United States Leads Medal Tally at Paris 2024 Olympics; Small Nations Shine
The United States emerged as the top medal-winning nation at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, securing 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze medals. This impressive haul placed the U.S. ahead of China, which claimed 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals. Japan, Australia, and France rounded out the top five, reflecting the dominance of developed countries in the overall medal count.
However, when considering medals per capita, several smaller nations stole the spotlight. Dominica, a Caribbean island nation with a population of approximately 66,170, achieved a remarkable victory through Thea LaFond, who won gold in the women’s triple jump. This historic win not only marked Dominica’s first-ever Olympic medal but also positioned the country as the leader in gold medals per capita.
Saint Lucia, another Caribbean nation with a population of around 200,000, also made headlines, earning two medals thanks to sprinter Julien Alfred. Meanwhile, Grenada, with a population of about 117,220, claimed the title for the most total Olympic medals per capita, celebrating two bronze medals.
In stark contrast, India, the world’s most populous country with over 1.4 billion people, finished 71st in the overall medal tally, winning just one silver and five bronze medals. This result has sparked discussions and criticism over why a nation with such a large and youthful population lags in global sporting achievements.
In response, sports enthusiasts and experts have proposed various strategies to improve India’s Olympic performance. Some suggest the Indian government should declare Haryana as a “sports state” since all of India’s medals at the 2024 Olympics were won by athletes from this state. However, others argue that sports development should be a nationwide priority, ensuring equal opportunities and resources across all states.
A retired NIS coach proposed that rather than singling out Haryana, the government could focus on establishing specialized sports academies and providing additional funding for sports infrastructure in the state. This approach would nurture Haryana’s sporting excellence while promoting sports development across India.
A senior politician, K.C. Thakur, introduced a novel idea: the “One Sport One State” model, where each state in India would specialize in a specific sport, receiving targeted investment in infrastructure, training, and coaching. While this could boost competitiveness and focus resources effectively, it also risks limiting opportunities for athletes in other sports and could create imbalances in development.
As India looks toward hosting the 2036 Olympics, these ideas and debates underscore the need for a balanced and strategic approach to elevating the country’s sporting prowess on the world stage.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
