Kathmandu: The Paris Olympics concluded with a dramatic tie for the most gold medals, as both China and the United States secured 40 each. However, the U.S. topped the overall medal count with 126 medals, outshining China’s 91. This mirrors the results from the Tokyo Games, where the U.S. also led with 113 overall medals compared to China’s 89.
Nielsen’s Gracenote virtual medal-table forecast had predicted the top five for overall medals at the Paris Games to be: the U.S. (112 medals), China (86), Britain (63), France (60), and Australia (54). While the U.S. met its forecasted position, both China and Japan surpassed predictions, with Japan unexpectedly securing third place with 20 golds and 45 overall medals. Australia, forecasted to be fifth, ended up fourth with 18 golds among 53 medals, while France, anticipated to be fourth, finished fifth with 16 golds out of 64 medals. Britain, with 65 medals, fell to seventh place, behind the Netherlands, despite improving its overall medal count from Tokyo.
China dominated the diving events, sweeping all eight golds available and also claimed five golds in shooting, table tennis, and weightlifting. Notably, China’s team victory in table tennis marked the country’s 300th gold in Olympic history.
The U.S. excelled in track and field, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaking her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles. The U.S. won 14 golds in track and field, with Noah Lyles clinching the men’s 100-meter race, Gabrielle Thomas winning the women’s 200, and Quincy Hall taking the men’s 400. Simone Biles added four more medals in gymnastics, and Katie Ledecky led the swimming team to eight golds. Both the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams won their tournaments, defeating France in the finals. However, the U.S. women’s water polo team did not medal, despite high expectations.
France surpassed expectations by winning more golds than in the 1996 Atlanta Games and nearly doubling its overall medal count from Tokyo. Léon Marchand’s five medals and Antoine Dupont’s rugby sevens gold were highlights. The French judo team also performed strongly, securing 10 medals, although the men’s handball team did not medal. The track and field team added a late silver through Cyrena Samba-Mayela in the women’s 110 hurdles.
Germany achieved four of its 12 gold medals in equestrian, with Isabell Werth extending her Olympic equestrian record to 14 medals. Canada’s Summer McIntosh won three swimming golds and a silver, contributing to Canada’s nine golds overall. Sweden’s Armand Duplantis set a new pole vault world record, one of Sweden’s four golds. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic won a gold in tennis, adding to Serbia’s three golds. Algeria’s Imane Khelif and India’s Manu Bhaker also made notable contributions, with Bhaker becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal.
Source: AP