2016 Olympics: Countries on the Climb

There was a time when the United States and the Soviet Union would engage in a taut battle at the Summer Olympics for athletic superiority.

The break up of the Soviet Union ended that, and while Russia is normally a strong entity when it comes to the medal count, that nation has suffered numerous penalties for use of performance-enhancing drugs this time around.

In recent years, there has been some changes to the medal count, and there are countries that have made significant moves up the mountain in that area.

In this piece, we look at countries that have shown improvement in their athletic ability and improved their medal count.

Jamaica

The tiny island nation of Jamaica doesn't figure to be an Olympic force.

While Jamaica is not likely to get a spot near the top of the Olympic medal table, it is significant nonetheless. In the 2012 London Games, Jamaica won 12 medals. 

The Jamaicans won four gold, four silver and four bronze.

Jamaica strutted its stuff in some of the most high-profile events in the games. Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt is a six-time Olympic gold medalist, and he will be competing in Rio. While he suffered a hamstring injury earlier this year, he has looked good in recent training efforts.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is also a brilliant sprinter. She is gunning for her third straight Olympic gold in the 100 meters.

Look for Jamaica to continue to assert itself if Bolt stays healthy.

South Korea

Prior to hosting the Summer Olympics in 1988, South Korea had never won more than 19 medals in any Olympic effort.

However, that changed when the games came to Seoul, as the home-standing South Koreans won 33 medals. They have won at least 27 medals in each of the six games that have followed.

The South Koreans have performed quite well in badminton and fencing. Look for South Korea to continue to grow their medal count in Rio.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that has found a way to make itself heard in the Summer Olympics. 

The small country has a population of nearly 17  million, and it has had some key victories in swimming, cycling, equestrian events and track and field.

The Netherlands won 20 medals at the London Olympics, including six gold, six silver and eight bronze. Look for the Dutch beach volleyball team of Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen to bring home a medal, and it could be gold.

Canada

Our neighbors to the north are better known for their prowess in the Winter Olympics, but Canada is bound and determined to finish in the top 12 when it comes to the overall medal count in Rio.

If the Canadians reach that level, that would be an an improvement by one spot over what Canada accomplished in London in 2012.

Singles kayaker Mark DeJonge may be the best in the world, and Sports Illustrated, the Associated Press and the Canadian Press are all predicting gold for him in the 200 meters, via Chris O'Leary of the Toronto Star.

Canada won 18 medals overall in London and is trying to better that total in Rio.

Japan

The rise of Asian nations in the Olympics includes Japan, which won 38 medals at the London Olympics, and that was the sixth-highest total of any nation. 

Japan won seven golds, 14 silvers and 17 bronze medals in 2012.

The total could be even higher in 2016. Men's gymnastics figures to be a huge event for the Pacific Island nation. Japan is favored to come away with the team gold, and Kohei Uchimura is the likely all-around individual winner.

After winning a gold medal in women's table tennis in London, look for the Japanese to hit the medal stand in men's and women's table tennis this time around.

Japan also figures to perform well in women's weightlifting.

Ukraine

Ukraine has been a significant participant in the Olympics since its first games as an independent country in Lillehammer (Winter Olympics) in 1994 and Atlanta in the Summer Games in 1996.

The Summer Games have been particularly strong for the Ukraine, having won at least 19 medals in each Olympiad.

Ukraine has had its most success in gymnastics, having won 16 medals in that sport. Six of those medals were gold. It has also won 14 medals in boxing, including four gold medals.

China

It used to be the United States and the Soviet Union at the top of the medal charts.

But after the Soviet Union broke up, a new challenger emerged in the Olympics. China, the most populous nation in the world, started to flex its Olympic muscle and became a significant power.

China's emergence started in 1992, when it won 54 medals. That total was nearly twice as many as the nation won four years earlier.

However, China's big move came when it hosted the games in 2008. It won 100 medals, and it followed that effort by winning 88 in London in 2012. China brought home 34 gold medals in the London Games, and it would be a surprise if it didn't have a another strong effort in Rio.

China's top events have been diving, gymnastics, weightlifting and table tennis.