- The U.S. became the first country to accumulate 3,000 Olympic medals, reaching this milestone at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
- The top individual performer at the Paris 2024 Games was China’s Zhang Yufei, with six medals
- The U.S. achieved the highest number of medals in an Olympics held outside their home country, surpassing their previous record of 121 medals from Rio 2016.
At the Paris Olympics, China and the United States each claimed 40 gold medals, resulting in a tie for the most golds. Nonetheless, the U.S. topped the overall medal standings with 126 medals, while China garnered 91, repeating almost the same feat at the last Summer Olympics.
During the last Summer Olympics, the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. also surpassed China in the total medal count, securing 113 medals and 39 golds compared to China’s 89 medals and 38 golds.
USA sets new record for all-time Olympic medals win
At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the U.S. set a new record as the first country to reach 3,000 Olympic medals. American athletes finished the Games with a total of 126 medals, surpassing their performance in Tokyo.
The U.S. led the medal count, with China trailing at 91, followed by Britain with 65 and France with 64. Although China had the edge in gold medals for a significant portion of the Games, both nations ended up with 40 golds each.
The U.S. also won 42 silver and 44 bronze medals.
While the U.S. dominated the medal tally, they did not have the top athlete of the Games. China’s Zhang Yufei secured six medals, including five bronze and one silver, whereas France’s Leon Marchand achieved five medals, with four golds and one bronze.
This year’s performance is the highest number of medals ever achieved by the U.S. in an Olympics outside their home country that was not boycotted, surpassing their 121 medals from Rio 2016, according to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Historically, the U.S. has surpassed their Paris total twice on home soil, with 174 medals in Los Angeles in 1984 and a remarkable 239 medals in St. Louis in 1904.
In the Tokyo Games, the U.S. won 113 medals, including 39 gold, 41 silver, and 33 bronze, compared to 121 medals in Rio. This year, 257 American athletes contributed to the 126 medals, competing in 47 out of 48 sports disciplines, with handball being the only exception. The U.S. achieved medals in 34 of the events they participated in. Highlight performances included swimmers Torri Huske and Regan Smith, both with five medals.
Additionally, 65% of the American medalists were first-time winners, and women garnered 67 of the medals, with swimming and track and field being particularly successful.
How many medals did Nigeria win at Paris Olympics?
Nigeria participated through many representatives at the Paris Olympics 2024, with over 200 million people cheering athletes on to make the country proud.
From Aruna Quadri and Favour Ofili to Tobi Amusan and D’Tigress stars, Nigeria had no shortage of talent in Paris, and expectations were high.
88 athletes competed across 12 major sports in France, but Nigeria's medal count failed to leave the zero count, from the start of the event till the very end.
Favour Ofili achieved a milestone by reaching the 200m final, becoming the first Nigerian woman to do so since Mary Onyali in Atlanta in 1996. Similarly, Samuel Ogazi, at just 18 years old, reached the 400m final, marking the first Nigerian man to do so since Innocent Egbunike’s performance in Seoul in 1988.
In the Long Jump, Nigeria achieved a historic feat, with Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor all reaching the final, a first for the nation in this event.
The women's basketball team, D’Tigress, reached the quarterfinals, another historic achievement, but fell to the eventual winners, the USA. Also, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi’s sixth-place finish in the Shot Put was a commendable performance but not enough for the smallest of medals.
Despite all the valiant attempts, Nigeria got no medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
As the journey towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics begins, these improvements show a hopeful outlook for Nigeria’s quest to secure more Olympic medals in its history.
Paris Olympics 2024: All eyes on Los Angeles 2028 as games come to an end
Previously, TheRadar reported that the farewell celebration for the Paris 2024 Games featured a performance from French indie band Phoenix, setting a lively tone for the event.
The handoff to Los Angeles included a dramatic Tom Cruise stunt and featured an impressive lineup of American performers such as H.E.R., the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Billie Eilish.
