Tokyo (AFP)
The United States at the top of the medal table but a hair ahead of China, France, host country for the next Games, and New Zealand, a real sports country: here is the barometer of nations, at the from the Tokyo Olympics.
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AT THE TOP
The duel at the top lasted until the last day.
Two gold medals behind at the start of the final Sunday, the United States (39 gold, 41 silver, 33 bronze) finally managed to top China (38 gold, 32 silver, 18 bronze) on the post. , thanks in particular to their basketball players - mistresses of Olympus since 1996 - and their volleyball players.
A logical first place, in the end, because since 1912, the United States or the former Soviet Union have always shared the first places in this ranking, with one exception: China, in 2008 for the Olympic Games that it organized .
The top 10 of the final table of medals by delegation at the Tokyo Olympics Cléa PÉCULIER AFP
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HOME
But despite everything, the balance of power shifted towards Asia during these Games.
In addition to China, the home effect worked very well for Japan, despite the absence of an audience during almost all of the events.
The Japanese thus recorded their best record in Olympic history with 58 medals, including 27 titles!
And finish in third place in the medal table ... as in 1964 during the previous Tokyo Games.
Japanese judoka Akira Sone gold medalist in the +78 kg category at Nippon Budokan, August 30, 2021 Jack GUEZ AFP / Archives
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THE BEAUTIFUL ABSENT
Russia was not there, it seems, but its absence was only theoretical.
Forced to operate under a neutral banner due to the vast doping scandal, the delegation of the ROC, the Russian Olympic Committee, nevertheless collected 71 medals, including 20 gold, to rank fifth in the medal table, and third rank in the number of medals.
The Russian delegation parading under the Olympic banner during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games, July 23, 2021 Martin BUREAU AFP / Archives
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A BOLT EFFECT?
With nine medals in Tokyo, Jamaica has not completely collapsed, despite the absence of its locomotive Usain Bolt. Since the advent of "Lightning", the Caribbean country had become accustomed to a double-digit balance sheet (10 in Beijing, 12 in London, 11 in Rio). It's missed for Tokyo-2020, but these Games also proved the resources of the small island, especially embodied by its women. The Jamaican sprint is now only female, like Elaine Thompson-Herah, triple Olympic champion in Japan (and quintuple in total in her career), on 100, 200 and 4x100, a feat that no longer has been performed in women since 1988 and Florence Griffith-Joyner.
The Jamaican 4x100m relay in gold with (from left to right) Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in Tokyo, August 7, 2021 Javier SORIANO AFP
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FROM RIO TO PARIS
Brazil had not really benefited from the effect of the Games at home, so it did not suffer at all from Tokyo-2020, on the contrary, setting a new medal record (21).
In addition to the coronation of Dani Alves and the footballers, this harvest is to the credit of athletes as diverse as the population of this immense country of 212 million people, like the black gymnast Rebeca Andrade, from the lesbian swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha or the veilers Martine Grael and Kajena Kunze.
What about France, the next host of the Games in 2024?
With 33 medals, the Habs appear far from their record in Rio (42), but they were apparently in preparation for "their" Home Games.
They nevertheless have 10 gold medals, as many as in Rio.
By comparison, Great Britain had prepared for the London 2012 Games - a tidal wave with 65 medals - by already conquering 51 medals in Beijing, especially 19 in gold.
The momentum is still there, since after Rio (67 medals), Tokyo remains in the same waters (65 medals including 22 titles).
The French delegation during the traditional parade at the opening of the Tokyo Games, July 23, 2021 Ben STANSALL AFP / Archives
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THE NEW HEADS
93 nations have entered their names on the medal table, a record for the modern era of the Games.
There were symbolic firsts in Tokyo.
India thus won its first gold medal in athletics, thanks to the javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.
It is perhaps the beginning of a new era for the second most populous country in the world, where sport is starting to be taken into consideration a little more by public authorities.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra gave India his first gold medal in athletics at the Tokyo Games on August 7, 2021 Javier SORIANO AFP
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RATIO TO THE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS
This is another totally iconoclastic way of evaluating the sporting success of countries.
In this little game, it is San Marino (3 medals for 33,860 inhabitants) the largest sports country in the world, with 88.6 medals per million inhabitants.
Well ahead of recognized powers like the United States (0.3) or China (0.06).
If we apply this calculation to the countries ranked in the Top 20 of the medal table, New Zealand is the big winner (4.07), ahead of the Netherlands (2.08) and Australia. (1.81).
France (0.49) is in the norm for a country of its size.
© 2021 AFP