I found this to be a very interesting article on data mining and prediction. From the web site:

Will the United States retain its position as the top medal-winning nation at this year's Olympic Games in London, or will up-and-coming China capture the crown? Is it possible to predict how many medals each nation will win? Why do some countries take home a bundle of medals while others take home none at all? And what is it about a nation that allows it to produce Olympic medal-winning athletes?

Check out the rest of the analysis here.