The uncertainty around Russia's Olympic buildup means Japan and other countries could be in a position to make a significant jump on the medal table at next month's Rio Olympics, according to a group of analysts.
With Russia's normally successful athletics competitors soon to find out whether the fallout from the country's doping scandal will mean they are unable to compete under the Russian flag, if at all, Gracenote Sports says the third rank on the medal table that has been shared by China and Russia at the last four Olympics is completely up for grabs.
"The situation with Russia means that (the third rank is) becoming more and more of a possibility, for not only Japan but also for a number of other countries," Gracenote Sports' Head of Analytics Simon Gleave told Kyodo News after releasing the company's Virtual Medal Table prediction on Wednesday.