guym
27-02-2010, 10:29 PM
...not by number won, but by number of Gold medals won? Saw a few sites including BBC and AP ranking us #1! So I looked it up: (Wikipedia)
The gold first ranking system described above is used by most of the world media, as well as the IOC. However, in the United States it is more common to publish medal tables ordered by the total number of medals won,[8][9][10][11][12] although the gold first ranking has been used on occasion,[13][14] including in the official report of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the most recent Games held in the United States.[15] This difference in rankings has its origins in the early days of the Olympics, when the IOC did not publish or recognise medal tables.[2] Before 2008, the difference in ranking system received scant notice, since in recent Olympic history the country that led in total medals also led in the gold count. China and the U.S. bucked this trend at the 2008 Summer Olympics, topping the gold and total medal tallies respectively.[16] Other exceptions are the 1896, 1912 and 1964 Summer Olympics when the United States finished first in gold medal count but second in the overall medal count. In an August 24, 2008 news conference, IOC President Jacques Rogge confirmed that the IOC does not have a view on any particular ranking system.[7]
Cool.
The gold first ranking system described above is used by most of the world media, as well as the IOC. However, in the United States it is more common to publish medal tables ordered by the total number of medals won,[8][9][10][11][12] although the gold first ranking has been used on occasion,[13][14] including in the official report of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the most recent Games held in the United States.[15] This difference in rankings has its origins in the early days of the Olympics, when the IOC did not publish or recognise medal tables.[2] Before 2008, the difference in ranking system received scant notice, since in recent Olympic history the country that led in total medals also led in the gold count. China and the U.S. bucked this trend at the 2008 Summer Olympics, topping the gold and total medal tallies respectively.[16] Other exceptions are the 1896, 1912 and 1964 Summer Olympics when the United States finished first in gold medal count but second in the overall medal count. In an August 24, 2008 news conference, IOC President Jacques Rogge confirmed that the IOC does not have a view on any particular ranking system.[7]
Cool.