As the world’s best athletes compete for both individual glory and national pride at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, viewers at home will be wondering which country will take home the most medals.
The United States, Japan, China and host nation France all topped the medal table on Monday, with the Games in Paris just getting underway.
Team France and Team USA entered this year’s competition in a neck-and-neck race for the most total medals, with the hosting country going up against the incoming 2028 host. The U.S. took the lead Monday after strong performances in the men’s skateboarding, swimming and gymnastics.
Both countries also have a slight advantage, if only because of the large number of athletes representing them.
The US has the largest delegation with 594 athletes on the team. France follows closely behind with 571 Olympians.
Japan was tied with China for third place in the medal standings on Monday night, helped by the men’s gymnastics team and a last-minute surprise from skateboarder Yoto Horigome. But China has the honor of winning the first gold of the competition on Saturday morning in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event.
French Olympians have shown their reach in multiple sports, having already won medals in at least eight athletics genres. Meanwhile, the US has started strongly in the water, with 11 of its first medals coming from swimming events.
The U.S. will likely be hoping to repeat its formidable showing at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where it took home 113 medals, the most of any nation, trailing Team USA with China’s 89 medals.
Russia, whose presence has dominated previous Games, is banned from this year’s event. The country was banned by the International Olympic Committee, along with Belarus, as part of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Competitors from those states may only compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” or AINs, and their medals do not count for the nations. No one who actively supported the war for Belarus or Russia may compete.