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 U.S., China and host country France were leading the medal count by the start of the second week. The Americans have the most medals overall and pulled ahead with most gold medals as well.
American gymnast Simone Biles became the most decorated Olympic gymnast as she earned a gold medal with the women’s team, followed by individual gold medals in the all-around and vault competitions. She earned a silver in beam.
Katie Ledecky also made history for earning the most medals for a female Olympian after several wins in swimming.
The women’s rugby sevens team also made Team USA history by earning its first-ever medal in the bronze medal game against Australia. It’s the first rugby medal for the U.S. since the men won gold at the 1924 Olympics, which were also hosted in Paris.
There has been some online debate as to how to properly track which countries are on the Olympic leaderboard: whether it is the overall medals or only gold medals that are the most important gauge of success.
China came in second whether you counted by gold medals or all medals at the start of the final week. The country particularly dominated in shooting and diving, though its swim teams also made the podium multiple times.
The men’s team defeated Team USA in a race the U.S. normally dominates: the 4×100 medley relay.
Some countries have slight advantages by just the sheer volume of athletes they sent to Paris.
The U.S. has the largest delegation, with 594 athletes. France closely follows, with 571.
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French swimmer Leon Marchand has become a fan favorite for worldwide spectators, as the 22-year-old won four gold medals and a bronze. Even French President Emmanuel Macron made time to cheer Marchand on as he single-handedly won all of the country’s gold medals in swimming.
American Noah Lyles made an impressive show on the track, winning gold in the men’s 100-meter race as the athletics portion of the race. Team USA’s Gabby Thomas also brought home gold in the women’s 200-meter race, with fellow American Brittany Brown earning bronze.
The U.S. is most likely looking for a repeat of its formidable presence at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where it won 113 medals. That’s the most of any country by a significant amount, with China’s 89 medals next.
Russia, whose presence also dominated in past games, is not allowed to compete this year. The International Olympic Committee banned Russia, along with Belarus, as part of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Competitors from those countries may participate only as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” and their medals will not be counted for the nations. No one who has actively supported the war for either Belarus or Russia is eligible to compete.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
