Tokyo Olympics ends with USA topping medals table and Nigeria occupying 76th position with one silver and one bronze
The Tokyo Olympic games has come to an end with the United States taking the top position on the medals table with a haul of 113 medals made up of 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze medals. The US left the best for the last as it had trailed China for almost the duration of the entire game festival.
The US had entered Sunday with two fewer golds than China but victory for Jennifer Valente in the women’s omnium and a seventh successive title for the women’s basketball team – arguably the greatest dynasty in Olympic history – put the two countries level on 38 golds each. The Americans then edged ahead after they beat Brazil in the women’s volleyball final. China could have equaled the US gold tally in the women’s middleweight boxing final but Great Britain’s Lauren Price easily beat Li Qian on a points decision.
China came second on the medals table with a total of 88 medals 38 gold, 32 silver and 1 bronze medals while the host nation, Japan, took the third position with 5 medals 27 gold, 21 silver and 22 bronze medals.
The other countries on the top ten slots on the medals table include Great Britain, the Russian Olympic Committee, Australia, Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy. In all 93 countries got on the medals list.
African teams had an unimpressive outing. A total of 13 African teams are on the medals table with a combined total of 36 medals made up of 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals. Only 7 of the African teams won a gold medal at the games with Kenya giving Africa some pride with a haul of 4 gold medals.
Kenya is on the 19th position with 4 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals. Uganda is on the 37th position with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. South Africa is on the 52nd position with 2 gold and 1 silver medals. Egypt is on the 54th position with 1 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals. Ethiopia is on the 56th position with 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. Tunisia occupies the 58th position with 1 gold and 1 silver medals. Morocco is on the 64th position with 1 gold medal. Nigeria is on the 76th position with 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. Namibia is on the 81st position with 1 silver. Bostwana, Ghana, Cote divoire, Burkina Faso have one bronze medal each.
The complete medals table is HERE
Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, who was attending his 19th games, summed up the Tokyo Olympic games when he told The New York Times that “if it hadn’t been for the pandemic, this would go right up near the top of the best organized Olympics.”
The closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place in the Olympic Stadium, Tokyo on 8 August 2021. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal ceremonial closing of this international sporting event (including closing speeches, hoisting of the flags, the parade of athletes and the handover of the Olympic flag) with an artistic spectacle to showcase the culture and history of the current and next host nation (France) for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The theme of the Olympic Ceremonies is Moving Forward, referencing the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the closing ceremony theme being Worlds We Share, which is expected to cover Global Impact, Diversity, and a brighter future.
