Study predicts dire result for Aussie Olympians

Australian athletes coming home with a bag full of medals seems a lot less likely after a US study predicted dire results for the national team.

The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth released a report calculating Australia will win less medals in 2012 than it has done previously at either Beijing, Athens or Sydney.

The report utilises a formula developed by Professor Andrew Bernard which managed a 95 per cent accuracy rate for the total medal count at the Beijing Games in 2008.

The formula takes into account each nation's economic development; measuring factors like income per person, population and prior Olympic success to come up with a figure.

Australia is predicted to only win 12 gold medals this year and 42 overall while Britian is expected to haul in the gold thanks to their host nation status.

The UK is tipped to rise up the gold medal tally table by securing 25 golds while China will likely snare 48 gold medals and the US grabbing 35.

In overall standings the US is expected to win with 103 total medals followed by China with 94, Russia with 67 and the UK with 62.