After leading the way in total medals at the Summer Olympics, the U.S. will have difficulty repeating that feat in Beijing. The U.S. doesn’t enter the 2022 Winter Olympics as the betting favorite to win the most medals.

Norway starts the 2022 Olympics with the best odds to finish as the medal count winner. The country is a -650 favorite at BetMGM. The U.S. was given +1400 odds to win the most medals before the Opening Ceremony, making it a legitimate contender, but far from the expected winner.

Three countries sit in-between Norway and Team USA. Germany (+800), the Russian Olympic Committee (+800) and Canada (+1200) are in contention to win the most medals.

It would be shocking if a nation other than those five wins the most medals in Beijing. The Netherlands (+5000) is a distant sixth in terms of betting odds.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Norway finished first with 39 total medals. Norway and Germany tied for the lead with 14 gold medals. Germany was second overall with 31 medals. Canada was third with 29 medals followed by Team USA’s 23 medals.

Because Russia had medals stripped for its doping scandal from the 2014 Winter Olympics, Team USA is viewed as the medal winner at Sochi. The U.S. won 28 medals in 2014, putting it ahead of Norway’s 26 medals.

Snowboarder Shaun White, skier Mikaela Shiffrin and figure skater Nathan Chen are among the Americans who have a good chance to win gold in Beijing.

The U.S. has won the most gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympic history. Team USA has won 2,960 medals in the Summer and Winter Games combined.

The 2022 Olympics features 84 participating countries.

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics takes place in the "Bird's Nest" stadium
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics takes place in the "Bird's Nest" stadium. AFP / JADE GAO
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