U.S. ties China for most golds in Paris, tops Olympic medals race

U.S. ties China for most golds in Paris, tops Olympic medals race

  • Post category:Sports

With the Paris Olympics complete, the U.S. topped the total medal count and tied China for the most golds.

China held a slight lead over the U.S. entering Sunday and claimed its final gold medal with Li Wenwen’s weightlifting win in the women’s +81 kilogram division. The Americans caught up to China with Jennifer Valente’s gold in women’s cycling and a nail-biting win over France in the women’s basketball gold medal game.

The U.S. and China both leave Paris with 40 gold medals, marking the first time two countries have tied in gold medal total at the Summer Games. In 1948, the Winter Games saw a tie for gold at the St. Moritz Olympics when both Norway and Sweden won four.

In Paris, the Americans topped the total medal count with 126 and China finished second with 91. Great Britain (65), host France (64) and Australia (53) round out the top five.

Team USA’s 126 Olympic medals are the third-highest total for the country and the biggest haul 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

People’s Republic of China

40

27

24

91

Great Britain

14

22

29

65

France

16

26

22

64

Australia

18

19

16

53

Japan

20

12

13

45

Italy

12

13

15

40

Netherlands

15

7

12

34

Germany

12

13

8

33

Republic of Korea

13

9

10

32

You can see the full medal count here.

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(Photo of the U.S. women’s national team’s Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith: Tnani Badreddine / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

by NYTimes