as the relays.
Will the United States Win the Gold Medal in Men’s Basketball?
One of the biggest storylines coming into these Olympics is the struggle of the United States’ men’s basketball team. The US has won the gold medal in six of the seven Olympic Games conducted since professionals were allowed to participate, but many of the best players decided to sit this year out.
That has led to the United States losing to both Nigeria and Australia in the run-up to this year’s event. The US pulled out a gritty win against Spain in their last exhibition game, but there are plenty of questions surrounding this team.