Steve Starr
- Bovada has odds on what countries will win the most gold medals in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
- The United States (-800) is a heavy favorite to top the podium, followed by China (+550)
- The Summer Games will take place from July 23 to August 8th
While the Olympics have long been a place for sexually transmitted diseases to spread, Tokyo 2021 will run the risk of becoming a super-spreader of Covid-19 when more than 60,000 athletes, coaches, national team staff, media and other essential workers gather together from more than 200 countries.
With the games set to commence on July 23 with no foreign spectators in attendance, let’s look at what countries are favored to lead the world in gold medals this summer.
Tokyo 2021 – Most Gold Medals
 |
|
| USA | -800 |
| China | +550 |
| Great Britain | +1600 |
| Japan | +1600 |
| Germany | +4000 |
| South Korea | +5000 |
| Australia | +10000 |
| France | +10000 |
| Netherlands | +10000 |
USA heavily favored over China
The United States is a heavy favorite to win the most gold medals (-800) and capture the most medals overall (-750) in the Tokyo Summer Olympics, as it did in London 2012 and Rio 2016. America’s all-time gold medal haul of 1,022 is almost double of the next closest country (Russia- 589), so it almost seems unsporting.
However, China is a decent value at +550, having won the most gold medals on their home turf in Beijing in 2008. Since the end of the Cold War, China has netted 204 gold, 148 silver and 134 bronze medals at the Summer Olympic Games, placing it second place in total medals after the US.
Re-live day 8️⃣ of the #OlympicTorchRelay. The Olympic Flame reaches the streets of Nagano Prefecture! 🗾
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— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) April 1, 2021
Competing for global supremacy with the U.S., China puts tons of funding and support behind their athletes and might have karma in their favor considering the Chinese Olympic Committee is buying and providing vaccines for everyone taking part in the Tokyo Games.
If anyone topples the United States, it will be the Red Dragon. At Bovada, China is also +550 to win the most total medals in Tokyo.
Great Britain could also be in the mix
Great Britain (+1600) finished second in golds in Rio five years ago, becoming only the second country in modern Olympic history to increase its tally of medals in the Olympiad immediately after being host nation.Despite finishing with 15 fewer golds and 26 less medals in the 2016 Summer Games, Japan has the same odds as the United Kingdom at +1600.
Still, it’s difficult to see anyone but the US and China leading the gold medal count. With huge populations and never-ending funding streams, one of these world mega-powers will rule the podium this summer.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
