Paris Olympics 2024: US media outlets come under fire for bizarre medal tallies ranking countries on totals
United States media outlets have come under fire for displaying bizarre Olympic medal tallies ranking countries on their total number of medals won, rather than gold medals.
After day four in Paris, Australia sits equal-second on the gold medal charts, tied with China and one behind Japan, while the USA are alongside Great Britain in sixth with four.
It comes after another spectacular night in the pool for the Aussies, with backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown surging home to win the country’s eighth.
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USA Today and Fox News are among the other American outlets who have opted to use totals.
The American system has attracted bewilderment from Australians on X, formerly Twitter.
“Death. Taxes. America rigging the medal count to make them in front,” Andrew Brown posted.
“I’m fascinated that a country so focussed on individual performance changes the way they report the Olympic Medal Tally so they can “win” collectively,” Matt Garvin said.
McKeown claimed Australia’s sixth gold medal in Paris overnight by winning the women’s 100m backstroke final, mowing down Americans Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff after turning in fourth.
The win is one of several final victories by Australian athletes over their American counterparts so far, with Ariarne Titmus again besting Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400m freestyle while the women’s 4x100m freestyle team of Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack and Meg Harris also finished ahead their USA rivals.
The rivalry will continue on the soccer pitch when the Matildas take on Team USA in a Tokyo bronze medal rematch at 1am WA time tomorrow, while the Boomers’ loss to Canada in their second outing increases their chances of running into the all-conquering Americans in the early knockout stages of the basketball.
Day one saw Australia end up on top using either method, winning three golds and five medals in total.
Australia are a live chance of winning the battle for gold supremacy in the pool but the Americans remain near-certainties to end up winning the most golds overall.
