10 things that can help you predict who will win Olympic gold:

• We love underdogs but being an underdog doesn’t make you more motivated. In fact, the favorites try 30% harder when facing underdogs because they’re afraid of being humiliated.

• The country’s culture matters. Teams from more collectivist cultures perform better.

• Do you know a fair amount about the sport you’re watching? Then don’t think too hard when making your prediction.

• Attractive athletes might be more likely to win.

• “The teams that touched the most cooperated the most, and won the most.”

• Tennis players who are jerks do better.

• The farther the distance between the event and their home city, the worse a team performs. This could be good for British athletes. That said, home teams are more likely to choke under pressure.

• Athletes wearing red win more.

• Facing off against a rival increases performance — but also makes a team more likely to cheat.

• There’s a good reason to stare at Olympians’ butts: it’s the most important muscle in an athlete’s body.

And a few other Olympic facts you might find interesting:

• It costs a country about $37 million dollars for every gold medal they win.

• Bronze medalists are happier than Silver medalists.

• Can anything in life ever surpass winning 14 gold medals? Maybe not.

• Employers, you might see a productivity dip. People in the US work a half hour a week less when the World Cup is on and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a similar effect for the Olympics.

• Frankly, you should hope your country does not host the Winter Olympics.

• What can the human body do when pushed to the limit?

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