British athletes will be hard-pushed to emulate the 67 medals they claimed in Rio in 2016 – but some are more likely than others to keep their side of the bargain.
Here the PA news agency identifies 10 Team GB members who are set to shine brightest in Tokyo.
Adam Peaty
Having surged under 57 seconds and set the 20 fastest times in history, Peaty appears a virtual certainty to defend his 100m breaststroke title – more than likely with a new world record into the bargain. Such is the extent of his dominance that his rivals are already resigned to battling it out for silver.
Seonaid McIntosh
The Edinburgh shooter heads to Tokyo as the reigning world number one and 50m prone world champion, and a strong medal bet in the women's 3×50 rifle event. McIntosh, who will also compete in the 10m air rifle, also won Britain's first World Cup gold in 2019.
Dina Asher-Smith
Already the fastest British woman in history, Asher-Smith has a habit of rising to the big occasion and she will need to be in the form of her life in Tokyo to see off American Gabby Thomas, who set the second-fastest time in history over 200m at the US trials, and veteran Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who did likewise in the 100m in Kingston.
Pat McCormack
McCormack has proved a class apart from most of his Olympic rivals over this extended cycle and will start as a clear favourite for welterweight boxing gold. His recent win over Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy – who denied him world gold in 2019 – was a clear sign of his intent to go all the way in the Japanese capital.
Jason and Laura Kenny
History is on the cards for cycling's golden couple in Tokyo. Laura Kenny sits one behind Dame Katherine Grainger's five-gold medal haul on the domestic all-time list, while Jason currently boasts seven Olympic medals, one short of Sir Bradley Wiggins' career tally of eight, with every chance both records will at least be matched.
Max Whitlock
After claiming two extraordinary gold medals in Rio, Whitlock has restricted his focus to his favoured pommel for Tokyo. Despite his recent fall on his return to competition at the European Championships, the 28-year-old will start as favourite – but could be pushed all the way by Ireland's rising star Rhys McClenaghan.
Sky Brown
Brown, who turns 13 this month, will become Britain's youngest summer Olympian when she competes in the skateboard park competition. But the young prodigy stands every chance of a medal, having qualified in third place and also claimed a World Championship bronze medal in Sao Paolo in 2019.
Helen Glover
Glover won consecutive rowing gold medals with Heather Stanning in 2012 and 2016 before retiring to start a family. Tempted to launch a return, Glover and her new partner Polly Swann stormed to European gold in April, raising the prospect of a remarkable third medal for the 35-year-old in Japan.
Jade Jones
Jones was a teenager when she won her first Olympic taekwondo gold at London 2012, and followed up her triumph in Rio four years later. Now 28 and also the reigning world champion, Jones is a hot favourite to secure an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic title.
