Olympic gold medal race between USA and China comes down to the final day
While Team USA is far ahead in the total medal rankings with 123 in Paris, it’s trailing China in the gold medal race by one coming into Sunday. China started Sunday with 39 gold medals to USA’s 38.
On the total medal standings, it’s not close. Team USA’s 123 gold, silver and bronze medals far exceeds China’s 90, the next closest nation.
Team USA has a chance to overtake the Chinese in the gold standings on this final day. US teams and athletes will compete for gold in women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s freestyle wrestling in the 76kg weight class, women’s weightlifting in the 81kg weight class and potentially women’s omnium in track cycling.
China competes for gold medals on Sunday in women’s weightlifting in the 81kg weight class, potentially women’s omnium in track cycling and women’s pentathlon.
Chinese weightlifter Li Wenwen is favored to win in the 81kg weight class competition and is expected to add to China’s gold medal total there.
The USA, meanwhile, is likely to win at least one more gold medal in women’s basketball. Team USA has not lost in the Olympics in women’s basketball since 1992 and has demolished the rest of the tournament so far.
The US volleyball team is also looking to repeat its gold medal victory from Tokyo against Italy. The Italians have already guaranteed themselves their first ever medal in the sport and are hoping to make it gold.
In 2021, Team USA took the overall gold medal race by one, with 39 to China’s 38. It will take a strong day from American athletes to repeat the feat on Sunday.
However, Team USA as a whole has already easily surpassed those previous Summer Games’ total medal haul. The Americans won 113 medals in Tokyo.
Team USA continues to excel in various sports, aiming to secure more gold medals in events like women's basketball and volleyball.On the other hand, China concentrates on their strengths in sports such as weightlifting and track cycling, keen to increase their own gold medal tally.
