The time is coming when the world stops to watch the US Dream Team play, watch Katie Ledecky’s jumps, watch Eliud Kipchoge’s races and be impressed by Yuto Horigome’s skateboarding tricks.

If you like sports, are going to follow the competition and want to have fun — as if you were participating in the event, imagine? — you can place some bets.

We analyze data and a bit of the competition’s history and tell you how they can contribute to unique tips when it comes to sports betting .

The most winning countries

The United States, Russia (including the former Soviet Union) and Germany are on the podium of the historical medal table when we consider the total amount.

The predominance of these countries can be explained by factors such as investments in sports programs, infrastructure, national policies aimed at developing high-performance athletes and even cultural factors.

Since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896, the United States has consistently led the medal table, with approximately 1,000 gold medals. Russia is also a prominent competitor, but well behind the United States.

Germany and China follow closely behind. The Chinese only participated in their first Olympics in 1952, and emerged as an Olympic powerhouse from the 1980s onwards, reaching the top of the medal table in Beijing 2008.

See an example from Betano , which has the long-term market (total medals) open for Paris 2024:

Tip: If you want to make safer bets, placing a long-term bet on the Olympic medal table can be a wise decision. The winnings are smaller, but the potential for the event to materialize is greater!

Another standout nation, Great Britain performed very well at the 2012 London Games, winning 29 gold medals, a feat not seen since the 1908 Games, also held in London.

Performance of host countries

The above-average performances of China in Beijing and Britain in London make us reflect on another point: what advantage do the host countries have? In fact, they generally perform better compared to previous and subsequent editions.

This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Extra motivation for athletes competing at home;
• Pre-Games training programs;
• Support from local fans.

Historically, host countries tend to rise in the medal table. In addition to the examples already mentioned, we can highlight the United States, which at the 1984 Los Angeles Games won 83 gold medals, partly due to the absence of the Soviet Union, which boycotted the Games, but also because of the urge to compete at home.

On average, host countries win 43 medals, while non-host countries win 10 medals, meaning a country’s performance when competing at home increases by more than four times compared to its “normal” performance.

It might be worth looking at the sports in which French athletes excel. Here’s the answer: the country has the highest medal tally in Fencing, Cycling and Athletics:

Hint: Here is the answer: the country has the highest sum of medals in Fencing, Cycling and Athletics:

Bookmakers often open markets for specific Olympic competitions closer to the event.

When we published the content, we didn’t find any open opportunities, but we’ll update our Olympics guide with hot picks as soon as they come out!

Another important observation: when we analyzed Betano’s odds , France had a price of 75.00 in the overall medal table.

Even if the country moves up the medal table, that doesn’t mean it should lead the way — so we recommend that you really focus your bets on specific disciplines that the country already performs well in!

Still on the subject of the relationship between hosts and the distribution of medals, it is consistently higher in all categories — gold, silver and bronze.

Characteristics of athletes

The average age of the athletes has varied considerably over the years. In the beginning, many athletes were quite young, reflecting the amateur nature of the early Games.

However, with the professionalization of the sport, we see greater age diversity.

Além disso, alguns esportes tendem a ter atletas mais jovens, como ginástica e natação, enquanto outros, como tiro e equitação, têm competidores mais velhos, refletindo as diferentes demandas físicas e mentais de cada esporte.

Além da idade, as características físicas dos atletas também evoluíram. Por exemplo, os nadadores e jogadores de basquete tendem a ser mais altos, beneficiando-se de vantagens físicas em seus respectivos esportes.

Em contraste, os ginastas geralmente são mais baixos e leves, uma característica que facilita os movimentos acrobáticos.

Expansion in the number of sports

O número de esportes e modalidades nas Olimpíadas aumentou ao longo do tempo.

Nos primeiros jogos, havia apenas algumas competições principais, como atletismo, natação e ginástica. Com o passar dos anos, novos esportes foram sendo adicionados para refletir o interesse mundial e as tendências esportivas.

Nos Jogos de Tóquio 2020, por exemplo, vimos a inclusão de esportes como skateboarding, escalada esportiva e surfe.

Essa diversificação não apenas atrai novos públicos, mas também oferece mais oportunidades para atletas de diferentes disciplinas competirem no palco olímpico.

Além disso, esportes tradicionais como beisebol e softbol, que estiveram ausentes em algumas edições, foram reintegrados, mostrando a dinâmica e a adaptabilidade dos Jogos.

Nos Jogos de Paris duas novas modalidades serão incluídas: breaking e a canoagem slalom extremo.

Evolution in athlete participation

Os Jogos Olímpicos começaram com apenas 241 atletas de 14 países, todos homens. Desde então, os Jogos cresceram exponencialmente. A participação de atletas aumentou de maneira significativa a cada edição.

Em 1936, nos Jogos de Berlim, o número de atletas já havia crescido para cerca de 4.000. Esse aumento pode ser atribuído à crescente popularidade dos Jogos e ao aumento do número de nações participantes.

Nos Jogos de Tóquio 2020, mais de 11.000 atletas participaram, representando mais de 200 países.

Inclusion and gender equality

A inclusão das mulheres nos Jogos Olímpicos foi um processo gradual.

Em 1900, nos Jogos de Paris, as mulheres participaram pela primeira vez, competindo em poucos eventos como tênis e golfe. À medida que os anos passaram, a participação feminina aumentou significativamente.

Nos anos 70 e 80, o movimento de igualdade de gênero ganhou impulso, e os Jogos Olímpicos começaram a refletir essas mudanças sociais.

Em 1976, as mulheres representavam cerca de 20% dos atletas, mas esse número continuou a crescer. Nos Jogos de Londres 2012, as mulheres constituíram aproximadamente 45% dos competidores.

Na edição de Tóquio 2020 houve quase paridade de gênero, com eventos masculinos e femininos praticamente iguais em número. Em 2024 o número de atletas homens e mulheres será idêntico!

Conclusão

Não estranhe se a França bater recordes e tiver seu melhor desempenho histórico nesses próximos jogos, a força dos anfitriões já nos mostrou isso.

Finally, the age of athletes is expected to increase slightly, largely due to continued advances in sports science, allowing older athletes to continue competing at a high level.

A great example is the presence of the great Diana Taurasi, a professional basketball player who is part of the United States Olympic team. At 41 years old, she currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and has already participated in five Olympic games.

Should the U.S. win gold in women’s basketball, it would make Taurasi the holder of the most Olympic gold medals in basketball of all time . It would also make her the most decorated team sports athlete in Olympic history!

Let’s follow Taurasi’s performance — and that of other athletes, regardless of age — to celebrate the power of the sport and have fun along the way, making good guesses with bets!