The Olympic Games are the world’s most prestigious sporting event, where athletes from around the globe compete for glory and honor. The Olympic medal table is one of the ways to measure the success and performance of each participating country. But which countries have won the most Olympic medals in history? And how did they fare in the latest edition of the Games in Tokyo 2020? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, based on the official data from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The top 10 countries with most Olympic medals
According to the IOC, the top 10 countries with most Olympic medals as of 2020 are:Open in browser
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 1,127 | 907 | 794 | 2,828 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 473 | 376 | 355 | 1,204 |
| 3 | Germany | 428 | 444 | 474 | 1,346 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 274 | 299 | 310 | 883 |
| 5 | France | 248 | 276 | 316 | 840 |
| 6 | Italy | 246 | 214 | 241 | 701 |
| 7 | China | 227 | 165 | 151 | 543 |
| 8 | Australia | 147 | 163 | 187 | 497 |
| 9 | Sweden | 147 | 170 | 179 | 496 |
| 10 | Hungary | 146 | 169 | 175 | 490 |
These rankings are based on the total number of medals won by each country, regardless of the type of medal. If two or more countries have the same number of total medals, they are ranked by the number of gold medals, then silver medals, then bronze medals.
The United States is the undisputed leader in the Olympic medal table, with more than twice as many medals as the second-placed Soviet Union. The US has dominated most editions of the Games, especially in athletics, swimming, basketball, and gymnastics. The Soviet Union was a major rival of the US during the Cold War era, but it dissolved in 1991 and its successor states competed as a unified team only in Barcelona 1992. Germany is the third-most successful country in Olympic history, but it also underwent several political changes that affected its participation in the Games. Germany competed as a unified team from Berlin 1928 to Rome 1960, then as two separate teams (East Germany and West Germany) from Tokyo 1964 to Seoul 1988, and then again as a unified team from Barcelona 1992 onwards. Great Britain is the fourth-most successful country and the most successful European country in Olympic history. It is also one of the few countries that have participated in every edition of the Games since Athens 1896. France, Italy, China, Australia, Sweden, and Hungary complete the top ten list of countries with most Olympic medals.
The latest edition: Tokyo
2020
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were held from July 23 to August 8, after being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Games featured a record number of events (339) and sports (33), including four new sports (karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing) and two returning sports (baseball/softball and golf). A total of 205 countries and regions participated in the Games, along with a refugee team and an independent team of Russian athletes (under the name ROC). A total of 11,656 athletes competed for 1,053 medals.
The medal table for Tokyo 2020 was as follows:Open in browser
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 39 | 41 | 33 | 113 |
| 2 | China | 38 | 32 | 18 | 88 |
| 3 | Japan | 27 | 14 | 17 | 58 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 22 | 21 | 22 | 65 |
| 5 | R.O.C. (Russian Olympic Committee) | 20 | 28 | 23 | 71 |
| […] | […] | […] | […] | […] | […] |
The United States topped the medal table for the seventh consecutive time and the 18th time overall, winning the most gold medals (39) and the most total medals (113). China was the runner-up, winning 38 gold medals and 88 total medals. Japan, the host nation, achieved its best-ever performance, winning 27 gold medals and 58 total medals. Great Britain and the ROC rounded up the top five, with 65 and 71 total medals respectively.
Some of the highlights of Tokyo 2020 were:
- The US swimmer Caeleb Dressel won five gold medals, matching the record for most golds by a male swimmer in a single edition of the Games.
- The US gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from several events due to mental health issues, but returned to win a bronze medal on the balance beam. She also became the most decorated US gymnast in Olympic history, with seven medals (four gold, one silver, two bronze).
- The Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah became the first woman to win back-to-back double golds in the 100m and 200m events, breaking the Olympic record in both races.
- The Norwegian runner Karsten Warholm broke his own world record in the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking 45.94 seconds and becoming the first man to run under 46 seconds in the event.
- The Chinese diver Shi Tingmao won two gold medals in the women’s 3m springboard and synchronized 3m springboard events, becoming the first woman to win four gold medals in diving in Olympic history.
- The Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony, but was eliminated in the third round of the women’s singles event by Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic.
- The Australian basketball player Patty Mills led his team to its first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball, a bronze, scoring 42 points in the third-place match against Slovenia. He also became the first Indigenous Australian to carry his country’s flag at the opening ceremony.
- The Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya won a silver medal in the men’s freestyle 57kg event, becoming only the second Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal after Sushil Kumar.
- The Philippines won its first-ever Olympic gold medal, thanks to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who lifted a combined weight of 224kg in the women’s 55kg event.
- The Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim and the Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi agreed to share the gold medal in the men’s high jump event, after both cleared 2.37m and failed to clear 2.39m.
Conclusion
The Olympic Games are a celebration of human excellence, diversity, and solidarity. They showcase the best athletes from every corner of the world, who inspire us with their dedication, passion, and skill. The Olympic medal table is a way of recognizing and honoring their achievements, as well as their countries’ contributions to sport and culture. In this article, we have seen which countries have won the most Olympic medals in history, and how they performed in Tokyo 2020. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new about the Olympic Games.
Most asked questions and answers
Here are some of the most asked questions about the Olympic Games and their answers:
- Q: How many countries have won at least one Olympic medal?
- A: According to the IOC 1, a total of 149 countries have won at least one Olympic medal as of 2020.
- Q: Which country has won the most gold medals in a single edition of the Games?
- A: The United States holds the record for winning the most gold medals in a single edition of the Games, with 83 golds at Los Angeles 1984
- Q: Which country has won the most total medals in a single edition of the Games?
- A: The United States also holds the record for winning the most total medals in a single edition of the Games, with 239 medals at Rio
- Q: Which athlete has won the most Olympic medals?
- A: The US swimmer Michael Phelps holds the record for winning the most Olympic medals, with 28 medals (23 gold, three silver, two bronze) from Athens 2004 to Rio 2016
- Q: Which athlete has won the most Olympic gold medals?
- A: The US swimmer Michael Phelps also holds the record for winning the most Olympic gold medals, with 23 golds from Athens 2004 to Rio 2016