July 31st 2024.
There's been a lot of talk lately about some questionable tactics at the Olympic Games and the spotlight is shining on our friends across the pond in the US. As one of the powerhouses at the Olympics, American athletes always bring their A-game, but it seems like their media outlets are going the extra mile to give them an extra boost.
How exactly are they doing this? By manipulating the medal tally. And in doing so, they've also inadvertently given our long-time rival a significant advantage. Let's take a look at what went down on day four of the Games, including the unfortunate incident with Canada's Queen Kaylee, and catch up on all the latest Paris 2024 stories at our Olympic hub on Wide World of Sport.
As per tradition, and according to official rules, countries are ranked based on their gold medal count, with silver and bronze medals only coming into play in the case of a tie. Take a look at the medal table on our own nine.com.au site, where Australia proudly sits at third place with six gold medals, trailing behind China and Japan. This is also how the official Olympic Games medal table is laid out. But here's where things get a bit tricky.
Many US media outlets have taken it upon themselves to rank countries based on their total medal count, conveniently placing the US in the lead with a whopping 26 medals, followed by France with 18. However, in terms of gold medals, France is actually ranked fifth with five, while the US is in sixth place with four. It's a sneaky move, to say the least.
The New York Times, a renowned newspaper, does acknowledge this discrepancy, but then adds to the confusion by offering readers multiple ways to rank the competing nations, depending on their personal preferences and values. In fact, they go as far as to say that there may not be a superior method of counting and that perhaps a middle ground is the way to go.
It remains to be seen if this sly manipulation of the medal count will hold up if the US starts to rack up more gold medals. On the other hand, the New York Times may have a valid point, and it's important to celebrate all of our athletes, regardless of the color of their medal. After all, just qualifying for the Olympics is an incredible achievement in itself. As long as we don't end up behind our rivals from across the pond, that is.
Don't miss a single moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, streaming live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. And for an ad-free and high-quality experience, tune in to Stan Sport for all events in 4K.
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