Olympics

Finland finished fifth in women’s Park Skateboarding in Paris - Pic: gfk DSNG from Pixabay

Finland’s Olympic story – Paris 1924 and 2024

Finland has a rich history in the Summer Olympics, especially during the early 20th century when...

image by Mollyroselee from Pixabay

USA wins Paris Olympics ahead of France, China

 The USA won the Paris Olympic Games in the ranking compiled by Greatest Sporting Nation, with a comf...

Global Cup - Olympics

2024

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 United States 4394 11.9
2 France 2946 8.0
3 China 2267 6.1
4 Germany 1998 5.4
5 Australia 1763 4.8
6 Japan 1524 4.1
7 Italy 1456 3.9
8 Great Britain 1408 3.8
9 Spain 1388 3.7
10 Canada 1199 3.2

2021

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 United States 4281 11.6
2 Japan 2308 6.2
3 China 2284 6.2
4 France 2117 5.7
5 Australia 1874 5.1
6 Great Britain 1691 4.6
7 Italy 1397 3.8
8 Germany 1287 3.5
9 Netherlands 1192 3.2
10 Spain 1117 3.0

Per Capita Cup - Olympics

2024

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Top Positions People Per Point Chg
1 Slovenia 7992
2 New Zealand 10773
3 Serbia 11330
4 Norway 11954
5 Denmark 12605
6 Australia 14003
7 Netherlands 15163
8 Hungary 15818
9 Jamaica 17506
10 Lithuania 19083

2021

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Top Positions People Per Point Chg
1 Slovenia 5184
2 New Zealand 9501
3 Jamaica 11873
4 Serbia 12672
5 Sweden 12810
6 Australia 13177
7 Latvia 13528
8 Netherlands 14399
9 Hungary 14847
10 Georgia 14963
The USA won its 7th consecutive women’s Basketball gold in Tokyo - pict.: Kareem Elgazzar USA TODAY Sports

USA wins Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The USA has won the (postponed) Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, taking top spot on the podium for the fourth con...

NBA game - Pic: Keith Johnston from Pixabay

Paris 2024 Olympics: Top NBA Players Expected to Have Big Impact
The basketball Olympics is one of the most anticipated sports tournaments every four years.
The logo of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games

Countdown to Rio 2016

The greatest sporting party of the year is less than a month away, and GSN is limbering up for it with, surprise surprise, a selection of tasty Olympic st...

In Rio, M. Phelps of the USA increased his Olympic medals tally to a sensational 28

USA win Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The run-up to the games of the XXXIst Olympiad in Rio have been fraught with political controversy within Brazil and sporting controversy in the Olym...

Jackson of Team GB Hockey in action at the London Olympics

The Olympic future of Wrestling, Canoeing and Hockey

Dan Thompson, one of GSN's three founding members, updates on future ins/outs among Olympic sports.

U. Bolt, Y. Blake and W. Weir of Jamaica dominate 200m

London 2012 Day 13: Jamaica treble in the 200m Men Sprint

Some had doubts that Usain Bolt could clinch a second Olympic double by winning gold in the London 2012 Games 200m sprint, even after his apparently easy defeat of Yohan Blake i...

The USA ladies strike gold in Olympic Football

London 2012 Day 13: USA score winning goal with Ladies Football

Gold in Women’s Football was the highlight of Day 13 for Olympic ranking leaders USA, and it may prove to be the decisive leap for the...

usa beach volley2.jpg

London 2012 Day 12: USA powers on, China continues pursuit

 Twelve days into the London 2012 Olympic Games and the top four nations are powering on and stretching their lead over the rest of the Olympic pack.

The USA 4x100m Freestyle relay, featuring Michael Phelps

London 2012: USA triumph over Russia, Great Britain a well-earned fourth

 The London 2012 Olympic Games have finished in great style and the overall winners in GSN’s Olympic ranking deserve all the applause: the...

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce of Jamaica

London 2012: the fastest nation on earth is also the sportiest
Jamaica is the fastest nation on the planet, home to the fastest man and woman: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt have won the 100m Women a...
Andy Murray (GBR) shooting his way to Olympic gold

London 2012 Day 9: GBR within inches of Russia and 3rd place, the USA leading
11 GSN points (or 0,2%): this is the gap between Russia, in third place of the GSN ranking of the London 2012 Olympic games, and...
The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games

Dan Thompson writes on the IOC's decision on new Olympic sports

Dan Thompson is one of Greatest Sporting Nation’s three founding members.

 
The executive committee of the Interna...
Yuki Otsu (Japan) celebrates his goal vs Spain in the Olympic tournament

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.
Mexico beat Brazil to clinch Olympic gold in London

London 2012: How did your country perform vs the 2008 Olympic Games?

 We’ve looked into the London 2012 results and compared them with those of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Jessica Ennis (GBR) rushes to Olympic gold

London 2012 Day 8:Team GBR in pursuit of Super Trio
If it isn’t an Olympic record then it must be very close. When the curtain closed on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Team GBR...
Natalya Zabolotnaya, a gentle lady from Russia

London 2012 Day 7: USA leading, Russia climbing steadily
Day 7 was another day of passion and drama at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Kyle Harrison (USA) and Emma Gibson (GBR) battling for gold

London 2012 early winners

 A week into the London 2012 Olympic Games and we already have some verdicts. Three sports have run all their events, and GSN is able to give its exclusive ranking of natio...

Gabrielle Douglas of the USA

London 2012 Day 6: USA stretch their lead, Russia advancing

 After Day 6 of one of the most exciting editions of the Olympic Games, the USA jump ahead of the pack and establish a convincing leade...

Ryan Lochte (USA) winning gold in 400m Individual Medley

London 2012 Day 3: the USA and China neck and neck
Only three days into the London 2012 Olympic Games and the battle is head on for two of the three sporting world’s major powers: the USA...
the Women's Hockey Team GB

Great Britain's Olympic sports funding: thrifty or profligate?

 Has the public money thrown into sport funding for the Olympics been money well spent?

Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad & Tobago

Jamaica clinches Per Capita title ahead of Trinidad & Tobago and New Zealand
Which was the sportiest nation at the London 2012 Olympic Games?
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Going for Gold: which country will win the London Olympics?

Striking gold at the Olympics is first of all a matter of passion. The same passion we put into distilling the results of hundreds of Olympics events to determine which country...

The Italian Foil Trio

London 2012 Day 1: first off the blocks are the USA, China and Italy

 Off to a strong start to claim their territory: two of the sporting world’s greats, the USA and China...

Ben Ainslie of GBR, Finn Class World Champion

The Olympic Story part 4: Britannia ruleth the waves

 In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot...

R. Adlington (GBR)

The Olympic Story part 3: Britannia rules the waves

 In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot than 6th in the GSN Beiji...

Dawn Harper (USA) wins 100m hurdles at Beijing Olympics

The USA won the Beijing Games
The 2008 Beijing Olympics had one triumphant winner, says GSN: Team USA!
U. Bolt celebrating Olympic gold in Beijing

GSN exclusive: the USA tipped to win London Games
GSN alone is able to determine which country will win the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Mo Farah of GBR

The Olympic Story part 2: British excellence in London?
In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot than 6th in the GSN Beijing O...
GBR Track cycling.jpg

The Olympic Story part 1: was Team GBR's performance in Beijing overrated?
TEAM GBR: 4th or 6th?
Memories fade and naked facts remain: GBR’s performance at t...
Team GBR lifts gold in Beijing 2008

GSN vs medals tables

The mystique of “gold, silver and bronze” has always been the signature way of ranking sport competitions.

2008: Swimming - 10km Marathon
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men Italy 4
8 Aug 2008 Men Russia 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Bulgaria 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Belgium 7
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 8
8 Aug 2008 Women Russia 1
8 Aug 2008 Women Great Britain 2
8 Aug 2008 Women Great Britain 3
8 Aug 2008 Women Germany 4
8 Aug 2008 Women Brazil 5
8 Aug 2008 Women Switzerland 6
8 Aug 2008 Women Brazil 7
8 Aug 2008 Women Czech Republic 8
2008: Swimming - 1500m Freestyle
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men Tunisia 1
8 Aug 2008 Men Australia 2
8 Aug 2008 Men Canada 3
8 Aug 2008 Men Russia 4
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Great Britain 6
8 Aug 2008 Men China 7
8 Aug 2008 Men China 8
2008: Swimming - 200m Backstroke
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 1
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 2
8 Aug 2008 Men Russia 3
8 Aug 2008 Men Austria 4
8 Aug 2008 Men Japan 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Australia 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Romania 7
8 Aug 2008 Men Great Britain 8
8 Aug 2008 Women Zimbabwe 1
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 2
8 Aug 2008 Women Japan 3
8 Aug 2008 Women Russia 4
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 5
8 Aug 2008 Women Great Britain 6
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 7
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 8
2008: Swimming - 200m Breaststroke
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men Japan 1
8 Aug 2008 Men Australia 2
8 Aug 2008 Men France 3
8 Aug 2008 Men Canada 4
8 Aug 2008 Men Hungary 5
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Italy 7
8 Aug 2008 Men Italy 8
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 1
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 2
8 Aug 2008 Women Norway 3
8 Aug 2008 Women Austria 4
8 Aug 2008 Women Russia 5
8 Aug 2008 Women Canada 6
8 Aug 2008 Women Japan 7
8 Aug 2008 Women Japan 8
2008: Swimming - 200m Butterfly
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 1
8 Aug 2008 Men Hungary 2
8 Aug 2008 Men Japan 3
8 Aug 2008 Men New Zealand 4
8 Aug 2008 Men China 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Poland 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Brazil 7
8 Aug 2008 Men Russia 8
8 Aug 2008 Women China 1
8 Aug 2008 Women China 2
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 3
8 Aug 2008 Women Poland 4
8 Aug 2008 Women Japan 5
8 Aug 2008 Women France 6
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 7
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 8
2008: Swimming - 200m Freestyle
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 1
8 Aug 2008 Men South Korea 2
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 3
8 Aug 2008 Men South Africa 4
8 Aug 2008 Men Germany 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Switzerland 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Japan 7
8 Aug 2008 Men Great Britain 8
8 Aug 2008 Women Italy 1
8 Aug 2008 Women Slovenia 2
8 Aug 2008 Women China 3
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 4
8 Aug 2008 Women Romania 5
8 Aug 2008 Women Great Britain 6
8 Aug 2008 Women France 7=
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 7=
2008: Swimming - 200m Individual Medley
Date Gender Country Position
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 1
8 Aug 2008 Men Hungary 2
8 Aug 2008 Men United States 3
8 Aug 2008 Men Brazil 4
8 Aug 2008 Men Japan 5
8 Aug 2008 Men Great Britain 6
8 Aug 2008 Men Canada 7
8 Aug 2008 Men Great Britain 8
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 1
8 Aug 2008 Women Zimbabwe 2
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 3
8 Aug 2008 Women United States 4
8 Aug 2008 Women Australia 5
8 Aug 2008 Women Japan 6
8 Aug 2008 Women Canada 7