The United States is once again a successful nation in the Summer Olympics. China were still top of the medal list on the final day, but the Americans also qualified on Sunday.
This was partly due to Jennifer Valente, who excelled in the Omnium area in gold and track cycling in women’s volleyball and basketball.
The final attack
With those three victories, the Americans came out with 39 gold, 41 silver and 32 bronze medals. China has to make 38 times as much gold, 32 times as much silver and 18 times as much bronze. Japan tops the final list with 27 gold, 14 silver and 16 bronze medals.
This is the third time in a row that the United States has topped the medal table at the Summer Games after London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. In 2008, when the Olympics were in Beijing, China topped the list with no less than 51 golds. At that time the United States had more medals than China, but significantly less gold.
Seventh place
The Netherlands ranks seventh on the medal list. Before big countries like France and Germany. One of the reasons for this is Abdi Naki’s silver on Sunday night. As a result, the Netherlands ends above Germany (11 vs. 10 silver medals). As for the French, it is about bronze medals (there are many gold and silver medals in both countries). The Netherlands ranks fourteen-third overall, with the French ‘only’ eleven.
If you watch the athletics in its entirety, the Netherlands will look even taller. The Dutch team finished sixth in Tokyo with eight medals: two golds (Sifan Hassan in the 5000 and 10,000 meters), three silver (Anook Wetter Heptathlon, Abdi Naki Marathon, men’s 4×400 relay) and three bronze (Hassan 1500m, Emma Osterwezhel Heptath, 400m hurdles like Femke).
Pioneer
The Great Power United States captured the most athletic medals: a total of 26 (seven gold, twelve silver, seven bronze). Italy surprisingly finished second with five golds. Kenya won ten medals (four gold, four silver and two bronze).
The European Indoor Championships in Poland in March were a precursor to an unprecedented harvest in Tokyo. With four gold, one silver and two bronze medals, the team topped the medal list. Traditionally the great athletic nations of Great Britain and Germany then ended up behind the Netherlands, and so did the Games in Tokyo. The British won six medals, while the Germans won only three.
Read more: Will the Netherlands break Sydney’s medal record? If so, is that also a historic achievement?