The infulential American magazine Sports Illustrated has analysed all 302 events which will be contested in Beijing and have predicted that Britain will win 35 medals, the target set by Government agency UK Sport, and which would represent the country's best performance in a non-boycotted Olympics since Antwerp in 1920.

 

The magazine said Britain would win 12 gold medals, 15 silver and eight bronze.

 

But of these only one would come in the main Olympic Stadium, they predicted, tipping Phillips Idowu to win a gold medal in the triple jump, which would represent Britain's worst performance in athletics since the solitary bronze medal won by Brendan Foster in the Montreal Olympics in 1976.

 

Among those that Sports Illustrated has overlooked is Kelly Sotherton in the heptathlon, Christine Ohuruogu, the world 400 metres champion, and Paula Radcliffe, the world record holder in the marathon.

 

It is also predicted that Britain's first world amateur boxing champion, Frankie Gavin, will also miss out and be beaten in the final of the 60kg category by Cuba's Yordenis Ugas.

 

The gold rush will be thanks chiefly to the cyclists and sailors, who between them are predicted to win nine of Britain's dozen gold medals.

 

Sports Illustrated tip Britain's cyclists to win six gold medals, including three for Bradley Wiggins in the individual pursuit, the team pursuit and Madison, and nine overall.

 

These would include a gold for Rebecca Romero in her individual pursuit, four years after winning a silver medal in the quadruple sculls and then switching from rowing to cycling.

 

Sailing will also be a big earner for Team GB, according to Sports Illustrated, with Ben Ainslie winning a third consectutive gold medal, one of three British champions on the waters in Qingdao.

 

Sports Illustrated are also predicting that China will top the overall medals by virtue of winning more gold medals than the United States.

 

The magazine predicted China will finish with 49 gold, 28 silver and 25 bronze for 102 medals overall, with the US still winning most medals overall with 121 (45-44-32).

 

Russia is tipped to come third on 25-28-22 (75) with Australia maintaining their position in fourth spot with 54 medals (22-14-18).

 

 

The 2004 count was: US 36-39-27 (102), China 32-17-14 (63) and Russia 27-27-38 (92).

 

Other predictions by Sports Illustrated include that Michael Phelps, the 23-year-old American swimmer, is on the verge of Olympic immortality.

 

 

He is not only expected to better Mark Spitz' 1972 record of seven golds at one Olympics but his eight golds from five individual starts and three relays would also make him the most decorated Olympian ever with a total tally of 14 gold and two bronze.

 

 

 

Other predictions are that world champion Tyson Gay will deny Jamaica a first-ever 100m gold again by beating young world record holder Usain Bolt, with the former fastest man Asafa Powell not even making the podium.

 

 

 

Roger Federer will compensate for the loss of the world number one ranking in tennis by getting gold at last and the men's US basketball team will shake of the disappointment of 2004 by claiming gold.

 

But Brazil will miss out on football gold again, losing the final to Argentina.

 

The full list of Britons predicted to win medals by Sports Illustrated is:

 

Gold: Tim Brabants (kayak single 1000m); Bradley Wiggins (4km individual pursuit); Team GB (4km team pursuit); Wiggins and Mark Cavendish (Madison); Chris Hoy (keirin); Rebecca Romero (3km individual pursuit); Shanaze Reade (BMX); Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter (lightweight double sculls); Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson (Star); Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (Yngling); Ben Ainslie (Finn); Phillips Idowu (triple jump).

 

Silver: Frankie Gavin (60kg boxing); Brabants (kayak single 500m); Hoy (sprint); Team GB (men's team sprint); Victoria Pendleton (sprint); William Fox-Pitt (three-day individual event) Team GB (three-day team event); Heather Fell (Modern Pentathlon); Team GB (women's quadruple sculls); Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield (470); Paul Goodison (laser); Richard Faulds (double-trap shooting); Liam Tannock (100m backstroke); Team GB (women's 4x200m freestyle); Cassie Patten (10km open water).

 

Bronze: Team GB (men's team archery); Billy Joe Saunders (64kg boxing); Campbell Walsh (kayak single slalom); Team GB (men's eight rowing); David Davies (10km open water); Rebecca Adlington (800m freestyle); Hannah Miley (400m individual medley); Sarah Stevenson (67kg taekwondo).