After the thrilling conclusion of the Paris Olympics, the United States emerged as the country with the most medals and tied with China for the most golds. It was a neck-and-neck race between the two powerhouse nations throughout the competition.
China had a slight lead over the U.S. going into the final day of the Olympics but was soon matched by the Americans’ incredible performances. Jennifer Valente’s gold in women’s cycling and a dramatic victory over France in the women’s basketball gold medal game helped the U.S. catch up and eventually tie with China in gold medals.
This historic tie marks the first time in Summer Games history that two countries finished with the same number of gold medals. The last time such a tie occurred was in 1948 during the Winter Games in St. Moritz when Norway and Sweden shared the top spot with four gold medals each.
In the overall medal count, the United States outperformed all other nations with an impressive tally of 126 medals, while China secured second place with 91 medals. Great Britain, host France, and Australia rounded out the top five standings.
The U.S. team’s 126 Olympic medals in Paris mark the third-highest total in the country’s history, and the largest collection since the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Paris Olympics Medal Count
|
Country |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United States of America |
40 |
44 |
42 |
126 |
You can find the complete medal count here.
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(Image credits: Tnani Badreddine / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
