USA and China in Unprecedented Gold Medal Tie at Paris Games and Why most populous Country India Secured 71 st place?
USA Tops the Medal Count
The United States came out on top in the Olympic medal count in Paris, with a total of 126
medals, including 40 gold. The fight for national bragging rights over gold medals, considered
by many countries to be the most coveted prize, came down to the wire and in the end China and
the U.S. tied with forty apices.
Historic Tie for Gold Medals
China made history in Paris as the only country besides the United States and the former Soviet
Union to win the most gold medals at the Summer Games outside of its home country. The U.S.
women’s basketball team won a close game against France, 67-66, in the final. This win tied the
U.S. and China for the most gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It’s the first time there has
been a tie at the top for gold medals in Summer Olympics history. The only previous tie was in
the 1948 Winter Games between Norway and Sweden.
U.S. Dominates Overall Medal Count
Even though the gold medal count was very close in Paris, the U.S. led the overall medal count
for the seventh time in the last eight Summer Games. Americans won 126 medals, while China
won 91. Great Britain came in third with 65 medals, and France finished fourth with 64. The
U.S. has topped the gold medal table 18 times since 1896, including four times at home. The
former Soviet Union did this seven times, including once as the Unified Team in Barcelona in
1992.
Improvement Over Tokyo Games
The U.S. also improved its medal count from the Tokyo Games. In 2024, the U.S. won 35 more
medals than China, following a 24-medal lead in 2021. The gold medal gap was very narrow in
Tokyo, with the U.S. winning 39 golds to China’s 38. Since 2000, China is the only country close
to the U.S. in gold medals. Japan won 20 golds in Paris, far behind the U.S. and China.
China’s Olympic Success and Global Influence
China has now finished first in gold medals twice, second three times, and third twice. Before
Paris, China last led the gold medal count in 2008 when Beijing hosted the Games. China’s rise
in Olympic success mirrors its growing global influence, similar to how the Soviet Union
challenged U.S. dominance during the Cold War. China is now a major global power, matching
its status as the world’s second-largest economy and second most populous country.
Why is the world’s most populous nation 71st in the Olympics medal table?
India sent 117 athletes to the Paris Olympics but ended up with only five bronze medals and a
silver from Neeraj Chopra. They finished 71st on the medals table, behind countries like Hong
Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, Cuba, and even Saint Lucia, a small Caribbean island with just
180,000 people.
A Letdown Compared to Past Performance
This is a letdown compared to their best-ever performance at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, where
they won seven medals, including one gold. For a country with 1.4 billion people and the world’s
fifth-largest economy, this result is both frustrating and confusing.
Challenges and Lack of Investment
In the past 30 years, India has won only two gold medals: in men’s 10m rifle shooting at Beijing
and in javelin by Chopra three years ago. Before Tokyo, India had a total of 28 medals across 36
Olympics, the same number as American swimmer Michael Phelps’ individual record. Experts
and former Indian Olympians say there’s no simple solution for a gold rush at the Los Angeles
2028 Olympics. Issues like widespread poverty and malnutrition prevent many young people
from reaching their sports potential. There is also a serious lack of investment, even at the elite
level.
Controversy Over Spending
Following wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification for missing weight in her women’s 50kg
final, India’s sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya faced criticism for defending the government’s
7.5 million rupees (about £75,000) spent on Phogat’s training. This amount is tiny compared to
what wealthier nations spend on their top athletes or the huge sums involved in the Indian
Premier League (IPL), the richest cricket league.
