Which Country will win the Gold Medal Race in the 2008 Beijing Olympics? USA and China are favorites.

Obviously.

The United States remain to be the country to beat in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But for some reason, China has surpassed the proud U-S-of-A in terms of gold medal count.

USA, China, and Russia are the top three favorites to collect the most medals. They have been the biggest powerhouse countries for the past few years. In the 2004 Olympics, the medal count consisted of Team USA winning 102 medals, 32 of them gold, followed by Russia with 92.

China, this year's Olympic hosts, is only good for third with 63 medals then, probably the reason why many people can't seem to fathom how much the Chinese are leading in this year's race for gold.

The Chinese and the American anthems will be heard often during these events, specifically in the gymnastics competition. China's men athletes won the team title during last year's world championships, led by all-around winner Yang Wei. Xiao Qin won on pommel horse and Chen Yibing won on still rings. The Americans were shut out in the finals but only had two fourth-place finishes.

On the other hand, the U.S. women team defeated China for the 2007 world team title by nearly a point. Shawn Johnson won gold in the all-around and floor exercise, Nastia Liukin won gold on balance beam and silver on the uneven bars, and Alicia Sacramone won bronze on vault and silver on floor exercise.

China's Cheng Fei won gold on vault, Yang Yilin won bronze on the uneven bars and Li Shanshan won bronze on the beam.

China should thrive in weightlifting, having led the medal table during last year's world championships, with seven gold medals and 12 overall. The U.S. had none. Rowing should also put Chinese athletes on the podium, thanks to a $10 million, government-built training complex.

Who will be the winners of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.

Most Overall Medals

China 1.80

United States 2.10

Russia 15.00

Want more odds? Visit Bodog sportsbook for more Olympic Games betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today's biggest sporting events.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Team USA