Tokyo 2020: Great Britain predicted to finish sixth in medal table

Team GB won six track cycling gold medals at Rio 2016

Great Britain will drop four places to sixth in the 2020 Olympic Games medal table, according to a new projection.

Based on performances since Rio 2016, analysis company Gracenote has predicted Team GB will win 42 medals in Tokyo, 25 fewer than four years ago.

Last month, UK Sport said it was "quietly confident" the record Rio medal haul of 67 would be surpassed.

But Gracenote said there were "lower expectations" in track cycling, artistic gymnastics and rowing.

While those three sports accounted for 22 British medals in 2016 - nearly one third of the total won - Gracenote, which provides data services to sports organisations, has predicted they will produce eight podium places in Japan this year.

Six months before the 2016 Olympics, the company had predicted Team GB would finish fifth in the Rio table, with 16 golds among 48 medals.

Great Britain won 27 golds at those Games and finished second in the medal table.

The Tokyo Olympics take place between 24 July and 9 August.

• Recycled cardboard used for beds at Olympics and Paralympics