Gold, overall medal counts a 'stretch' for US team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The chief of sport performance for the U.S. Olympic team calls it a stretch for Americans to win the most overall and gold medals at the London Olympics.

Alan Ashley said Thursday the goal for the Americans to win both medal counts is "very ambitious, very difficult.''

"But it's good to have those stretch goals as an organization,'' Ashley said.

The United States won the overall count in 2008, 110-100 over second-place China. But China won 51 golds to 36 for the U.S.

Longtime Olympic prognosticator Luciano Barra of Italy predicts China will win 100 overall and 43 gold medals, with Russia at 79 and 30 and the United States at 78 and 35.

Last year, USOC chairman Larry Probst said "I'd be willing to bet we don't finish third.''