As the world’s greatest athletes compete for both individual glory and national pride at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, spectators at home will also wonder which country will have the honor of raking in the most medals.
The United States, China, and host country France were all leading the medal count by Monday as the Paris Games were only just beginning. China won the competition’s first gold in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event on Saturday morning.
Team France and Team USA started this year’s competition in a neck-and-neck battle for most medals overall, the country currently putting on the Games versus the upcoming 2028 host.
Both countries also have a slight advantage by just the sheer volume of athletes they have representing them.
The U.S. has the largest delegation with 594 athletes members on its team. France closely follows with 571 members of its Olympic team.
French Olympians showed their range through a variety of sports already by medaling in at least eight different athletic genres. Meanwhile, the U.S. started strong in the water with seven of its early medals coming from swimming competitions.
The U.S. is likely looking for a repeat of its formidable presence at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where the country brought home 113 medals. That’s the most of any country by a significant amount, with China’s 89 medals coming up behind Team USA.
Russia, whose presence also dominated in past games, is not allowed to compete in this year’s event. The country was banned by the International Olympic Committee along with Belarus as part of a sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Competitors from those states may participate only as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” or AINs, and their medals will not be counted for the nations. No one who has actively supported the war for either Belarus or Russia are eligible to compete.
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#Track #Team #USAs #wins