Beijing Olympic medal count: maybe US will never surpass China again over gold medals
Here it relates a story of China, the Olympic Rising Superpower: USA will entry China’s most medals. Yes, U.S. will be rocked by China’s heavy medals. The U.S. isn’t catching up to China in gold medals. Not now, or in the future, writes Dan Wetzel.
Beijing Olympic medal count
Gold Silver Bronze Total
1. China 49 19 28 96
2. United States 34 37 36 107
3. Russian Fed 21 21 27 69
U.S. will be rocked by China’s heavy medals. The U.S. isn’t catching up to China in gold medals. Not now, or in the future, writes Dan Wetzel.
BEIJING – Across the Chinese media, the story has hit saturation coverage. China, once mocked as “the weaklings of Asia,” is going to win what it calls the total medal count for the Beijing Games.
China, like most of the world, values gold medals above all and only counts them in the standings. With 47 and counting, its total dwarfs all other nations. The United States is second with 31.
In the U.S., all medals are counted, so the Americans still hold a lead (102-89 after Friday’s competition) by that standard. The U.S. is trying to retain the total medal supremacy (by its count) it’s held since boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The U.S. has won the most golds since 1996.
In China, the accounting differences don’t matter. By the Chinese’s standard, this is over. And that’s the only standard. They talk about China’s victory all day on state-run television. Stories are all over the nation’s government-controlled major newspapers.
“China’s Gold Boom!” screamed one show on CCTV.
The difficult thing for the Americans to stomach is the situation is unlikely to change in future Games. This isn’t a one-time surge by a host nation. This isn’t even a run of great success.
China’s system of athletics places value on the medal count above all – as opposed to professional success or athlete choice. Whether the U.S. holds on this time or not, eventually China’s system, coupled with its 1.3 billion people, should be unstoppable.
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The U.S. can’t and, despite USOC claims, probably won’t want to compete in the same manner.
“China has been systematically targeting every single available medal, and we’re going to have to do that in the future,” the USOC’s Peter Ueberroth said. “It’s going to be very difficult (to dislodge China). The resources that they put toward their Olympic team and the population base and the dedication is fantastic.”
The proof of America’s challenge was in successful American athletes all over Beijing the last two days.
There was Hope Solo as she climbed a gold medal stand for women’s soccer, Tayshaun Prince as he grabbed a rebound in a men’s basketball semifinal victory over Argentina, and Jennie Finch as she teared up at winning just silver in what is expected to be the last softball competition. All are world-class athletes and all helped deliver a medal. If the goal is the medal count, though, none of the three may have maximized their ability.
If they had competed in individual sports where they could’ve racked up multiple medals, rather than be part of a team that won just one, those three could have been more valuable by medal count standards.
In China, they wouldn’t have had a choice. A sports star, like the property a house is built on, is owned by the government. The pursuit of sport is for national pride. The motivation is societal, as opposed to capitalistic in the United States.
China selects athletes at young ages and pushes them into sports in which their expected body types might thrive. In the U.S., an athlete is allowed to follow his own path to success or failure.
The results are dramatic. In an effort to bolster its Olympic standing – the total medal count – China embarked on a program in which it placed particular emphasis in competitions that awarded many medals and where world competition wasn’t particularly robust. As recently as 1988, China won just five golds.
In these Games, it has been powered by eight golds in weightlifting, seven in diving and five in shooting. While the Chinese have won their share of heavily contested competitions, such as women’s gymnastics, the focus on more obscure sports has paid dividends.
China doesn’t apologize for it. Nor should it. It has its goal and the perfect plan to attain it.
In the U.S., the athlete’s goal is most often himself. The two sports that siphon off the most male athletes are football and basketball. Combined, they yield just a single medal.
Would Jake Long be a great hammer thrower and thus valuable to the USOC? Considering his powerful 6-foot-7, 315-pound frame, long arms and quick feet, it stands to reason yes. Long, though, was the first overall pick of the NFL draft and signed a contract worth $57 million to block for the Miami Dolphins.
No one in their right mind in the States would expect him to do anything else.
In men’s basketball, where the U.S. is favored to win gold, imagine the value the players would have if they broke off into individual pursuits. LeBron James as a heavyweight boxer? Prince and his 6-8 height and 7-2 wing span as a swimmer? Michael Redd as a dead-eye shooter (rifle, not jump)?
If they were Chinese, they might produce many medals rather than a combined one.
More Beijing 2008 Olympics News Today:
Basketball-U.S. storm to fourth straight gold 12:40 pm EDT (Reuters)
US women claim fourth straight Olympic basketball title 12:39 pm EDT (AFP)
Team USA rolls over Australia in basketball 12:33 pm EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Wait ’til 2012: Another medal shutout for US 12:27 pm EDT (AP)
PREVIEW-Athletics-Kenya seek elusive marathon gold in last event 12:24 pm EDT (Reuters)
Highlights from TV Olympic coverage 12:19 pm EDT (AP)
Chinese take record 8 medals in table tennis 12:16 pm EDT (AP)
Germany defeats Spain for men’s field hockey gold 12:14 pm EDT (AP)
Triple track joy for Africa in Bird’s Nest 12:04 pm EDT (Reuters)
Cuban athlete might be banned after kicking ref 12:03 pm EDT (AP)
Saturday highlights at the Beijing Games 12:02 pm EDT (AP)
US women’s basketball wins fourth straight gold 12:01 pm EDT (AP)
Olympic roundup: women’s relay, baseball bronze 11:56 am EDT (AP)
Brazil defeats US 3-1 for volleyball gold 11:56 am EDT (AP)
Cuba has to settle for silver in Olympics 11:55 am EDT (AP)
Omega finally releases Phelps photo sequence 11:53 am EDT (AP)
Timetable of events for Sunday 11:49 am EDT (Reuters)
As games wind down, wait goes on for gymnasts 11:48 am EDT (AP)
Medals awarded on Saturday 11:47 am EDT (Reuters)
Basketball-United States win women’s gold 11:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Cuban banned for referee kick 11:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Aussie diver prevents Chinese from golden sweep 11:33 am EDT (AP)
Hellebaut wins high jump gold 11:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Bolt credits ‘hard work,’ fast track for 3 records 11:20 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Russian Chakhkiev enjoys golden revenge 11:15 am EDT (Reuters)
Olympics close with emotional volleyball match 11:14 am EDT (AP)
Good finish: Americans sweep Olympic 1,600 relays 11:13 am EDT (AP)
U.S. finish athletics on a high 11:08 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. women, men defend gold in 1,600 relay 11:07 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Bekele double, U.S. relay redemption 11:00 am EDT (Reuters)
FPM Medals: Best Olympic-themed ad 10:59 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Bekele joins greats with distance double 10:57 am EDT (Reuters)
South Korea wins improbable gold in baseball 10:51 am EDT (AP)
Hammon leads Russia to women’s basketball bronze 10:47 am EDT (AP)
Diving-Gold medallist Matthew Mitcham 10:45 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Tia Hellebaut 10:41 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Rakhim Chakhkiev 10:39 am EDT (Reuters)
Lomachenko ends magnificent games with boxing gold 10:38 am EDT (AP)
Cuban facing lifetime ban for kicking judge 10:34 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Degale wins gold for Britain 10:27 am EDT (AP)
Kenyan, Ethiopian runners thrive on hardships 10:23 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Gold medallist Cha Dong-min 10:22 am EDT (Reuters)
Brazil women top U.S. in volleyball gold medal match 10:22 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Boxing-Gold medallist James DeGale 10:19 am EDT (Reuters)
CORRECTED-Olympics-Hockey-Australians beat Dutch to win men’s br 10:18 am EDT (Reuters)
US men win 4×400 relay to claim track supremacy 10:13 am EDT (AFP)
Thailand’s Somjit wins gold, Manus gets silver 10:12 am EDT (AP)
U.S. women get valuable gymnastics lessons 10:05 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Thorkildsen returns to the summit 10:01 am EDT (Reuters)
Hockey-Men’s final result 10:01 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. men’s gymnasts make the grade 10:01 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
The Olympics over, China counts medals and respect 9:59 am EDT (AP)
Degale wins boxing gold for Great Britain 9:59 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Taekwondo-Gold medallist Maria Espinoza 9:58 am EDT (Reuters)
Hockey-Germany win men’s hockey gold 9:55 am EDT (Reuters)
Kanaeva wins gold for Russia 9:52 am EDT (AP)
Volleyball-Women’s final result 9:52 am EDT (Reuters)
Gymnastics-Gold medallist Evgeniya Kanaeva 9:50 am EDT (Reuters)
Supreme Bekele kicks late for double 9:48 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Nancy Jebet Langat 9:46 am EDT (Reuters)
Russia’s Chakhkiev wins boxing heavyweight gold 9:46 am EDT (AP)
Russians win team synchronized swimming gold 9:44 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s heavyweight final result 9:44 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Felix Diaz 9:42 am EDT (Reuters)
Belgium’s Hellebaut upsets Vlasic in high jump 9:37 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Gold medallist Vasyl Lomachenko 9:32 am EDT (Reuters)
Table tennis-Men’s singles final result 9:28 am EDT (Reuters)
Bungei delivers at last to win 800m 9:27 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. wins men’s 4×400 relay 9:23 am EDT (Reuters)
Wariner anchors US team to 1,600-meter victory 9:22 am EDT (AP)
U.S. women seeking gold in basketball vs. Australia 9:21 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Cuban taekwondo athlete banned after kicking ref 9:20 am EDT (AP)
Basketball-Women’s bronze medal match result 9:18 am EDT (Reuters)
Kenya’s Langat wins women’s 1500m 9:10 am EDT (Reuters)
Britain’s Degale wins boxing middleweight gold 9:10 am EDT (AP)
Gold medallist Andreas Thorkildsen 9:09 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Men’s middleweight final result 9:06 am EDT (Reuters)
U.S. sprinter Gay vows to fight on 9:04 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Men’s +80kg final result 9:04 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-S.Korea’s Cha wins men’s +80kg gold 9:01 am EDT (Reuters)
What to watch on Saturday: day and night 8:59 am EDT (Yahoo! Sports)
Factories to have to clean up before reopening 8:59 am EDT (Reuters)
Richards leads US to 4×400 relay win 8:58 am EDT (AP)
South Korea takes men’s taekwondo gold 8:56 am EDT (AP)
U.S. win women’s 4×400 relay 8:54 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-South Korea’s Cha wins men’s +80kg gold 8:50 am EDT (Reuters)
Maradona fumes over 42-degree Olympic final heat 8:50 am EDT (AFP)
Gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele 8:42 am EDT (Reuters)
Norway’s Thorkildsen wins javelin title 8:38 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s light-welterweight final result 8:37 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Mexico’s Espinoza wins +67-kg gold 8:36 am EDT (Reuters)
Diaz wins first gold for Dominican Republic 8:34 am EDT (AP)
Bekele wins 5,000, completes distance double 8:33 am EDT (AP)
Mexico takes women’s taekwondo gold 8:33 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg final result 8:32 am EDT (Reuters)
After 3 years together, US players set for goodbye 8:27 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Cuba’s Matos kicks referee after losing bout 8:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Gold medallist Wilfred Bungei 8:17 am EDT (Reuters)
Norwegian women beat Russia, take handball gold 8:13 am EDT (AP)
Table tennis-Men’s singles bronze medal match result 8:12 am EDT (Reuters)
Langat wins women’s 1,500 meters in an upset 8:06 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Beaten Cuban kicks ref after losing bout 8:00 am EDT (Reuters)
China celebrates gold canoe doubles team 7:59 am EDT (AP)
Canoeing-China earn second gold, Hungary vindication 7:58 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Lomachenko wins featherweight gold 7:57 am EDT (Reuters)
Lomachenko wins featherweight gold at Beijing 7:56 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s featherweight final result 7:53 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg bronze medal results 7:51 am EDT (Reuters)
Boxing-Gold medallist Somjit Jongjohor 7:47 am EDT (Reuters)
Olympics as PR: Here’s the new, modern China 7:45 am EDT (AP)
Bungei wins men’s 800 for Kenya 7:42 am EDT (AP)
Correction: Women’s Field Hockey 7:29 am EDT (AP)
IAAF sides with Bolt on Rogge comments 7:28 am EDT (AP)
Boxing- Somjit wins flyweight gold medal 7:24 am EDT (Reuters)
Schroeder has US water polo back on medal stand 7:21 am EDT (AP)
Boxing-Men’s flyweight final result 7:21 am EDT (Reuters)
Cycling-Gold medallist Julien Absalon 7:18 am EDT (Reuters)
Thailand’s Somjit wins flyweight boxing gold 7:18 am EDT (AP)
China in line for Golden League meet – Diack 7:11 am EDT (Reuters)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg repechage round results 7:05 am EDT (Reuters)
A quick lookahead at the Olympics 7:03 am EDT (AP)
Tiananmen Square leader can’t visit Hong Kong 7:00 am EDT (AP)
Untouchable Absalon defends Olympic crown 7:00 am EDT (AP)
IAAF chief: Bolt better than Lewis 6:54 am EDT (AP)
Cycling-It’s not just fast riding that wins the gold 6:50 am EDT (Reuters)
BACK & FORTH: Pingpong needs some real competition 6:44 am EDT (AP)
Handball-Norway’s sure-shot women win gold 6:41 am EDT (Reuters)
Bolt’s performances unparalleled – Diack 6:35 am EDT (Reuters)
No major leaguers, no Olympics – Rogge 6:30 am EDT (Reuters)
Americans finally find offense to win bronze 6:29 am EDT (AP)
Japanese swimmer collapses at Water Cube pool 6:27 am EDT (AP)
Argentina beats Nigeria 1-0 for Olympic gold 6:18 am EDT (AP)
James emerges as leader for US men’s basketball 6:15 am EDT (AP)
Taekwondo-Chinese fans angry after protest 6:13 am EDT (Reuters)
Norwegian women take handball gold 6:13 am EDT (AP)
Messi magic sees Argentina defend Olympic title 6:10 am EDT (AFP)
Taekwondo-Women’s +67kg semi-final results 6:07 am EDT (Reuters)
Messi magic sees Argentina defend Olympic football crown 6:03 am EDT (AFP)
Argentina win gold with Di Maria gem 5:59 am EDT (Reuters)
Ukrainian weightlifter expelled for doping 5:54 am EDT (AP)
Razoronov fails drugs test 5:40 am EDT (PA SportsTicker)
Hungary pair wins gold in 500-meter kayak double 5:38 am EDT (AP)
Canoeing-Kayaking not for the faint hearted 5:29 am EDT (Reuters)
No medals for US Beijing Olympic mountain bikers 5:29 am EDT (AP)
China wins gold in 500-meter kayak double 5:26 am EDT (AP)
MLB wants baseball back in Olympics 5:25 am EDT (AP)
Kayaking-Gold medallist Inna Osypenko-Radomska 5:20 am EDT (Reuters)
Soccer final temporarily stopped because of heat 5:18 am EDT (AP)
CAS rejects protest of Danes’ 49er sailing gold 5:16 am EDT (AP)
NBA, China counterpart in cooperation talks 5:12 am EDT (Reuters)
While some Chinese athletes make considerable money in endorsements and performance contracts – hurdler Liu Xiang’s likeness is everywhere here – the lack of professional sports opportunities create a mindset foreign to America and conducive to Olympic glory.
Then there are Solo and Finch, two high-profile female athletes. The U.S. is particularly strong in women’s sports, although much of it is in team competition. Just on Thursday here, American teams in beach volleyball and soccer all won gold. Softball won silver, and basketball and indoor volleyball each advanced to gold-medal games.
That’s an enormous amount of gifted athletes producing just five potential medals. And softball is slated for elimination from play after these Olympics.
Team sports, thanks to Title IX legislation from the early 1970s, have been a powerful and positive force in the lives of American girls, whether they reach this level or not. It’s a system that remains the right one for the United States and through the years has produced 2,200 total medals (over 900 of them gold), more than twice any other nation.
China is coming, though. America will have to accept that what’s best for it may not be best for nationalistic headlines or prideful medal counts.
Beijing Olympic medal count – Beijing 2008 Summer Games. U.S. will be rocked by China’s heavy medals. Soon enough, the Chinese winning the medal count won’t be a question of accounting or even such big news. Editing by Alice Lee
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