Blog Archives
Summer Olympics: Top 20 Countries with the Most Gold Medals in a Single Year
The 1984 U.S. Olympic Team Won the Most Gold Medals
So what’s the best way to win a mongo trove of gold medals?
Eliminate the competition.
In 1980 and 1984, the Cold War led to tit-for-tat superpower boycotts. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979, the US and several other countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Soviets and 13 of their satellite nations returned the favor in 1984, skipping Los Angeles.
The result?
The top two gold medal hoards in history, with the US minting 83 in ’84, and the Soviet Union 80 in ’80.
The third biggest looting occurred back in St. Louis in 1904, when the US grabbed a solid 76 gold medals. Then again, only 15 countries participated that year, the lowest number since the first games in 1896 Athens.
Those three tallies are on the right end of the Olympic gold medal bell curve.
In the middle, though, most of the best gold medal years fall in the 40-55 range, and it looks like the same thing is happening again at the 2012 London Games.
The USA and China, who came on strong in Beijing, are sitting at 41 and 37 gold medals apiece as of this posting with more than a handful of tin to still give out.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
| YEAR | HOST | COUNTRY | GOLD MEDALS | |
| 1. | 1984 | Los Angeles | United States | 83 |
| 2. | 1980 | Moscow | Soviet Union | 80 |
| 3. | 1904 | St. Louis | United States | 76 |
| 4. | 1908 | London | Great Britain | 56 |
| 5. | 1988 | Seoul | Soviet Union | 55 |
| 6. | 2008 | Beijing | China | 51 |
| 7. | 1972 | Munich | Soviet Union | 50 |
| 8. | 1976 | Montreal | Soviet Union | 49 |
| 9. | 1980 | Moscow | East Germany | 47 |
| 10. | 1992 | Barcelona | Unified Team | 45 |
| 10. | 1968 | Mexico City | United States | 45 |
| 10. | 1924 | Paris | United States | 45 |
| 13. | 1996 | Atlanta | United States | 44 |
| 13. | 1932 | Los Angeles | United States | 44 |
| 15. | 1960 | Rome | Soviet Union | 43 |
| 16. | 1920 | Antwerp | United States | 41 |
| 17. | 1976 | Montreal | East Germany | 40 |
| 17. | 1952 | Helsinki | United States | 40 |
| 19. | 1948 | London | United States | 38 |
| 19. | 1936 | Berlin | Germany | 38 |
Photo: vh1.com
Summer Olympics: Top 20 Countries with the Most Medals in a Single Year
The 60 Meter Dash at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics
The 1904 St. Louis Olympics hosted only 15 teams, and the United States ran away with 231, or 80% of the available, medals. That’s the biggest cache ever, and likely will be, as more and more countries have joined the event every four years.
The 2012 London Olympics boasts hosting 204 countries, the most all-time. They’re including territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands, as the total number of recognized sovereign polities is, by most sources, 196.
Either way, obviously all that competition spreads the precious metal wealth.
The superpower-boycotted years (1980, 1984) produced the same results, with the non-boycotter in each case raiding the IOC’s treasure chest.
Here are the top 20 greatest hauls in Olympic history.
From about No. 4 on the list down, things are pretty legit, with more balanced competition amongst the participants, or at least the dominating ones.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the Top 20 Countries with the Most Gold Medals in a Single Year.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
| YEAR | HOST CITY | MEDAL LEADERS | MEDALS | |
| 1. | 1904 | St. Louis | USA | 231 |
| 2. | 1980 | Moscow | Soviet Union | 195 |
| 3. | 1984 | Los Angeles | USA | 174 |
| 4. | 1908 | London | Great Britain | 146 |
| 5. | 1988 | Seoul | Soviet Union | 132 |
| 6. | 1980 | Moscow | East Germany | 126 |
| 7. | 1976 | Montreal | Soviet Union | 125 |
| 8. | 1992 | Barcelona | Unified* | 112 |
| 9. | 2008 | Beijing | USA | 110 |
| 9. | 1932 | Los Angeles | USA | 110 |
| 11. | 1992 | Barcelona | USA | 108 |
| 12. | 1968 | Mexico City | USA | 107 |
| 13. | 1960 | Rome | Soviet Union | 103 |
| 13. | 1900 | Paris | France | 103 |
| 15. | 2004 | Athens | USA | 102 |
| 15. | 1988 | Seoul | East Germany | 102 |
| 17. | 1996 | Atlanta | USA | 101 |
| 17. | 1936 | Berlin | Germany | 101 |
| 19. | 2008 | Beijing | China | 100 |
| 20. | 1972 | Munich | Soviet Union | 99 |
| 20. | 1924 | Paris | USA | 99 |
Photo: chiefwritingwolf.com
Summer Olympics: Top Three Countries in Every Sport Part II
Tug-Of-War at the 1908 London Olympics
Yesterday, Sports List of the Day checked out the three best countries (all-time medals) in each the 32 current standard sports represented at the Summer Olympics.
Today, take a look at the remaining sports that at one time or more, but no more, were once a part of the Games.
None of these “took,” and for some of these sports – some of the most popular in the world, like baseball, cricket and golf – that’s a bit surprising, though logistics and politics surely play a part.
All of these sports, like Alpinisim and Roque (whatever that is), except for “Art Competitions,” which wasn’t really a sport, had short Olympic lives.
Other variations on this absurd theme include some sports with no competing countries (Croquet, Racquets) or even an opposing competitor (Aeronautics, Pelota).
You can see why most of these just didn’t make the cut.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
| AERONAUTICS | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ALPINISM | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1. | Mixed Team* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1. | Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ART COMPETITIONS | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Germany | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
| 2. | Italy | 14 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 3. | France | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| BASEBALL | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Cuba | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. | United States | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2. | Japan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| CRICKET | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1. | Mixed Team* | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| CROQUET | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | France | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| GOLF | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | United States | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2. | Great Britain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3. | Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| JEU DE PAUME | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2. | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| LACROSSE | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Canada | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2. | United States | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2. | Great Britain | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MOTORBOATING | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| PELOTA | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Spain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POLO | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2. | Mixed Team* | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3. | Argentina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | United States | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| RACQUETS | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| ROQUE | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | United States | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RUGBY | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1. | France | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1. | Great Britain | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| SOFTBALL | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | United States | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1. | Australia | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 3. | Japan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| TUG-OF-WAR | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | Great Britain | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2. | United States | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2. | Sweden | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2. | Mixed Team* | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* Mixed Teams – In the first three Olympics – 1896, 1900 and 1904 – teams were allowed to have athletes from different nations.
Photo: taringa.net
