On the final day of the Summer Olympics, the USA and China ended up tied for the top spot in the gold medal count for the 2024 Games.
Although Team USA led significantly in the overall medal count with 126 medals, they entered the last event trailing China by one gold medal. China had secured 40 golds, while the US had 39 before the final event, which was the women’s basketball gold medal game between Team USA and France.
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In a dramatic conclusion, Team USA won the game, resulting in a tie for first place in the gold medal standings.
“I saw the medal count beforehand. I thought that’s what we need, more pressure,” USA head coach Cheryl Reeve stated after the game.
In the overall medal standings, Team USA is far ahead with 126 medals—gold, silver, and bronze—compared to China’s 91, the second-highest total.
On the final day, Team USA had the opportunity to surpass China in the gold medal count. American athletes and teams competed in several events: women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s freestyle wrestling in the 76kg weight class, women’s weightlifting in the 81kg weight class, and potentially women’s omnium in track cycling. Cyclist Jennifer Valente defended her title in the women’s omnium, adding the USA’s 39th gold medal with 144 points.
China secured its 40th gold medal of the Games in women’s weightlifting (81kg) when Li Wenwen defended her Olympic title from Tokyo.
The US volleyball team fell short of repeating their Tokyo gold medal victory, as Italy secured its first-ever medal in the sport.
In the 2021 Games, Team USA led the gold medal count with 39 to China’s 38. A strong performance was needed on the final day to replicate that success. Nonetheless, Team USA has surpassed their previous medal count, having won 113 medals in Tokyo.
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