Predicting Olympic medal winners has always been a tricky business but the Gracenote Virtual Medal Table has a good record on it, and is projecting a record seven medal haul for Team Ireland come Paris this summer.
Marking 100 days to go before the opening ceremony on July 26th, they have made their gold, silver and bronze predictions known this week, considering all available results data from key global and continental competitions since the delayed 2021 Games in Tokyo.
After winning four medals in Tokyo – two gold and two bronze – Gracenote are projecting seven medals for Team Ireland this time, including two gold, three silver, and two bronze. This would surpass the record six-medal haul from London 2012, which included one gold medal for boxer Katie Taylor.
For Paris, Gracenote are predicting gold again for Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy in the rowing lightweight double sculls, which would also make O’Donovan the first Irish athlete to win medals in three successive Games (having won silver with his brother Gary in Rio 2016).
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Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan is also predicted to win gold in the pommel horse, the back-to-back world champion from Newtownards unquestionably establishing his dominance since Tokyo. However, boxer Kellie Harrington, who did win 60kg gold in Tokyo, is projected to win silver, as is Cian O’Connor in the individual equestrian event.
Daniel Wiffen is also predicted to win silver in the 800m freestyle, and bronze in the 1500m freestyle, although after his double gold at the World Championships in Doha last month, the Armagh swimmer might have something better to say about that.
Rory McIlroy is also predicted to win bronze in the golf, although there is no mention of a medal in track or field, despite Rhasidat Adeleke finishing fourth in the 400m at the World Championships in Budapest last summer, aged 20, as did Ciara Mageean in the 1,500m.
With those seven medals, Ireland is predicted to finish 36th on the overall medal table, three places better than the joint 39th in Tokyo. USA are predicted to top the medal table, winning 123 in all, ahead of China (89) and Great Britain (66), while host nation France should sharply increase its overall medal haul, up from 33 in Tokyo to 55, fourth best overall.
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