China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (2024)

PARIS — Everywhere you looked at the 2024 Paris Games, Americans dominated. Team USA sent by far the most athletes. Hordes of stars-and-stripes-clad tourists made the trip across the Atlantic. And celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Lady Gaga became the Games’ cultural icons.

There is one crucial metric in which the U.S. did not smash the competition, however: gold medals.

With all the events completed, China tied Team USAin the medal table, with 40 golds. (While the American news media typically goes on total medals, most of the rest of the world, including Paris 2024’s official count, bases its table on golds won.)

Whereas Team USA has focused on athletics and swimming, China majors in diving, table tennis, weightlifting, shooting and badminton. In fact, around a fifth of China’s 302 golds since 1984 have come in diving. This year was no different, with China winning every diving gold available.

“I’m very proud of China and all the gold medals it has won,” said Fang Zheng, 30, a Chinese student studying in France who was lining up to watch breaking Friday. “When an athlete wins gold, it’s an honor for themselves and their families, but also the country.”

China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (1)

This year, China also made breakthroughs in disciplines typically dominated by the U.S., specifically swimming. Its two golds here included the 4x100-meter medley, the first time in Olympic history that anyone had beaten the U.S.

The star of the show was Pan Zhanle, who jetted away from American Hunter Armstrong in the anchor leg, having already set a world record in the 100-meter freestyle five days before. The losing U.S. team included 10-time Olympic medalist Caeleb Dressel, who had to settle for silver.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen became the first Asian tennis player to win women’s gold, and China’s winning artistic swimming score blew the U.S. and Spain out of the water. The Chinese routine, “Light of Life,” wowed the judges by creating a physical representation of the “mountain” the team had to overcome to win gold. Though Russia, long a dominant force in the sport, was excluded from these Games, China still achieved a score that far outstripped those of any competitors.

“Their execution is just out of this world,” Team USA’s Jacklyn Luu said.

China has also been quick to embrace some of the newer Olympic sports, including sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing and breaking. Deng Yawen won gold in women’s BMX freestyle in her Olympic debut. And China also has the youngest athlete at these Games, 11-year-old skater Zheng Haohao.

China’s newfound prowess in the pool has not come without significant scrutiny, however, after it emerged that 23 swimmers — including 11 who went to Paris — tested positive for banned heart medication in 2021 but were still allowed to compete.

China’s doping agency said they had eaten contaminated food, an explanation accepted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, which did not make the incident public until it was revealed by a New York Times investigation this year.

China vehemently denies allegations of doping, with a foreign ministry spokesperson telling NBC News last month that “Chinese swimmers are clean and have never feared testing.”

China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (2)

It also accused the U.S. anti-doping agency, USADA, of double standards after it was revealed that the Americans had allowed athletes who tested positive from 2011 to 2014 to continue competing if they went undercover to catch other dopers.

China has also zeroed in on American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for the performance enhancer trenbolone in March but, like the Chinese athletes, was cleared after his country’s agency said he had eaten contaminated meat.

The current American-Chinese Olympic rivalry is part of a geopolitical sporting duopoly that has existed since around 2004. Though the U.S. tends to win, when Beijing hosted the Games in 2008, it swept the field with 51 golds to Team USA’s 36.

How it does that is no secret and in many ways is similar to what the U.S. and other countries do.

It has pumped ever more funding into the Games while focusing on specific sports that it knows will return a healthy number of honors. Having 1.4 billion people does not hurt, of course, although as India will attest (no golds, one silver and five bronzes in Paris this year), having a colossal potential talent pool does not guarantee success.

The last time an opaque, one-party state accused of running a doping program rivaled the USA in the medal table, it was the Soviet Union.

Back in those Cold War days, China’s Olympic program was still in its infancy.

China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (3)

After the 1949 communist revolution, Chinese leader Mao Zedong promoted exercise not only as an athletic imperative — building a strong, healthy working class and to defend the nation — but also as a cultural and political necessity. It would “serve the political purpose of building a class of citizens who were well-disciplined in both mind and body,” according to the Michigan-based nonprofit Association for Asian Studies in its journal Education About Asia.

And at theHelsinki Games in 1952, China saw just how potent a geopolitical weapon the Olympics could be. The Soviet Union achieved huge success, running the U.S. close in the medal table and showing “how a socialist country could defeat Western democratic countries on the international stage,” the essay in Education About Asia said.

China would not win its first medals for 30 more years, however, after it withdrew from the International Olympic Committee in protest over the participation of Taiwan, which it sees as a rogue province that rightfully belongs to Beijing.

The international sporting freeze began to thaw in the 1970s, first with the historic “pingpong diplomacy” of 1971, when the U.S. table tennis team became the first international sporting delegation to tour China in decades, paving the way for a visit by President Richard Nixon a year later. That direction of travel was further expedited in the late 1970s with the “reform and opening up” policies Deng Xiaoping enacted after Mao’s death.

China finally returned to the Games at Los Angeles in 1984 following an IOC agreement that said Taiwan would compete under the name “Chinese Taipei.” Beijing soon became a medal machine, climaxing at Beijing in 2008. That landmark event in the country’s modern history coincided with its meteoric economic rise as the West ailed under the financial crisis the same year.

China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (4)

Amid heavy criticism, the IOC said those Games would help revolutionize politics and human rights in what was then the world’s most populous country. That never came.

Under President Xi Jinping, who came to power four years later, China has become more authoritarian, according to Western governments and watchdogs, an assessment Beijing rejects.

Today, all countries see success in the Games as a way to project power internationally. But China takes that to a whole new level, where not only are gold seen as a totem of nationalistic pride, but silvers are often lambasted on social media.

Meanwhile, its State Council has vowed to make China “a modern leading sports socialist country by 2050” and declared that its “global influence in sports should be ranked near the top globally.”

And in this new era of Sino-Western rivalry, more nationalistic elements of the Chinese media use the Olympics to portray China in a positive light against the perfidious Americans and Europeans. The doping argument at these Games has only intensified that dynamic.

“The U.S. using its hegemonic influence and power to contain China and other competitors in sports is truly a disgrace and unsportsmanlike,” sports commentator Li Xiang told the hawkish Global Times newspaper Friday. China, on the other hand, “has demonstrated charm and sportsmanship in Paris, as Chinese young athletes win friendship and respect from their rivals and foreign audiences.”

Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith is a senior reporter forNBC News Digital based in London.

China tied the U.S. on Olympic golds — here's how (2024)

FAQs

Can us beat China in gold medal count? ›

But the U.S. topped the medals table with a whopping 126 overall, compared to 91 for China. At the Tokyo Games, the U.S. also edged China in the medal count, finishing with 113 overall and 39 golds, compared to 89 medals with 38 gold for China.

Does China pay for gold medals? ›

Independent journalist Gao Yu said Chinese athletes and coaches are entirely supported by taxpayers' money, with a typical gold medal estimated to cost the government around 700 million yuan (US$97.5 million) back in 2008.

What did China win in the Olympics in 2024? ›

China finished the 2024 Games with 91 medals, including 40 gold medals, 27 silver medals and 24 bronze medals. This performance tied them with the United States for having the most gold medals among NOCs, with China finishing second in the medal table due to having fewer silvers.

What was the maximum number of gold medals won by USA or China? ›

The United States and China will both end the Paris Olympics with 40 gold medals each. The U.S. won the total medal count with 126 (40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze). China came in second in the total medal race with 91 (40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze).

Why China wins so many gold medals? ›

Its success has been the result of deliberate policies. For the ruling Communist Party too, the event has been seen as key to its global perceptions. China began competing in the Olympics at a time when its economy was undergoing a monumental shift.

Does China have more medals than the US? ›

Both countries finished with 40 golds, marking the first ever tie for total golds at the Summer Games – but the US claimed top spot overall with 126 medals to China's 91.

How much does America pay for a gold medal? ›

Additionally, through "Project Gold," run by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee," U.S. athletes get $37,500 for winning a gold medal; $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze, according to the Associated Press.

What country pays the most for Olympic medals? ›

Not to mention winnings vary wildly depending on the country at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo US gold medalists received 37,500 silver, received 22,500 bronze. 15,000 plus health care. By comparison, Singapore offered its gold medalists *** staggering 1 million Singapore dollars, which is equivalent to $734,890.

How much is an Olympic gold medal worth? ›

An Olympic gold medal is mostly silver and worth about $900 | Fortune.

What country has the most gold medals right now? ›

The U.S. will also hope to keep its ranking as the nation with the most gold medals: a total of 1,179 ahead of the Paris Games, according to the Olympic Foundation. Following is the Soviet Union, with 473 gold medals.

Why are the Chinese so good at diving? ›

China's dominance in diving can be attributed to their pursuit of perfection, long hours of training—sometimes seven days a week—and an early start in the sport. Chinese divers train both in and out of the pool, with some beginning as early as 5 years old.

How many Olympic medals does Russia have? ›

Top 10 Countries With Most Olympic Medals 2000-2022

Russia comes in second place with 559 total medals, if the various entities in which Russia has participated in the Olympics since 2000 are combined.

How rich is Michael Phelps? ›

Michael Phelps, often hailed as the greatest swimmer in Olympic history, has an impressive net worth of $100 million. His career achievements and post-Olympics endorsem*nts have solidified his position at the top of the swimming world's wealth rankings. Michael Phelps' swimming career is nothing short of extraordinary.

Did USA beat China in gold medals? ›

PARIS (AP) — The contest for most gold medals at the Paris Olympics ended in a 40-40 tie between China and the United States. But the U.S. topped the medals table with a whopping 126 overall, compared to 91 for China.

Who has the most Olympic medals ever female? ›

Michael Phelps has amassed the most gold medals for an individual competitor (male or female) in modern day Olympics history. At the 2024 Olympics, Katie Ledecky tied Larisa Latynina for the most gold medals achieved by a female competitor.

Does the US have the most gold medals in the Olympics? ›

The goal is gold at the Olympics, and no country has seized more gold than the United States. Here's a look at the countries who have won the most gold medals in Summer Olympics history.

Did China beat USA in Olympics? ›

It's the first stalemate in Summer Games history, and it took a nail-biting U.S. women's basketball win in the final action of Paris 2024 to make happen.

How many golds has USA won so far? ›

United States at the Olympics
IOC codeUSA
NOCUnited States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Websitewww.teamusa.org
Medals Ranked 1stGold 1,219 Silver 1,000 Bronze 875 Total 3,094
7 more rows

What country won the most gold medals in 2024? ›

Team USA topped the medals table at the Paris Olympic Games with 40 gold medals and a total of 126.

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