London 2012: the continental rankings
The London 2012 Olympic Games were an event for all continents, and our focus is on how the countries performed vs their territorial neighbours.
We leave aside the top three megapowers (USA, Russia, China), sports continents unto themselves, and take a look at the top ten Olympic rankings for:
EUROPE: the old continent placed 8 countries in the first 20 overall, from GBR to Hungary
|
1
|
2119
|
|
|
2
|
1562
|
|
|
3
|
1486
|
|
|
4
|
1171
|
|
|
5
|
907
|
|
|
6
|
897
|
|
|
7
|
594
|
|
|
8
|
533
|
|
|
9
|
397
|
|
|
10
|
392
|
Germany performed sub-par, while hosts GBR, 4th overall, deservedly lead the continental top ten. The Netherlands had a very successful Games, while Norway, 2011 Per Capita Cup champions and 28th overall at the Beijing Games, left London with a disappointing 48th overall.
ASIA: it’s not all about China! Japan (5th overall) and South Korea (10th) had exceptional Games, and so did several ex-Soviet republics with a marked inclination for combat sports.
|
1
|
Japan
|
1810
|
|
2
|
South Korea
|
1322
|
|
3
|
342
|
|
|
4
|
321
|
|
|
5
|
318
|
|
|
6
|
259
|
|
|
7
|
184
|
|
|
8
|
157
|
|
|
9
|
134
|
|
|
10
|
118
|
India improved vs Beijing (was 60th), finishing 49th, while Thailand, with a mix of Boxing, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Badminton finished ahead of more established countries like Switzerland, Tunisia or Finland.
AFRICA: the disappointing continent: while the European top ten was worth 10058 points and the Asian 4965, the top ten African nation scooped up only 1955 points. Kenya and Nigeria were disappointing, and Ethiopia showed a modest improvement (plus 3 positions) vs Beijing.
|
1
|
Kenya
|
546
|
|
2
|
Ethiopia
|
465
|
|
3
|
232
|
|
|
4
|
224
|
|
|
5
|
132
|
|
|
6
|
115
|
|
|
7
|
65
|
|
|
8
|
65
|
|
|
9
|
65
|
|
|
10
|
Nigeria
|
46
|
South Africa improved mightily vs Beijing finishing 32nd overall (was 52nd) but still the African nations’ total remains a long way away from the other continents.
