Who will Top the Olympic Medal Table by end of today?
For lovers of drama, sports and analysis, the number of times that the USA and China have toppled each other in the medal table at the on-going Paris 2024 Olympics has been mesmerizing.
A ‘click’ now will have China on top, and a ‘refresh’ in 15 minutes will have USA back on top. At one point two days ago, China led with 5 gold medals and when the page was refreshed in two hours, the USA was leading with equal golds, but superior silver and bronze medals. By the end of that day, China was back on top with one gold.
This is enthrallingly how it has been almost all through the event. For lovers of history, a context will only make this more scenario more exciting.
USA are the undisputed kings of the Olympics games medal table, with a whooping 2629 medals won across 28 Olympics games, including 1061 gold, 830 silver and 738 bronze medals. Amazing.
China, on the other hand, are 4th on the all-time list, having only participated in 11 Olympics games, and winning a total of 636 medals, including 263 gold, 199 silver and 174 bronze medals. Awesome!
When China hosted the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, it topped the USA with 12 gold medals. That has been the only time China topped the medal table, with the USA consistently sitting on the top porch since when post-USSR era.
Hence, between Atlanta 1996 and now, USA coming first has been a given. At the last Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it was whisker close. USA topped China by a solitary gold medal.
At this Olympics, China is leading by a solitary gold medal heading at the start of the final day.
China will be participating in 6 events, while the USA will be participating in 7 events. They will be in the same events for 4 of these events.
USA, being in finals of volleyball women, basketball women and wrestling individual finals look to have a slight edge in retaining their medal table throne, but this is the Olympics. Anything can happen.
Like the individual events going on, the medal table throne battle has become an event itself. Who will be on top by 3pm today when the closing ceremony of the Olympics kick-offs?
It’s anyone guess, but one thing is for sure, for lovers of drama, sports and analysis, we will be ‘clicking’ and ‘refreshing’ all morning and afternoon long.
By Chika Chukwumerije, 2008 Olympics bronze medalist
