Australian News Today

Australia’s greatest Games: Final medal tally revealed as stunning late twist seals top spot

Australia’s greatest Games: Final medal tally revealed as stunning late twist seals top spot

Australia has completed its greatest ever performance at an overseas Olympic Games, finishing fourth on the Paris medal tally.

Having already clinched 18 golds, the most in Aussie history, the final day saw Australians win three more medals – a silver and bronze in the track cycling, and a bronze by the Opals in the women’s basketball.

It means Australia will leave Paris with 53 medals overall, the second-most they’ve ever won, behind only the 58 at the Sydney Games. However the Aussies had 630 athletes in 2000, whereas there were 461 athletes in Paris.

Australia’s final Paris medallists, Matthew Richardson (silver) and Matthew Glaetzer (bronze) from the Men’s Keirin Track Cycling event. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The United States won gold in the women’s basketball to clinch top spot on the medal tally in dramatic scenes. But it wasn’t with some chaos in the final seconds.

Australia will finish fourth, tying its best performance away from home, behind the USA, China and Japan – with the latter winning two extra golds but fewer medals overall as it enjoys the after-effects of its larger Tokyo 2020 team.

Australia finished third on the medal tally at Melbourne 1956, fourth at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, and fifth at Rome 1960.

The US version of the medal tally, which favours total medals over golds, still has Australia fifth as the Aussies converted more podiums into golds than France or Great Britain did.

Australia’s most gold medals at a Summer Olympics

18 – Paris 2024

17 – Athens 2004, Tokyo 2020

16 – Sydney 2000

14 – Beijing 2008

13 – Melbourne 1956

Australia’s most medals overall at a Summer Olympics

58 – Sydney 2000

53 – Paris 2024

50 – Athens 2004

46 – Beijing 2008, Tokyo 2020

41 – Atlanta 1996

35 – Melbourne 1956, London 2012

FINAL PARIS OLYMPICS MEDAL TALLY

1. USA – 40, 44, 42 – 126 overall

2. China – 40 gold, 27 silver, 24 bronze – 91

3. Japan – 20, 12, 13 – 45

4. Australia – 18, 19, 16 – 53

5. France – 16, 26, 22 – 63

6. Netherlands – 15, 7, 12 – 34

7. Great Britain – 14, 22, 29 – 65

8. South Korea – 13, 9, 10 – 32

9. Italy – 12, 13, 15 – 40

10. Germany – 12, 12, 8 – 32

To see the full medal tally, tap here!

EVERY SPORT, EVERY RESULT!