The Netherlands-based company, which claims to offer unique data and media services to the sports industry, currently projects Russian athletes to win medals in the men's 110 metre hurdles, men's long jump, women's 4x400m relay and women's hammer throw. 

It also predicts that two medals will come Russia's way in the women's high jump, as well as one in each of the triple jump competitions.

If results at Rio 2016 follow the current VMT, however, Russia's projected athletics medals would be distributed among eight different nations: Australia, China, Great Britain, Jamaica, Poland, Spain, Ukraine and the United States. 

Russia's Sergey Shubenkov and Mariya Kuchina currently occupy the VMT gold medal position in the men's 110m hurdles and women's high jump respectively, but it is said that if they were unable to compete, American hurdler David Oliver and Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlašic would take their places. 

The predicted third-place finish of Russia on the Rio 2016 medal table, though, is unlikely to be affected if the country's suspension from athletics is still in force next August, Infostrada Sports claimed.

The All-Russia Athletic Federation has been sent a list of conditions and verification criteria for reinstatement after the country was last month cast into the international wilderness following allegations of widespread state-supported doping.

Members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Council voted 22-1 to ban Russia after the revelations were revealed in an explosive report by the World Anti-Doping Agency Independent Commission.

No time-frame has been put on potential reinstatement - putting Russia's participation at Rio 2016 in doubt.

Infostrada Sports developed the first VMT in the build-up to London 2012, with The Times publishing a monthly update from the back end of 2010 right through to the Games.

The table is based on top-class events around the globe, including World Championships and World Cup cycles, dating back to the previous Olympic Games.

Events are ranked in importance with medal counts determined by the points accumulated by athletes.

The final VMT for London 2012 predicted that hosts Britain would win 67 medals, only two more than they actually did.

The US are currently expected to top the Rio 2016 medal table with 39 golds, 26 silvers and 28 bronzes, followed by China with 33 golds, 34 silvers and 20 bronzes, and Russia with 27 golds, 22 silvers and 23 bronzes.

A benchmark study published yesterday by the Australian Olympic Committee estimated that China would finish top with 39 golds, 34 silvers and 24 bronzes.

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