It’s early in the meet, but the Chinese are already ascending to a place that I think the whole of the swimming world has seen looming, where the sport in that country has finally recover from the systematic doping that tainted most of their results in the 70’s and the 80’s.
In 2004, China won only two medals total. In 2008, they won a single gold. Now, in 2012, through only one day of the meet, they already are two-for-four, with a bronze to boot. Everything hasn’t been perfect for the Chinese (Liuying Jiao missed the final in the 100 fly, for example) but overall, the Chinese have been on-fire. They sometimes peak too early, and sometimes too late, but that’s not the case this year.
The Americans, thanks to Lochte’s gold, sit 2nd (and with the most overall medals). All three of the individual medalists for the Americans – Ryan Lochte, Elizabeth Beisel, and Peter Vanderkaay – train together in Gainesville under Olympic men’s team coach Gregg Troy. The Gators, overall, weren’t on-fire at Trials, but they seem to have straightened things out for the Games, at least on the American side.
Australia struck first in relay medals, to sit third in the overall ranking.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | United States | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Brazil | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| South Korea | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | |
no reason to downplay China as Olympic underdogs anymore. they invest a lot of money into their state sponsored sports program & hold one-fifth of the worlds population. would not be surprised if they top the medal table.
China won 6 swimming medals in Beijing……
Losing all freestyle will change the medal table? Phelps actual form put some pressure even on fly now..
USA is saved by PVK.
In Beijing, USA men did not win a single individual freestyle medal.
When I said losing.. I was talking more about winning gold.
Lochte will probably medal on 200 free.. but Sun and Agnel are Monsters.. Sun would probably be able to split 52 51..
“In Beijing, USA men did not win a single individual freestyle medal” are you referring to the 2008 Olympics?
Michael Phelps won the 200 free in a world record time.
ho ho , but that won’t last that much ;;; U will all see . Once Us put the gears on , the table medal will change quickly .