2012 Olympic Medal Count: U.S. Opens Lead On China After Day 6, Sort Of

Propelled by another fantastic day in the pool, Team USA has finally taken the lead on China in the Olympic medal count. Sort of, anyway.

Rebecca Soni’s victory in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, Tyler Clary’s win in the men’s 200m backstroke and Michael Phelps’ triumph in the men’s 200 IM added three golds to the U.S. tally late on Day 6, tying China’s 18 golds for the most in London. But a slew of lesser U.S. medals -- like the silver and bronze that Ryan Lochte took in the 200 IM and 200 backstroke, respectively -- helped vault the U.S. to the top of the overall medal list.

Also helping the U.S. vault? Gabby Douglas, whose all-around gymnastics gold was historic in its own right, and gave the U.S. both women’s gymnastics gold medals awarded so far.

But while the U.S. leads the medal count used by SB Nation and other American media outlets, the official London 2012 medal count counts gold and silver medals first, and China’s advantage in silvers (11 to the U.S.‘s nine) has it on top in that table.

The U.S. dominance of the pool has helped pad America’s tally. Team USA’s 23 swimming medals account for more than half of the total of 37, and are more medals than any nation besides the U.S. and China have in sum.

Here’s a more complete look at the medal count:

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics hub.