Why do the US use a different medal count than other countries to determine overall rank?

Question

Its odd because if we decided to use their method (just total medals), then we would actually finish 5th, not 6th. Have they always used this method instead of ranking with gold, silver, bronze or is this a recent thing?

Answer 1

Because it's the US

Answer 2

I disagree with U.S way of counting total medals because this is saying gold, silver and bronze are equal in value when they are not.

Answer 3

It would be interesting if the medal count reflected the actual number of medals given out. For example, in basketball, a medal was given to each member of the team for a total of 12 medals. In the current system of counting medals, basketball as a sport counts the same as an individual sport such as the boxing. In fact, based on medals actually awarded, there were many more American athletes with gold medals than any other nation. If you take just 3 of team sports (Woman's soccer, All Basketball and Men's Volleyball), 48 American athletes received gold medals in these sports but they only count a 4 medals in the "medal count". You can continue the team discussion when you look at the track relays and rowing events as well. There are at least 60 US gold medals missing if you look at the true count.

The problem is the concept of "medal count" has become very political and has been and can be useful for those who do not like to see the US on top.

Answer 4

It's the United States. We always had trouble with adapting good counting/measuring systems. Example: Metric System, Degree Centigrade, Medal Count.

Answer 5

it has always been done like this all countries are ranked by total medals.

past american media olympic tables

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino2...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/olymp...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/...

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter02/i...

http://espn.go.com/oly/summer00/standing...

even on events http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2...

Answer 6

Who are the ones counting the medals won? Do you think it is the US ? Don't you think it is the media and the commentators who are foisting this onto the public ?  And where does this 5th and 6th come into play? The original Greeks who started all this competition did not do so by region, territory or nation. The recognition was for the individual who won and he received the garland just as the present winners receive the gold. Somewhere along the line a committee introduced medals for those finishing second or third which is proper recognition for the best in the world.

Answer 7

this has been much debated on these boards over the last few weeks.

People from the USA have primarily claimed they have always counted this way, though a smaller group from the US have heartily denied this saying this is the first time... who knows? no one seems to have been able to present definate evidence either way...

I think perhaps it has simply never been an issue before (meaning those outside, and possibly within, the USA), may not have noticed how they count....

Since the early nineties the USA have dominated both the gold count as well as the overall, prior to that there was a lack of internet access so would we outside the USA have known unless living there or reading their media at the time, as well as there being two boycotted olympics in the eighties where the extraordinarily high medal count by the USA and the soviets were a result of depleted competition.... .

I suspect it has become the subject of debate these olympics as a result of the USA being displaced from the top of the ranks for the first time in a long time by China, which has not been an issue in the recent past....

a couple of interesting comments were made by people from the USA earlier in this debate, they suggested the medal tables presented in the USA, were laid out this way due to commercial interest, NBC in particular wanting to show the USA on top therefore generating more interest in their olympic coverage.....

personally I think counting this way has been bad PR for the USA, if the reaction on these boards is anything to go by it seems many outside their country have seen this as an inability to accept second place with grace and dignity, or to duly credit the Chinese