In a dramatic finish at the Paris Olympics, China and the United States each secured 40 gold medals, resulting in a tie for the most coveted awards. Despite this deadlock, the United States emerged as the leader in the overall medal standings, amassing an impressive 126 medals compared to China’s 91. This marks a continuation of the U.S.’s dominance in the medal tally, following their narrow lead over China at the Tokyo Games, where they ended with 113 medals and 39 golds versus China’s 89 medals and 38 golds.
Nielsen’s Gracenote virtual medal-table forecast had predicted a different outcome for the Paris Games, projecting the top five in overall medals to be as follows: the United States (112 overall medals), China (86), Britain (63), France (60), and Australia (54). While the U.S. lived up to its forecasted position at the top, both it and China exceeded the predicted gold and overall medal counts.
In a surprising twist, Japan defied predictions by securing third place with 20 gold medals among 45 total medals. Meanwhile, France and Australia also made the top five, albeit in reversed positions. Skateboarder Keegan Palmer played a pivotal role in helping Australia achieve fourth place with 18 golds among 53 medals, while France rounded out the top five with 16 golds and 64 medals.