The U.S. and China closely disputed the first place in the medal standings at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. There are mutual accusations.
The United States and China maintained until the last day a close fight for the first place in the medal standings of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finally won by the Americans although with the same 40 golds as the Asians. It was a rivalry that was also maintained in the offices around alleged doping cases covered up by both countries in the past.
In the end, the United States won with 40 gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze. China took 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze. Japan was third with 20 gold.
Olympic Games medal table
In the results table, the United States prevailed. But China emerged unscathed from the duel at the highest levels, with its thesis supported by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IOC.
And silently witnessing the emergence of other hidden positives among athletes from the United States: 1-1, four years before the conflict moves to Los Angeles, host of the Games in 2028. In the medal table, China fell one gold short of first place, which it only achieved in Beijing 2008, when it overtook the United States with 12 more golds (48-36).
Four years later, in London, the Americans won 48 golds and the Chinese 39, to 29 for the British. But in Rio 2016 the American sweep was brutal, with 46 golds to Britain's 27 and China's 26.
The struggle between the two great powers tightened in Tokyo 2020, when the United States led China by a single gold, 39-38, both with a margin over Japan (27) . In Paris, history has repeated itself. The same golds between the two giants, but a big difference in favor of the American team in the other metals.
A long-distance tension marked by doping
Before the competition began, the lead-up to the Paris Games was clouded by alleged doping cases by 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021. WADA accepted the version of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency, which concluded that the athletes, whose tests found traces of trimetazidine, had been victims of accidental contamination and were neither negligent nor at fault.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused WADA of concealing the positives, its swimmers cried foul - also the legendary Michael Phelps - and the Department of Justice opened an investigation. WADA commissioned an independent investigation, which proved it right.
The consequences of the case may go as far as 2034: the IOC in Paris awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the U.S. city of Salt Lake City, but on one condition: that by then the USADA and the country's authorities recognize "the supreme authority" of WADA. If not, there will be no Games.
Another twist in the Olympic Games
In the midst of the Paris Games, tension rose again with journalistic revelations that USADA concealed "at least three cases" of doping among its athletes, allegedly in exchange for their providing information to uncover other offenders, with WADA's knowledge. The World Agency said that at no time did it authorize those athletes to continue competing as if nothing had happened.
The WADA Code encourages the role of whistleblowers, but with a limited reduction in their penalties and subject to certain conditions that, it said, were not met. The IOC has backed the position of WADA, which is its doping arm alongside the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The Paris Games end this open war. Just read the latest statement from USADA director Travis T. Tygart, agency of a country that this Sunday will receive the Olympic flag that will fly four years from now in Los Angeles.
"It is sad to see the desperate and dangerous attempts by WADA leadership to smear others, including whistleblowers, rather than answer basic questions about why it allowed China to cover up 23 positive results for TMZ and two positive results for methandienone.
Now, while athletes around the world are talking about these failures that impacted Olympic swimming in Paris, WADA responds by lashing out at others," he said.
"Clean athletes deserve answers and they deserve better from WADA," he added. "For Olympic values to have meaning, it's time for WADA to get its act right."
