Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Team GB medal count predicted to drop 'significantly'

Max Whitlock is predicted to retain his pommel horse gold medal from Rio 2016

Team GB's medal count at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is expected to drop significantly from recent Games, according to new data.

The British team won 67 medals at Rio 2016 but Gracenote forecasts they will take home 43 medals next year.

That is expected to place them fifth in the medal table, behind the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Gracenote says it is due to "lower expectations" in rowing, track cycling and artistic gymnastics.

Eleven of Team GB's 27 golds in Rio were won across the three sports, accounting for almost a third of the team's total medal count.

But in 2020, the three sports are expected to produce only seven podium places - gymnast Max Whitlock is currently expected to retain his pommel horse title but no individual golds are forecast in track cycling, while in rowing, the men's four and eight are both predicted to win silver.

Wednesday marks one year until the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, where the US are expected to top the medal table for the seventh successive Games with 126 medals, including 51 golds.

Tokyo 2020 will be the first Olympic Games at which fewer than half the events will be for male competitors only. It is also predicted to be the first Games at which Britain will have more female athletes than male competing.

Who is predicted to win what?

In athletics, Britain's Dina Asher-Smith is currently predicted to win two medals including 200m gold, while Laura Muir is tipped to win the 1500m title and Katarina Johnson-Thompson to win heptathlon silver.

Swimmer Adam Peaty - who broke his own world record on Sunday - is predicted to defend his 100m breaststroke title while team-mate Ben Proud is predicted to win 50m freestyle gold.

Tom Daley is predicted to win bronze in two events - the 10m platform and 10m platform synchro - while medals are also forecast in fencing and modern pentathlon.

But no podium finish is predicted for the Brownlee brothers - medallists in triathlon at the past two Olympics.

Gracenote's metric considers the most up-to-date athlete results from key competitions since Rio 2016.

It notes that it currently ranks 51 British athletes in fourth, fifth and sixth - so Team GB's medal forecast could increase within the next year, depending on athletes' results.

Britain won 65 medals at the London 2012 Games and 51 at Beijing in 2008.