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Americans Favored to Top Overall Medal Count in Paris Olympics

Paris 2024 Olympics - Preview - Eiffel Tower, Paris, France - June 25, 2024 Olympic rings are displayed on the Eiffel Tower, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski
Paris 2024 Olympics - Preview - Eiffel Tower, Paris, France - June 25, 2024 Olympic rings are displayed on the Eiffel Tower, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski
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Americans Favored to Top Overall Medal Count in Paris Olympics

Paris 2024 Olympics - Preview - Eiffel Tower, Paris, France - June 25, 2024 Olympic rings are displayed on the Eiffel Tower, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski
Paris 2024 Olympics - Preview - Eiffel Tower, Paris, France - June 25, 2024 Olympic rings are displayed on the Eiffel Tower, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

The United States is strongly favored to win the most overall medals when the Paris Olympics open in a month. The big question is this: will the Americans also top the gold-medal tally in a close race with China?
The United States is projected to win 123 medals overall — 37 gold, 34 silver, and 52 bronze. China is forecast to win 87 overall — 36 gold, 29 silver, and 22 bronze.
This forecast is done by Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sports leagues around the world. It also tracks major competitions involving Olympic sports leading up to the Games, The Associated Press reported.
The United States and China finished 1-2 in both categories in 2021 in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics.
Gracenote’s ranking is based on overall medals won, although others focus the rankings on gold totals. The International Olympic Committee does not compile rankings, leaving this to nations and local media.
This would be the eighth straight time the United States has won the most overall medals in the Summer Games. In 1992 at Barcelona, the so-called Unified team topped the overall count. Those athletes were from the former Soviet Union, which had just broken up as a sovereign state.
The last time the United States did not top the gold-medal count in the Summer Games was in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where China invested heavily and saw dividends.
Next in line with overall and gold totals for Paris are: Britain (62-14), France (56-29), Australia (48-13), Japan (46-12), Italy (46-11), Germany (37-10), Netherlands (34-17), South Korea (29-8).
The next 10 are: Hungary (23-7), Canada (20-6), Spain (18-4), Ukraine (17-2), Brazil (16-7), New Zealand (16-4), Poland (15-5), Denmark (14-5), Türkiye (14-4), Ethiopia (13-2).
And 21 through 30 are: Sweden (12-6), Georgia (12-3), Serbia (11-5), Belgium (11-3), Uzbekistan (11-3), Kazakhstan (10-2), Iran (9-4), Croatia (9-3), Romania (9-2), Ireland (9-2).
Host nations always get a bump in medals, and France is expected to get a big one and increase its overall total from 33 in Tokyo. France is forecast to nearly triple its gold-medal output from Tokyo, where Japan picked up a record haul.
Performing at home is an advantage, partly because host nations invest more heavily in training athletes. Then, of course, there are adoring home crowds and the familiar surroundings.
The unknown factor is the presence of Russian and — to a lesser extent — Belarusian athletes. They have been absent from most international competitions over the last two years because of the war in Ukraine. It's still unclear how many will participate, and their influence is difficult to factor into the forecast, Gracenote acknowledges.

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Mbappe, Ronaldo Face Off as France and Portugal Clash at Euro 2024

Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo will lead France and Portugal into their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash in Hamburg on Friday. Ozan KOSE, Ina FASSBENDER / AFP/File
Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo will lead France and Portugal into their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash in Hamburg on Friday. Ozan KOSE, Ina FASSBENDER / AFP/File
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Mbappe, Ronaldo Face Off as France and Portugal Clash at Euro 2024

Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo will lead France and Portugal into their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash in Hamburg on Friday. Ozan KOSE, Ina FASSBENDER / AFP/File
Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo will lead France and Portugal into their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash in Hamburg on Friday. Ozan KOSE, Ina FASSBENDER / AFP/File

France and Portugal renew their European Championship rivalry on Friday in a quarter-final showdown in which almost all of the focus will be on the two captains, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The last-eight encounter in Hamburg brings together two of the most-fancied nations coming into Euro 2024, but two teams who have not completely convinced so far in Germany, AFP said.
France have reached a sixth quarter-final in the last seven major tournaments despite not one of their players scoring a goal in open play.
Les Bleus have netted only three times in four games, with one a penalty by Mbappe and the other two coming from own goals, including Jan Vertonghen's which allowed them to beat Belgium 1-0 in the last 16.
Mbappe has been hindered by the broken nose he suffered in France's first match against Austria which forced him to miss the goalless draw with the Netherlands.
He has not been at his sharpest since returning and the spot-kick he converted against Poland is the only goal he has scored in seven appearances at the Euros.
"I don't think any of us have made enough of the fact he broke his nose. It is not an excuse, but he was traumatized by the collision," France assistant coach Guy Stephan said on Wednesday.
"It is not easy to play with a mask on, as he said. He had a bit of an exhausting end to the season. But Kylian is still Kylian. He has scored almost a goal a game for us since 2021."
The other side of the coin for France is that they have only let in one goal, which was a penalty by Poland's Robert Lewandowski.
Meanwhile Portugal reached this stage having needed a shoot-out to beat Slovenia following a goalless 120 minutes.
Goalkeeper Diogo Costa ended up being their hero by saving all three of Slovenia's efforts from the spot, but the game will also be remembered for Ronaldo's tears after he had a penalty saved in extra time.
Goals not going in
The 39-year-old's quest to become the oldest ever goal-scorer at the tournament also led to him missing numerous attempts during that game.
It has all added fuel to the fire for those who feel Ronaldo is holding back a supremely talented Portugal side, but coach Roberto Martinez continues to defend the veteran forward.
"Those emotions are incredible for someone who has won and experienced everything," Martinez said.
"He doesn't need to care that much. That is why I thank him for being the way he is."
"We are a united group of players and that gave us more strength, so much so that Diogo went on to save the three penalties," Portugal defender Nuno Mendes said of Ronaldo's tears.
Portugal came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their first match and then outclassed Türkiye in a 3-0 victory, so they have had fewer problems scoring goals than France.
However, they lost 2-0 to Georgia with a much-changed team in their last group outing.
That came after top spot in their group had already been secured, but it means they have now gone more than four hours without finding the net.
Rabiot suspended
Portugal must now try to find a way through a watertight French defense, while Didier Deschamps, the coach of the 2022 World Cup runners-up, needs to find a replacement in his midfield for the suspended Adrien Rabiot.
These sides met in the group phase of the last Euros three years ago, when Ronaldo netted two penalties for Portugal in a 2-2 draw.
When they have clashed in the knockout rounds, the winner has always gone on to lift the trophy.
Portugal won the Euro 2016 final against France in extra time in Paris, while the French were grateful for Michel Platini's extra-time strike as they won the semi-final at Euro 84, and Zinedine Zidane's golden-goal penalty in the semis in 2000.
There was also the 2006 World Cup semi-final in Munich, exactly 18 years before Friday's game, when Zidane again gave France the victory.
Ronaldo, who has said this will be his last Euros, is one of only two players to feature that day who have also been involved at Euro 2024. The other was Willy Sagnol, who coached Georgia to the last 16.