China has achieved its best-ever performance at an overseas Olympics by securing the same number of gold medals as the United States at the Paris 2024 Games. Both nations finished with 40 golds, marking the first-ever tie for total golds at the Summer Games. However, the US claimed the top spot overall with 126 medals compared to China's 91.
The competition between the two sporting superpowers was intense, reflecting their ongoing geopolitical rivalry. Despite a doping controversy that overshadowed parts of the Games, China showcased its emergence as one of the world's most competitive sporting nations in recent decades, viewing its Olympic success as a symbol of national strength.
In 2008, China topped the gold medal table at the Beijing Games, surpassing the US for the first time. In Paris, the Chinese team initially took the lead over Team USA, excelling in shooting and diving. However, as track and field events unfolded, the US rapidly caught up and eventually surpassed China.
China became only the third country, after the US and the former Soviet Union, to lead the gold medal count at a Summer Olympics held away from its home soil. Chinese state media celebrated the record-breaking performance in Paris, emphasizing the broader benefits of Chinese modernization on public health, the environment, and the sports industry.
Chinese social media erupted with national pride, with users criticizing what they perceived as unfair doping allegations against China's swim team by US officials. The hashtag 'China tied for first place on the gold medal leaderboard' became a top trending topic, garnering over 500 million views.
While some argued that China should have surpassed the US by including medals from Hong Kong and Taiwan, doping allegations against Chinese swimmers in Paris stirred controversy. The accusations, which surfaced in April, led to backlash in the swimming world, with concerns about doping violations and fairness in competition.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington accused the US of using doping issues to tarnish China's reputation, while Chinese authorities criticized the US for alleged double standards in handling drug scandals. The call for more rigorous testing of American track and field athletes by CHINADA further fueled tensions between the two nations.
As the focus shifts to the next Olympics in Los Angeles, the fallout from the Paris Games underscores the complexities of international sportsmanship and the ongoing rivalry between China and the US in the realm of athletics.
