The final Olympic medal tally puts the U.S. on top in Paris : NPR

PARIS — The USA got here out on high within the Olympic medal rely in Paris, with a shocking whole of 126 medals, together with 40 gold.

The combat for nationwide bragging rights over gold medals — thought of by many international locations to be essentially the most coveted prize — got here right down to the wire and in the long run China and the U.S. tied with forty apiece.

China, with 91 general medals, has cemented itself as America’s chief rival within the Summer time Video games.

In the meantime, Russia, as soon as a world powerhouse at each the Summer time and Winter Olympics, was practically invisible in Paris, fielding solely about fifteen athletes and barely registering within the whole medal rely.

How did the U.S. do it? Swimming and monitor

As soon as once more in Paris, America’s Olympic engine fired on two cylinders: swimming and monitor.

Within the pool, U.S. swimmers led by Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske, racked up 28 medals, together with 8 gold.

On the monitor, American athletes have been much more dominant profitable 34 whole medals, 14 gold.

These two sporting disciplines alone accounted for roughly half of the entire U.S. medal tally.

China, in contrast, garnered most of its gold medals from diving (8 gold), taking pictures (5 gold), desk tennis (5 gold) and weightlifting (5 gold).

So whereas the 2 international locations go head-to-head within the medal rely, they usually do it in very completely different sports activities.

Another take-aways: France did nice, Australia did higher

It is fairly widespread for the Olympic host nation to do nicely on the Summer time Video games and France was no exception.

One of many breakout stars of those Olympics was Léon Marchand, the younger French swimmer, who captured 4 gold and one bronze medal.

Altogether, France received 64 medals, sixteen of them gold.

One other nation that punched above its weight is Australia. With a comparatively tiny inhabitants, simply 26 million folks, the Aussies racked up 53 medals, eighteen of them gold.

Per capita, that places Australia right into a league of its personal for medal victories.

One last observe. The Worldwide Olympic Committee fielded a group this yr of refugee athletes to signify displaced individuals around the globe.

A girl from Cameroon, Cindy Djanjeu Ngamba, received that group’s single bronze medal in boxing.