It was the perfect end to a perfect Olympic Games for China as the Olympic flame was handed over to London in the grandeur of one of the world’s greatest stadiums this morning. As the memories of a sensational Games faded into memory, the Chinese nation was left to celebrate achieving its ultimate aim of heading the Olympic medals table for the first time in history.
Unless you are in the United States where, strangely, you will discover that Team USA remains the dominant force in world sport, yet again topping the medals table.
The race for the ultimate Olympic accolade is measured in medals, it just depends on which medals you decide to count. The International Olympic Committee issues its league table based on the number of golds won, which gives China the honours, but then admits that there is no official system in place to decide who is top dog. So the American public is reading tables counting the total number of medals, including silver and bronze, won at the Games. On that measure, the USA keeps the whip hand over the home nation.
You pays your money and takes your choice on this one, but the undeniable fact is that this has been China’s Games in every sense. A century ago at the 1908 Games in London – where Britain registered 145 medals, including 56 golds – China did not even field a team. In recent years, though, they have overtaken Russia and now loom in America’s sights. In Beijing, China contested almost every event and, even where they could not win medals, showed signs that they will be a formidable force in four years in London.
Read it all.
America refuse to accept defeat in Olympic medal count
It was the perfect end to a perfect Olympic Games for China as the Olympic flame was handed over to London in the grandeur of one of the world’s greatest stadiums this morning. As the memories of a sensational Games faded into memory, the Chinese nation was left to celebrate achieving its ultimate aim of heading the Olympic medals table for the first time in history.
Unless you are in the United States where, strangely, you will discover that Team USA remains the dominant force in world sport, yet again topping the medals table.
The race for the ultimate Olympic accolade is measured in medals, it just depends on which medals you decide to count. The International Olympic Committee issues its league table based on the number of golds won, which gives China the honours, but then admits that there is no official system in place to decide who is top dog. So the American public is reading tables counting the total number of medals, including silver and bronze, won at the Games. On that measure, the USA keeps the whip hand over the home nation.
You pays your money and takes your choice on this one, but the undeniable fact is that this has been China’s Games in every sense. A century ago at the 1908 Games in London – where Britain registered 145 medals, including 56 golds – China did not even field a team. In recent years, though, they have overtaken Russia and now loom in America’s sights. In Beijing, China contested almost every event and, even where they could not win medals, showed signs that they will be a formidable force in four years in London.
Read it all.