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Who Was No. 1? Three Letters: U-S-A

August 12th, 2012 · No Comments · Beijing Olympics, London 2012, Olympics

I know this is not ecumenical. I know it’s retro. But I am a child of the Cold War, and we treasured Olympic medals like … well, gold … back then, and kept close tabs of where they went. And I have never given it up.

I am always aware of who leads the medals table. And the U.S. of A. finishing atop the London 2012 medals table today, having closed with a rush these final days … pleases me perhaps more than it should.

The U.S. had its sixth clean sweep of the medals competition — leading in both gold and total medals — since 1952.

Where does that leave things, since the start of the Cold War?

The USA and USSR/Russia each have enjoyed six Olympics, since 1952, in which they led in both gold and overall medals. China is the only other country to lead in even one category — gold, at Beijing 2008. (The U.S. led in total medals 110-100.)

This accounting does not include the 1980 Moscow Olympics and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Each was damaged by boycotts. More to the point, the U.S. skipped Moscow and the Soviets spurned L.A.

And it begins in 1952, when the Soviets decided to field a team for the first time, appreciating the potential propaganda benefits of being faster, higher and stronger than the decadent nations of the West. Well, the U.S., in particular.

The Soviets were very good at this, too, winning both the gold and the overall titles in 1956, 1960, 1972, 1976, 1988 (the Olympics in which the U.S. fell to third (!) for the first and only time, behind East Germany, where the Olympics were the leading industry) and 1992 (as the Unified Team).

After the demise of the USSR, the U.S. became the dominant power, winning both gold and overall in 1996 (the Atlanta Games; the biggest U.S. romp since 1932 in a non-boycotted Olympics), 2000, 2004 and 2012. (The U.S. also swept at Mexico 1968, the Americans’ only sweep between 1952 and 1996. Tokyo 1964 was a split; U.S. led in gold, Soviets in overall.)

According to the stat wonks who have descended on the study of medals, it is more important to consider medals on a per-person level. Thus, Grenada, with 1115,000 people, had the best Olympics at London 2012 because of their one gold.

Whatever. I prefer to look at who has the most medals … and who has the most gold is nearly as important — though whoever wins that (see: China, 2008) will insist gold is what matters.

This was a good Olympics for the U.S., even if more than half of the American medals came from the two most dependable U.S. sources for decades — swimming (31 medals) and track and field (24).

Check the Guardian site for some advanced breakdowns of medals.

It is a happy coincidence (or is it?) that the U.S. is strongest in the two sports that award the most medals, track and swimming.

So, what does it prove? Perhaps not much. Aside from the U.S. commitment to doing well in the Olympics, which apparently still outstrips China’s or Russia’s, at least by a little.

Once upon a time, finishing on top meant a lot. And some of us still take unabashed satisfaction when our country beats the rest.

When will we cease to care? When they stop playing national anthems and hoisting flags. Could happen someday. Hasn’t yet.

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