But UK Sport, who distribute National Lottery funding, admitted that it was a "stretch target" and they did not expect every medal to be won at the Games, which open on August 8.

 

The medal targets – set by the individual sports and signed off by UK Sport - suggest that the main contributors to Team GB’s Olympic medal haul will be the now traditional group of cycling, who predict six medals, athletics with five, sailing and rowing with four each.

 

But with significant increased investment across the system now in place ahead of the London Games in 2012, 17 sports will travel to Beijing with ambitions for their athletes to reach the medal podium, predicted UK Sport, who have also set a target of eighth place overall - which would be Britain'sbest performance in a non-boycotted Olympics since Antwerp in 1920.

 

UK Sport said it believes a conversion rate of 85 per cent will be required to achieve the overall target: bringing 35 medals, around a third of which should be gold. 

 

Tenth place in the medal table was achieved in Athens four years ago with 30 medals, and nine golds.

 

John Steele, the chief executive of UK Sport, said: “We have worked very hard in partnership with the sports to ensure that our athletes can go to the start line in Beijing knowing that they have had the best possible support and preparation.

 

"Our thinking however has already turned to how we can improve that support yet further during the lead-up to the biggest sporting event this nation has ever hosted."

 

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe echoed the same sentiment.

 

He said: “We are investing a record amount of public money in our elite athletes and hope to see that transferred into medal success in Beijing this summer and then in London in 2012.

 

“We have made great progress in some sports with the recent World Championship performances of our cycling and swimming teams encouraging ahead of the Games.

 

"But, of course, there is no room for complacency and sports and athletes must continue to try and up their game as the margins between winning and losing are so fine.”

 

A survey published by PriceWaterhouse Coopers last month predicted that Britain would win less medals in Beijing than they did in Athens, where the British champions included Dame Kelly Holmes winning the 800 and 1500 metres, rower Sir Matthew Pinsent claiming his fourth consectutive gold and cyclists Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins.

 

But Steele said: “After four years’ hard work, Beijing has the potential to be a memorable Games for Team GB’s athletes. 

 

"While recent injuries and withdrawals have highlighted just how risky and uncertain top level sport can be, we believe there is every reason to be confident that medal success will be achieved. 

 

"That would be a great result – the targets are ambitious and reaching them would be the best boycott-free medal performance by Britain for nearly a hundred years. 

 

"Crucially they will also show whether we are on track towards our ultimate goals for London 2012.”

 

Meanwhile, Britain's Paralympic team is predicted to hold on to its second place in the medals table achieved in both Sydney and Athens, although it is expected that China will dominate overall the Games in September.

 

For the Paralympics, the sports’ "stretch" target is 112 medals. 

 

This converts to UK Sport targeting around 95 medals, of which around 35 will need to be gold to achieve second place in the table – and almost exactly the same amounts as those won by our athletes in Athens.