The United States had taken the lead on China in the overall medal count, but lagged behind their primary rival in the gold medal tally. After Day 13, which brought a flurry of U.S. medals on the track and in team sports, that’s no longer the case.
2012 Olympics Medal Count: U.S. Builds Lead With Track, Team Sports
Team USA won 10 medals on the day, twice the haul of Germany, second-best on the day with five, and collected five golds, from boxer Claressa Shields, triple jumper Christian Taylor, decathlete Ashton Eaton, women’s water polo and women’s soccer.
The U.S. also scored 1-2 finishes in both the triple jump, where Will Claye added a silver medal to his long jump bronze, and the decathlon, with Trey Hardee taking silver. In all, a staggering 39 American athletes were awarded medals on Thursday.
Combine that rush with China’s struggles on the day -- the Chinese took just four medals, and only one gold -- and the U.S. has opened a lead that is unlikely to be challenged for the rest of the Olympics, with many track events remaining and Team USA still possessing strong chances of medaling in men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball.
Here is how the top five looks in the latest medal count:
- United States, 90 (39 gold, 25 silver, 26 bronze)
- China, 80 (37, 24, 19)
- Russia, 56 (12, 21, 23)
- Great Britain, 52 (25, 13, 14)
- Germany, 37 (10, 16, 11)
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics hub.
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