For the third time in a row, the USA is the most successful Olympic nation at the Summer Games and overtook China on the home straight.
The US team won 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze medals in Tokyo in 2021, outperforming China (38/32/18) both in quality (number of golds) and in quantity (113: 88 Medals). With 27 golds, 14 silvers and 17 bronzes, hosts Japan clearly had the best record in their Olympic history.
The athletes from Russia competed under a neutral Olympic flag and for the Russian Olympic Committee after being exposed to doping programs. They captured 71 medals, including a gold medal more than five years ago in Rio. Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto number 1 was played 20 times in honor of the winner. Great Britain finds itself one place ahead of it as fourth and best European representative (22/21/22), the ninth-placed team Germany has to digest its worst record since reunification (10 / 11/16). 93 nations won at least one precious metal.
Austria with seven medals 53.
Austria finished the Tokyo Games in the medal table in 53rd place. With seven medals (1/1/5), the ÖOC team exceeded the medal expectations and – based on the number of precious metals won – placed the 2004 Athens Games (2/4 / 1) a. In terms of numbers, only the summer performance in Berlin in 1936 (4/6/3) remained unmatched. However, the athletes from Sydney (2000) and Amsterdam (1928) each went home with two gold medals.
Last-minute medals decided the USA vs. China
China led the medal table for a long time and up until the final day. But the US women’s teams in basketball and volleyball as well as gold in the women’s track bike (Omnium) catapulted their home country to the top. The last time the USA was not number one in Beijing in 2008, when the hosts were clearly ahead with 48 to 36 gold medals.
Japan in the gold rush
This year’s host country was – once again – in a previously unknown gold rush, pulverizing its record of 16 gold medals from Athens 2004 / Tokyo 1964 by eleven wins (including nine judo gold). After winning the tournament in 2013, Japan had doubled its funding to around 80 million euros per year, according to ZDF, and demanded an eight-year plan from each discipline. As in Austria, in Japan winnings from the state lottery are channeled into the promotion of sports facilities and athletes. In addition, however – unlike in this country – company teams and athletes are commonplace.
In time for the Olympics, the Japanese economy was motivated to invest heavily in athletes. Expectations were high because of this and because of the introduction of new sports such as baseball and skateboard. The Japanese Olympic Committee praised 30 gold medals, it turned out to be 27. But this is also a national record.
