USA's Medal Lead Over China: The Unseen Role of Vinesh Phogat's Disqualification

The ripple effect of Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s wrestling 50kg event extended far beyond India’s missed opportunity for a gold medal. It played a crucial role in ensuring that the United States emerged at the top of the final medal tally, surpassing China. For context, the competition to lead the medal count was extremely tight. It was only USA’s victory in the women’s basketball final, with a narrow win over France, that secured their top position, concluding the games on Sunday (August 11). Ultimately, both the USA and China ended up with 40 gold medals each. However, the United States clinched the top spot due to having a higher number of silver medals (44 to 27), as well as more bronze medals (42 to 24), leading to an overall total of 126 medals compared to China’s 91. The final medal standings are determined by the number of gold medals won, which is why Pakistan ranked higher than India in these Olympics. Thus, the contest between China and the USA was resolved by the slimmest of margins. READ MORE - Apple Strudel: A Timeless Treat with a Rich History