The quest for Olympic glory is fierce, and the fight to claim the top spot on the medal table is no exception. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the United States emerged victorious, marking their 19th time topping the medal standings. This achievement was secured in a thrilling manner, as the USA edged out China in the final tally, aided by a dramatic late win in the women’s basketball final.
The USA is among a select group of seven nations that have held the top spot on the Olympic medal table since the inaugural games in 1896. Let’s take a look at the history of Olympic medal table dominance:
*
Athens 1896:
USA (11 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze)*
Paris 1900:
France*
St. Louis 1904:
USA*
London 1908:
Great Britain (56 gold, 51 silver, 39 bronze)*
Stockholm 1912:
USA (26 gold, 19 silver, 19 bronze)*
Antwerp 1920:
USA (41 gold, 27 silver, 27 bronze)*
Paris 1924:
USA (45 gold, 27 silver, 27 bronze)*
Amsterdam 1928:
USA (22 gold, 18 silver, 16 bronze)*
Los Angeles 1932:
USA (44 gold, 36 silver, 30 bronze)*
Berlin 1936:
Germany (38 gold, 31 silver, 32 bronze)*
London 1948:
USA (38 gold, 27 silver, 19 bronze)*
Helsinki 1952:
USA (40 gold, 19 silver, 17 bronze)*
Melbourne 1956:
Soviet Union (37 gold, 29 silver, 32 bronze)*
Rome 1960:
Soviet Union (43 gold, 29 silver, 31 bronze)*
Tokyo 1964:
USA (36 gold, 26 silver, 28 bronze)*
Mexico City 1968:
USA (45 gold, 28 silver, 34 bronze)*
Munich 1972:
Soviet Union (50 gold, 27 silver, 22 bronze)*
Montreal 1976:
Soviet Union (49 gold, 41 silver, 35 bronze)*
Moscow 1980:
Soviet Union (80 gold, 69 silver, 46 bronze)*
Los Angeles 1984:
USA (83 gold, 61 silver, 30 bronze)*
Seoul 1988:
USA (55 gold, 31 silver, 46 bronze)*
Barcelona 1992:
Unified Team* (45 gold, 38 silver, 29 bronze)*
Atlanta 1996:
USA (44 gold, 32 silver, 25 bronze)*
Sydney 2000:
USA (37 gold, 24 silver, 32 bronze)*
Athens 2004:
USA (36 gold, 39 silver, 26 bronze)*
Beijing 2008:
China (48 gold, 22 silver, 30 bronze)*
London 2012:
USA (48 gold, 26 silver, 30 bronze)*
Rio 2016:
USA (46 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze)*
Tokyo 2020:
USA (39 gold, 41 silver, 33 bronze)*
Paris 2024:
USA (40 gold, 44 silver, 42 bronze)*The Unified Team consisted of former Soviet republics except for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
It’s important to note that accurate nation-wise data is difficult to find for the 1900 Paris Olympics and the 1904 St. Louis Olympics due to the participation of mixed teams, comprising athletes from multiple countries.
