Canada's Rosannagh MacLennan is projected to successfully defend her gold medal in trampoline at the 2016 Summer Olympics in BrazilKevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Canada is projected to see its best gold medal output at the Summer Olympics in almost a quarter century when athletes gather in Brazil next summer, according to sports data analytics firm Infostrada Sports.
The organization has published its first Virtual Medal Table for the upcoming games in Rio de Janeiro which shows Canada winning a total of 18 medals including four gold. That would be three more than Canadian athletes won in London four years ago and the most Canada has won since taking seven gold 24 years ago in Barcelona.
Rosie MacLennan is projected to defend her gold medal in the women's individual trampoline event while the additional medals are expected to come from Ryan Cochrane in the men's 1,500m freestyle swimming event, Catherine Pendrel in women's cross-country mountain bike and Mark de Jong in the men's K1 200m canoe/kayak. He captured bronze in the same event four years ago.
The women's eights rowing team is projected to repeat its silver medal performance from four years ago with Brianne Theisen Eaton in women's heptathlon and Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion in 10m synchro diving adding the other silver medals. Benfeito and Filion won bronze four years ago in London.
Canada's bronze medals are projected to come from women's soccer, mixed doubles tennis, women's 10m platform diving, women's 3m springboard synchro diving, women's middleweight boxing, women's 70kg judo, men's 81kg judo, women's team pursuit cycling, women's 53kg freestyle wrestling, men's individual BMX and women's rugby sevens.
Infostrada says women will account for 13 of the Canadian medals won with Benfeito the only double medalist.
The United States is projected to easily win the medal count with 47 gold and 97 total medals, followed by China with 76 medals and Russia with 74 medals. Host nation Brazil is expected to win 27 medals.