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Tokyo 2020: Top Medal Table

Tokyo 2020: Top Medal Table

Tokyo Olympics 2020: USA Tops Medal Table with 39 Gold Medals

The United States of America once again topped the Olympic medal tally with a total of 113 medals, including 38 Golds at the Tokyo Olympic 2020 Games. The USA was involved in a two-way battle with China on the final day of the Tokyo Olympics. In fact, the Americans trailed the Chinese for the most part of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 only to race past their arch-rivals on August 8, 2021.

China was leading 38-36 as the action headed to the final day of Tokyo Olympics but with 3 gold medals, USA piped China in one of the closest races for the Olympic top spot in the history of the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, China did not have any gold medal matches on the final day of Tokyo Olympics 2021.

USA registered its first gold medal on the final day when its women’s basketball team beat Japan in the final. The second gold came from cyclist Jennifer Valente while the decisive podium finish came after the US women’s volleyball team scripted history by winning its first-ever Olympic gold.

USA’s medal tally slipped considerably from the Rio Olympic Games. While they had won 46 gold medals in 30 fewer events in 2016, only 39 came in Tokyo as the country slipped in track events with none of its men winning gold medals – a first in modern Olympic history. Simone Biles’s withdrawals also influenced the medal tally of the USA.

Tokyo Olympics kick started in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic after having been delayed by a year. Until the opening ceremony, which was held on July 23, there were protests against hosting the Games, fearing a rise in Covid-19 cases. However, the authorities were able to manage the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 by putting up strong advisories & restrictions without any major incidents despite a few Games-related cases cropping up.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 did show that Covid-19 can be kept at bay while hosting major multi-national tournaments.

At least from a sporting perspective, it was worth it as the Tokyo Games offered plenty of heartwarming moments.

The much-anticipated part of the Olympics, the track and field events, much like other events had to be held in front of empty stands but there was plenty of adrenaline-pumping action in athletics.

A record 83 nations reached finals, there were 43 teams on the podium and 23 won gold. There were three world records, 12 Olympic records, 28 area records and 151 national records set.

The United States topped the medal table with 26, including seven golds, but it was a thin time for their usually all-powerful men’s squad, with only their 4x400m relay team winning gold on the track.

But if one moment summed up the spirit of the whole Olympic movement it was probably in the men’s high jump.

Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, both of whom have returned from the same career-threatening injury, agreed to share the gold medal and both exploded in joy when officials agreed.

India headed to the Tokyo Games with its biggest-ever medal contingent and finished with their biggest-ever medal tally, winning its first ever Gold medal in an individual athletics Olympic event – Men’s Javelin.

There were disappointments in much-followed sports like shooting and boxing but there were plenty of positives for India. Tokyo Olympics 2020 could be seen as India’s hockey renaissance as both their men and women’s hockey teams reached the semi-finals. In fact, the men’s team ended their 41-year-long wait for an Olympic medal. Not to forget, Aditi Ashok’s fine run in Women’s Golf and some superb performances in rowing and Racewalking.

India started their Tokyo Olympics 2020 campaign with a Silver medal from weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and they ended their campaign with a historic gold medal, their first-ever in track and field when Neeraj Chopra won the Men’s Javelin gold on August 8, 2021.

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