Medal Tally Leaders from each Olympiad
Here is the top-ranked country based on Olympic gold medals won from each Olympic year. As per tradition, the ranking order is based first on the number of gold medals, then silver and bronze.
The USA has led the medal tally the most times (18 times out of 29 when counting the intercalated Games of 1906). It is then not surprising that the USA leads the table of all-time total medals from all Games.
The former USSR is the next most successful country, with much less appearances. At six of its nine appearances at the Summer Olympic Games between 1952 and 1988, the Soviet team (USSR) ranked first in the total number of gold medals won, and was second on the other three occasions. Then in 1992 the Unified Team, made up of most of the former Soviet republics, led the medal count.
Home ground advantage? Nine times the host country has led the final medal tally (see asterisks).
The link for each host city takes you to the list of the medal table for that year so you can see how other countries performed each time.
| Year | Host City | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Tokyo | USA | 39 | 41 | 33 | 113 |
| 2016 | Rio | USA | 46 | 37 | 38 | 121 |
| 2012 | London | USA | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 |
| 2008 | Beijing | China * | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 |
| 2004 | Athens | USA | 35 | 39 | 29 | 103 |
| 2000 | Sydney | USA | 40 | 24 | 33 | 97 |
| 1996 | Atlanta | USA * | 44 | 32 | 25 | 101 |
| 1992 | Barcelona | Unified Team | 45 | 38 | 29 | 112 |
| 1988 | Seoul | USSR | 55 | 31 | 46 | 132 |
| 1984 | Los Angeles | USA * | 83 | 61 | 30 | 174 |
| 1980 | Moscow | USSR * | 80 | 69 | 46 | 195 |
| 1976 | Montreal | USSR | 49 | 41 | 35 | 125 |
| 1972 | Munich | USSR | 50 | 27 | 22 | 99 |
| 1968 | Mexico City | USA | 45 | 28 | 34 | 107 |
| 1964 | Tokyo | USA | 36 | 26 | 28 | 90 |
| 1960 | Rome | USSR | 43 | 29 | 31 | 103 |
| 1956 | Melbourne | USSR | 37 | 29 | 32 | 98 |
| 1952 | Helsinki | USA | 40 | 19 | 17 | 76 |
| 1948 | London | USA | 38 | 27 | 19 | 84 |
| 1936 | Berlin | Germany * | 33 | 26 | 30 | 89 |
| 1932 | Los Angeles | USA * | 41 | 32 | 30 | 103 |
| 1928 | Amsterdam | USA | 22 | 18 | 16 | 56 |
| 1924 | Paris | USA | 45 | 27 | 27 | 99 |
| 1920 | Antwerp | USA | 41 | 27 | 27 | 95 |
| 1912 | Stockholm | USA | 25 | 19 | 19 | 63 |
| 1908 | London | Great Britain * | 56 | 51 | 39 | 146 |
| 1906 | Athens | France | 15 | 9 | 16 | 40 |
| 1904 | St Louis | USA * | 78 | 82 | 79 | 239 |
| 1900 | Paris | France * | 25 | 41 | 34 | 100 |
| 1896 | Athens | USA | 11 | 7 | 2 | 20 |
* host nation
Related Pages
- More Medal Tallies from each Olympic year
- The number of available medals to be won
- Winter Olympics Medal Tally Leading Countries
- About Olympic Medals
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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