Aussies predicted for best Winter Olympics

Wednesday, 1 November 2017:

Australia is set for its most-successful Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, according to a performance-based model released on Wednesday.

The Gracenote report - which has been predicting medal tallies by country for the past three Olympics - has Australia claiming a record four medals in South Korea.

Australia has picked up three medals twice (2010, 2014); the former the best result with two golds and a silver in the return.

With two of the medals for Pyeongchang slated as gold and the other two silver, it places Australia 15th on the Gracenote 'Virtual Medal Table', ahead of more-renowned winter sport countries such as Italy and Finland.

A spot in the top 15 would also represent a best finish for Australia, which has competed at all Winter Olympics bar one since 1936.

The report by Gracenote - a company owned by global marketing research firm Nielsen - weighs results in recent world championships and other world-class events, giving more weight to the most recent.

World champions Britt Cox (moguls) and Scotty James (snowboard halfpipe) loom as the predicted gold medallists but there are a number of other Australians in strong contention.

World championship silver medallist Danielle Scott, two-time Games medal winner Lydia Lassila and David Morris (aerial skiing); Alex Pullin and Belle Brockhoff (snowboard cross) and Matt Graham (moguls) headline a list of athletes expected to challenge for the podium.

Australia enjoyed a record-breaking 2016/17 ski and snowboard season, claiming 40 medals across the World Cup and world championship.

The Winter Olympics start on February 9.






AAP