Tokyo Olympics 2020: New Zealand tipped for big Tokyo medal haul

New Zealand is about to enjoy one of its finest Olympic medal hauls, thanks largely to its prowess on the water.

That's the prediction from Associated Press, which has analysed every event in the Tokyo Games and come up with a likely medal list.

No surprise, AP believes canoeist Lisa Carrington will lead the Kiwi medal hunt, while shot putters Valerie Adams and Tom Walsh will make the podium, but not the top. And transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will win silver.

AP's list gives New Zealand eight gold medals, five silver and four bronze for a total of 17, one behind the record Rio haul in 2016.

Carrington is predicted to win three gold medals with the rowing team claiming three.

Canoeist Ian Ferguson is the only Kiwi to win three golds at an Olympics. That was in 1984, at Los Angeles, which helped New Zealand to its best gold medal return of eight.

In other events, American Trayvon Bromell is predicted to win the men's 100m sprint and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 champion, to claim the women's event.

Aussie Ariarne Titmus is predicted to get the better of American Katie Ledecky in the women's 200m and 400m freestyle finals, expected to be one of the great match-ups in Tokyo. Ledecky is predicted to claim the 800m and 1500m double.

Spain have been picked to beat Brazil in the men's football final while Rory McIlroy and Jin Young Ko will win the golf tournaments according to AP.

AP also predicts that 13-year-old skateboarder Sky Brown will claim bronze in the skateboard park event as the sport makes its Olympic debut.

New Zealand's predicted medal haul

Gold 8 Silver 5 Bronze 4 - Total 17

Women's rugby sevens
Gold: New Zealand
Silver: Australia
Bronze: United States

K1 200m
Gold: Lisa Carrington, New Zealand
Silver: Marta Walczykiewicz, Poland
Bronze: Emma Jorgensen, Denmark

K1 500m
Gold: Lisa Carrington, New Zealand
Silver: Volha Khudzenka, Belarus
Bronze: Linnea Stensils, Sweden

K2 500m
Gold: Lisa Carrington and Caitlin Regal, New Zealand
Silver: Karolina Naja and Anna Puławska, Poland
Bronze: Anja Osterman and Spela Ponomarenko Janic, Slovenia

Rowing women's eight
Gold: New Zealand
Silver: Australia
Bronze: United States

Men's 49er
Gold: Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, New Zealand
Silver: Bart Lambriex and Pim van Vugt, Netherlands
Bronze: Jonas Warrer and Jakob Precht Jensen, Denmark

Rowing women's pair
Gold: Grace Pendergrast and Kerri Gowler, New Zealand
Silver: Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre, Australia
Bronze: Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Jannsens, Canada

Rowing women's double sculls
Gold: Brooke Donoghue and Hannah Osbourne, New Zealand
Silver: Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis, Romania
Bronze: Roos DeJong and Lisa Scheenaard, Netherlands

Boxing men's heavyweight
Gold: Vassiliy Levit, Kazakhstan
Silver: David Nyika, New Zealand
Bronze: Julio César La Cruz, Cuba; Muslim Gadzhimagomedov, ROC

Rowing single sculls
Gold: Sanita Puspure, Ireland
Silver: Emma Twigg, New Zealand
Bronze: Kara Kohler, United States

Men's rugby sevens
Gold: Fiji
Silver: New Zealand
Bronze: South Africa

Men's Finn
Gold: Giles Scott, Britain
Silver: Josh Junior, New Zealand
Bronze: Joan Cardona Mendez, Spain

Women's 87kg+
Gold: Li Wenwen, China
Silver: Laurel Hubbard, New Zealand
Bronze: Sarah Robles, United States

Men's shot put
Gold: Ryan Crouser, United States
Silver: Joe Kovacs, United States
Bronze: Tomas Walsh, New Zealand

Women's shot put
Gold: Gong Lijiao, China
Silver: Jessica Ramsey, United States
Bronze: Valerie Adams, New Zealand

Eventing Individual
Gold: Michael Jung, Germany
Silver: Oliver Townend, Britain
Bronze: Tim Price, New Zealand

Rowing men's pair
Gold: Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic, Croatia
Silver: Sam Hardy and Joshua Hicks, Australia
Bronze: Brook Robertson and Stephen Jones, New Zealand