Italian Olympic official: US medal count will rise

The United States is projected to finish with 11 more gold medals than China at the Beijing Games, according to Italian Olympic official Luciano Barra's latest forecast. In what he calls his final projection for the top 50 countries, Barra lists the United States at the top with 49 gold medals and 101 overall. China is next with 38 gold and 88 overall. Russia, Britain and Germany are also in the top five, with Australia sixth. The prediction is based on medals won in the most recent world championships, or equivalent events for sports that do not hold world championships. Last year, Barra had been projecting that China would win the most gold medals, but that changed in December when the United States took over the top spot in his list. For the latest forecast, Barra has increased the tally for the Americans by two golds and... [read full story]