Paris Olympics: The best stats from the 2024 Games (2024)

  • Published

  • Comments

After 16 action-packed days, Paris 2024 has reached its conclusion.

It has delivered sporting drama by the bucketload, the emergence of new heroes, world records have been broken and plenty of history written.

So what are the stats to savour from this Olympic Games? BBC Sport takes a look...

Counting up the medals

The United States top the medal table for the seventh time in eight Olympic Games. At all eight, they have won the most overall medals.

Great Britain matched their total number of medals from London 2012 as they passed the 60-medal mark for a fourth successive Olympics.

Their tally of 65 was one better than Tokyo three years ago but it proved a Games of silver linings with just 14 golds collected, their lowest since Athens in 2004.

Meanwhile, Japan followed on from their record-breaking success at their home Tokyo Games in which they won 27 golds, and excelled with another 20 golds, which is their second highest tally of all time.

Their total was buoyed by their status as powerhouses in the wrestling, where they won eight golds at the Champ de Mars Arena.

Australia's 18 golds also helped them to a fourth-placed finish as they beat their previous best total of 17 in Athens and Tokyo.

The world records that tumbled

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone smashed her own world record as she stormed to a sensational Olympic 400m hurdles gold in a time of 50.37 seconds, while her fellow Americans Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Kaylyn Brown and Bryce Deadmon set a new mark in the 4x400m mixed relay.

Sweden's Armand Duplantis had already wrapped up the men's pole vault gold medal when he improved his world best of 6.24m, that he set in April, by one centimetre.

There were 31 world records broken overall, with the highest percentage (39%) arriving in the velodrome. Great Britain's Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane were responsible for three of those on the way to gold in the women's team sprint.

That compares favourably to Tokyo where 22 world records went and is also slightly above the 27 that were eclipsed in Rio eight years ago.

The athletes who excelled at the Games

Paris 2024 saw the emergence of a new swimming superstar as Leon Marchand became the first French athlete to take four individual golds at a single summer Olympics.

The 22-year-old hogged the headlines on home soil as he became only the third male swimmer ever to achieve the feat, after American greats Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz, and he added to his medal collection in the 4x100m medley relay with a bronze.

His five medals make him the joint most decorated athlete at the Games, along with fellow swimmers Mollie O'Callaghan from Australia and Torri Huske from the US.

Away from the pool, Simone Biles was back to her brilliant best with A-listers Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Spike Lee, Tom Brady and Tom Cruise's presence underlining her status as the hottest ticket in town.

Three triumphs - the all-around and vault titles, plus the team competition - took her career Olympic gold medal total to seven.

The nations exceeding expectations

While the USA topped the official medals table, with population of just over 112,000, Grenada were actually the most successful nation when it comes to winning Olympics medals based on the size of their nation.

Anderson Peters and Lindon Victor's bronze medals in both the men's javelin and decathlon meant they averaged one medal per 56,289 inhabitants.

Dominica, Saint Lucia and New Zealand, who averaged one medal per 266,945 of their population, make up the top four.

Meanwhile Ireland were 18th, with Great Britain in 24th, the USA in 47th and China in 74th, while medal-starved India were bottom of the table averaging one medal per 234,151,666.

India sent a contingent of 117 athletes to Paris, yet had a meagre haul of five bronze medals and a solitary silver to show for their efforts. They were also one of 28 teams that failed to win a gold in any sport.

How did Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) fare?

One of the big changes in the medal table was the absence of Russia, who have historically always been among the top four medal-winning countries and among the largest contingents.

But the country was banned from these Games following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with its ally Belarus also barred. Instead, a handful of athletes from the countries (15 from Russia, 17 from Belarus) were invited to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) without national flags or anthems.

They had to meet strict criteria over their eligibility - they had to pass background checks to make sure they did not actively support the war and were not contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies.

Medals were won in five events by AINs but these are not being counted in the official medal table. Just one medal ceremony featured the specially composed anthem for AIN gold-medal winners.

Belarusians won medals in two trampoline events (Ivan Litvinovich - men's gold, Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya - women's silver), one in rowing (Yauheni Zalaty - silver) and one in weightlifting (Yauheni Tsikhantsou - bronze).

The only medal won by Russians was a silver for tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider in the women's doubles.

Was Lyles' 100m gold the closest of the Games?

At all Olympic Games, medals are decided by the finest of margins.

That has been particularly true in Paris with Noah Lyles claiming a stunning 100m gold by virtue of thrusting his torso out over the line first.

However, in terms of winning margin (either in terms of times/points) that was not the smallest when worked out as a percentage of the winning time or points total.

It wasn’t even the closest on the track, with the women’s 10,000m, won by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, closer at just 0.005% of the overall time.

Great Britain’s photo-finish win over the Netherlands in the women’s quadruple sculls rowing was by a finer margin too, as were Adam Peaty and Matt Richards’ silvers in the pool.

However, the closest of them all was the men’s horizontal bar gymnastics final, where Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka and Colombia’s Angel Barajas were barely inseparable. They both scored exactly 14.533 but the former won because of a higher execution score.

Where did GB's medals arrive from?

Keely Hodgkinson's superb 800m gold was one of the moments of the Games for Team GB, whose 10 medals on the track was their best tally at an Olympics since 1984 when they won 16 including golds for Sebastian Coe, Daley Thompson and Tessa Sanderson.

Alex Yee produced a sensational sprint finish to top the podium in the men's triathlon and trampoline gold for Bryony Page crowned two decades of commitment to her craft, while Ellie Aldridge delivered an exhilarating kitesurfing success.

Lewis Richardson ensured the British boxing team did not walk away empty handed by earning a bronze after all five of his teammates were beaten in their first bouts.

Tom Pidco*ck also defied a puncture to retain his Olympic mountain bike title as GB claimed medals in 19 different sports.

Of Team GB's 14 gold medals, six each came in men's and women's events and two in mixed equestrian events, where male and female riders compete together - although the team jumping was won by an all-male trio of Scott Brash, Harry Charles and Ben Maher.

Related Topics

  • Paris 2024 Olympics
Paris Olympics: The best stats from the 2024 Games (2024)

FAQs

What person won the most medals in the 2024 Olympics? ›

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the athlete with the most medals won was Yefei Zhang. The Chinese swimmer won a total of six medals, which included five bronze medals and one silver medal. Meanwhile, French Swimmer Leon Marchand secured four gold medals and one bronze medal.

Which country is best in the Olympics in 2024? ›

Paris 2024 OlympicsMedal Tally
  • United States404442126.
  • China40272491.
  • Japan20121345.
  • Australia18191653.
  • France16262264.
  • Netherlands1571234.
  • Great Britain14222965.
  • Republic of Korea1391032.

How many golds did GB win in Paris? ›

Historically, London has topped the Team GB medals table, and Paris 2024 was no different. The region won 1.58 golds medals, 2.45 silver and 4.86 bronze. Across the board, Team GB won the fewest gold medals since Athens in 2004.

What world records were broken in the 2024 Olympics? ›

Here is a list of all the world records broken at 2024 Paris:
  • Swimming: Current Issue. ...
  • Athletics: USA (Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown) - 4x400m mixed relay - 3:07.41s. ...
  • Archery: ...
  • Track Cycling: ...
  • Sport climbing: ...
  • Weightlifting: ...
  • Modern pentathlon.
Aug 12, 2024

Which female has won the most Olympic medals? ›

The most Olympic medals won by a woman is eighteen by gymnast Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (USSR), nine gold, five silver and four bronze, 1956–64. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record.

Who is most decorated Olympic medalist of all time? ›

American swimmer Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals, 23 of which are gold. He also was the first athlete to win 8 gold medals at a single Olympics. In second place for career medals is Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, the winner of 18 medals. Next is Marit Bjørgen of Norway.

What sports were removed from the Olympics in 2024? ›

Olympic sports dropped in 2024 include baseball, softball, karate – NBC Bay Area.

What country has the most gold medals of all time? ›

The goal is gold at the Olympics, and no country has seized more gold than the United States. Here's a look at the countries who have won the most gold medals in Summer Olympics history. *Tally was taken on the final day of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

What country has done the best in the Olympics? ›

The most straightforward measure, and the one used at the Olympics, is a medal tally. By this measure America has clearly been the leader over the recent past (see chart 1). Its athletes won 11% of all medals in summer games between 2000 and 2021; China and Russia follow with 8% and 7%, respectively.

Have GB won any golds? ›

Across the board, Team GB won the fewest gold medals since Athens in 2004. However, athletes such as 19-year-old climber Toby Roberts and trap shooter Nathan Hales meant the South East alone would have come 20th in the official Olympics medal table, with 3.41 golds.

What is GB most successful Olympic sports? ›

Who are Team GB's most successful Olympians of all time?
  • 1) Jason Kenny (track cycling) – 8 medals: 7 gold, 2 silver. ...
  • 2) Chris Hoy (track cycling) – 7 medals: 6 gold, 1 silver. ...
  • 3) Bradley Wiggins (track & road cycling) – 8 medals: 5 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze. ...
  • 4) Steve Redgrave (rowing) – 6 medals: 5 gold, 1 bronze.

Which British person has the most Olympic medals? ›

With seven Olympic titles, and nine medals overall, track cyclist Sir Jason Kenny is currently the most decorated British Olympian.

Which sport removed from 2028 Olympics? ›

However, breakdancing, which made its Olympic debut in Paris, won't be featured in the 2028 Games. Despite its introduction this summer, the decision to exclude breaking from the next Olympics was made prior to the Paris event.

Who holds the longest Olympic record? ›

Bob Beamon

One of the most famous and the longest-standing Olympic records is USA's Bob Beamon's men's long jump record, set at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Beamon comfortably broke the world record by jumping 8.90m on October 18, 1968, and at the time had created both a world record and an Olympic record.

What is the oldest Olympic record not broken? ›

The longest standing modern Olympic athletics record is Bob Beamon's achievement in the men's long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Which person has won the most medals in the Olympics? ›

Michael Phelps

How many medals have the USA won in the Olympics in 2024? ›

Team USA topped the overall medal chart with 126 total medals (40 golds, 44 silvers, 42 bronzes) for the eighth consecutive Games.

Who holds 2024 Olympics? ›

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event that occurred from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in France, with the opening ceremony having taken place on 26 July.

Who wins the Olympics most often? ›

Which countries have the most Olympic gold medals? The U.S. has the most gold medals: a total of 1,179, according to the Olympic Foundation. Following is the Soviet Union, with 473 gold medals. Germany takes third, with 342 gold medals.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jamar Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6625

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jamar Nader

Birthday: 1995-02-28

Address: Apt. 536 6162 Reichel Greens, Port Zackaryside, CT 22682-9804

Phone: +9958384818317

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Scrapbooking, Hiking, Hunting, Kite flying, Blacksmithing, Video gaming, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Jamar Nader, I am a fine, shiny, colorful, bright, nice, perfect, curious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.