DUST has settled at the 2024 Paris Olympics and once again the United States is on top of the medal table.
US Olympians won 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze medals for a total of 126. It was the the seventh time in the last eight Olympics that the US has been number one.
But the the US needed last-gasp heroics from A’ja Wilson and the women’s basketball team to claim the crown on the final day to preserve its seat at the head of the table.
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China has been America's toughest rival. The Asian behemoth also won 40 gold medals but were behind in the silver category with 27 and winning just 24 bronze medals for a total of 91.
But a Chinese, swimmer Zhang Yufei, won the most number of medals with five, but no gold. He had one silver and four bronze medals.
China was actually the last nation to dislodge US at the top, achieving the feat in Beijing in the 2008 Olympics.
It will be noted, however, that China is not the only Asian country that continues to battle the US for Olympic supremacy. In the past few years, other Asian nations have stepped up in and the final dispatch from Paris is proof.
Just take a look at this year’s Top 10.
China is No. 2, Japan third with 20 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze medals for a total of 45, while South Korea is eighth with its 13-9-10 output and 32 medals in total.
Crunching the numbers, 22 out of the 44 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from Asia, or 50 percent, won at least one medal.
Asian athletes won 97 out of 329 events (29.48-percent), including the pair of gold medals won by Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo. In total, Asian athletes took home a total of 256 medals (24.52-percent) out of the 1,044 that were handed out.
Asians did it without help from countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Israel – nations which are geographically part of Asia but are competing as Europeans.
Take a look.
The only continent that had more share of the Olympic medal pie than Asia was Europe which won 128 gold medals or 38.91-percent and 448 in total or 42.91-percent as 35 out of its 48 NOCs won at least one medal.
Host nation France leads the list with 16 gold, 26 silver, and 22 bronze medals for a total of 64 to finish in fifth place, with French swimmer Leon Marchand accounting for four of those gold medals.
Also performing well were athletes from the Netherlands at No. 6 (15-7-12), Great Britain at No. 7 (14-22-29), Italy at No. 9 (12-13-15), and Germany at No. 10 (12-13-8).
USA’s domination, however, did not rub off on its neighboring countries.
The combined Americas only accounted for 62 gold medals (18.84-percent) and 221 in total (21.17-percent) as only 18 countries out of its 41 took home hardware.
Canada was the next best country to the USA, wounding up 12th with nine gold, seven silver, and 11 bronze for a total of 27.
Brazil was far behind, although it was the best South American nation, as it got three gold, seven silver, and 10 bronze medals for its 20-medal haul.
Oceania’s output is largely buoyed by the collection of Australia and New Zealand.
The Aussies finished fourth in the medal tally with 18 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bronze medals for its 53 total, while the Kiwis sat at 11th with its 10-7-3 tally for its 20-medal haul.
Add to that the lone silver which was snared by Fiji in the men’s rugby sevens and the continent’s collection ends up in 28 gold medals (8.51-percent) and 74 in total (7.09-percent).
Lastly, Africa continued to lag behind as only 12 countries won a medal out of the 54 which participated. Only 13 gold medals (3.95-percent) and 39 in total (3.74-percent) went their way.
Kenya was the best nation with its four gold, two silver, and five bronze medals, while South Africa followed with its six-medal haul.
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