The United States are talking a big game and ESPN has been claiming they lead the medal table even when they haven’t but they are a long way behind Australia and a couple of tiny Caribbean nations in the Per Capita Olympic Medal Table.
After the Americans pipped Australia on the final night of the swimming competition to win their head-to-head battle 8-7, they have been beating their chest about reclaiming supremacy in the pool.
We’re just over the halfway point heading into the final week of the Games and USA’s total of 19 golds still put them behind China on the medal tally by one.
If you believe US outlets like ESPN who have deliberately been ranking nations based on their overall medals, instead of the traditional way of ranking them by the number of golds, then silver and bronze medals, the Americans were never anything but No.1.
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USA, USA, and all that malarkey.
But if you base the medal tally on a per capita basis using each nation’s population, then the US are ranked eighth among the top 10 countries from the Paris Games.
They’ve won a medal for every 4.7 million Americans with only Japan (1 per 5.6 million) and China (1 per 29 million) worse off.
Little old Australia, not surprisingly with our population slightly above 26 million, are one of only six nations who have won gold that have more medals than millions of people.
The Per Capita Olympics – How the top 10 really shape up
| Golds | Medals | Medals Per Capita | |
| China | 20 | 48 | 1 per 29 million |
| USA | 19 | 72 | 1 per 4.7 million |
| France | 12 | 44 | 1 per 1.5 million |
| Australia | 12 | 31 | 1 per 852,871 |
| South Korea | 11 | 26 | 1 per 1.96 million |
| Great Britain | 10 | 38 | 1 per 1.79 million |
| Japan | 9 | 24 | 1 per 5.16 million |
| Italy | 7 | 22 | 1 per 2.68 million |
| Netherlands | 6 | 15 | 1 per 1.17 million |
Leading the way are Caribbean islands Dominica and Saint Lucia with a gold medal each despite populations of 73,000 and 180,000 respectively.
Dominica celebrated its first ever medal when Thea LaFond won the women’s triple jump on the same day that Julien Alfred did likewise for Saint Lucia with victory in the women’s 100m sprint final.
Matt Ebden and John Peers celebrate their gold medal win in the Paris Olympics men’s doubles final. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
As they usually do, New Zealand are punching above their weight on the world stage to win seven medals, including two gold in the women’s rowing and rugby sevens, despite a population a little north of five million.
Ireland, with three golds, and Georgia for their victory in the judo, are also on the list of over-achievers.
The Per Capita Olympics – The true winners
| Golds | Medals | Medals Per Capita | |
| Dominica | 1 | 1 | 1 per 73,000 |
| Saint Lucia | 1 | 1 | 1 per 180,000 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 7 | 1 per 746,000 |
| Ireland | 3 | 6 | 1 per 833,333 |
| Australia | 12 | 31 | 1 per 852,871 |
| Georgia | 1 | 4 | 1 per 932,000 |
At the other end of the scale, India have collected a paltry three bronze medals.
That from a country with a population of 1.4 billion.
No wonder they want cricket in the Olympics.