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What can Team GB's medal hopefuls expect at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

What can Team GB's medal hopefuls expect at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
© Reuters
The Games are due to take place in unusual conditions in Japan due to rising coronavirus rates in the Japanese capital.

Team GB will target over 50 medals amid unprecedented circumstances when the Tokyo Olympics get under way later this month.

Britain's 376-strong squad is its biggest for an overseas Games, and women will outnumber men in the team for the first time.

But with the Games due to take place amid a state of emergency due to rising coronavirus rates in the Japanese capital, the PA news agency runs the rule over what they can expect.

What are the implications of the state of emergency?

A security guard wearing a face mask guards the National Stadium in Tokyo
A security guard wearing a face mask guards the National Stadium in Tokyo (Shinji Kita/AP(

The Japanese government has pulled back on a previous decision to allow some fans into Olympic venues. All events in the Tokyo area will now take place in empty stadia, with the exception of a handful of VIPS and media. Athletes have already been warned that they risk disqualification or even deportation if they stray from strict coronavirus bubbles during their stay in the Athletes' Village.

What are Britain's expectations at the Games?

Members of Team GB show off their gold medals
Great Britain enjoyed a bumper gold medal haul in Beijing (Nick Potts/PA)

Funding body UK Sport has strayed from setting a specific medal target given the lack of recent international competition. However, there is a general expectation that the team will be strong enough to surpass the 51 medals secured in Beijing in 2008. Matching the 67 won in Rio five years ago seems like a stretch given the relative downturn in previously strong medal sports like cycling and gymnastics.

Who are Britain's best gold medal bets?

Dina Asher-Smith
Dina Asher-Smith is a bright medal hope for Team GB (Martin Rickett/PA)

Adam Peaty appears almost unbeaten in the men's 100 metre breaststroke but Britain's other gold medal hopes are less clear-cut. Dina Asher-Smith stands a strong chance in the women's 200 metres, world taekwondo champions Jade Jones, Bianca Walkden and Bradly Sinden start as favourites, while sharpshooters Seonaid McIntosh and Matt Coward-Holley are also good bets.

Who are the other stars to watch?

Thirteen-year-old Sky Brown will become Britain's youngest summer Olympian as she stars in skateboard's debut at the Games. Another new sport, sport-climbing, sees double World Cup season winner Shauna Coxsey among the leading hopefuls. Inevitably, attention will turn to the Velodrome where golden couple Jason and Laura Kenny will be looking to continue to add to their already record-breaking medal hauls.

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rhs 2.0
Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
United StatesUnited States13141037
ChinaChina136928
JapanJapan134522
Olympics flagOlympic Athletes from Russia810725
AustraliaAustralia821020
Great BritainGreat Britain57618
Today's Olympic highlights header

Thursday's key events


ROWING
· Comeback queen and super-mum Helen Glover goes for her third Olympic gold alongside Polly Swann in the women's pair final (1.30am)
· There is also a medal on offer for GB pair Emily Craig and Imogen Grant in the lightweight women's double scull final (2.10am)

SWIMMING
· As second-fastest qualifier for the final, Team GB's James Wilby is among the medal contenders in the men's 200m breaststroke (2.44am)
· Alys Thomas takes part in the women's 200m butterfly final, although he faces a difficult task to challenge for the medals (3.28am)
· Caeleb Dressel of the USA has been touted by some as the successor to Michael Phelps, and he has the chance to notch up a fourth Olympic gold in the men's 100m freestyle final (3.37am)

RUGBY SEVENS
· After Team GB's men narrowly missed out on a medal, the women get their campaign underway against the Russian Olympic Committee (3am) and New Zealand (10.30am)

HOCKEY
· It is a Great Britain vs. Netherlands double-header, with the men up first in Pool B (4.15am)
· Most eyes will be on the women's showdown between the two nations, though, as Netherlands - the world's best team - look to gain revenge on GB for defeat in the 2016 Olympic final (11am)

CANOE SLALOM
· Mallory Franklin takes part in the women's canoe semi-final, and will hope to do enough to qualify for the final later in the day (6am-8.45am)

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
· With Simone Biles now out of the women's all-around final, the competition has been blown wide open. Team GB twins Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova are among those taking part (11.50am-2.05pm)

> Today's schedule in full
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