The 2024 Olympics are entering the final days of competition, and the race for gold medals is heating up. As of August 5, the Chinese team held a slight advantage with one more gold medal than the USA, but by the end of August 6, not only had that advantage disappeared, but the USA had also established a lead of two gold medals.
Gabby Thomas won the gold in the women’s 200m sprint, one of two athletics gold medals for the USA on August 6.
Gabby Thomas was considered the top contender for the gold in the women’s 200m and did not disappoint by securing the victory. Additionally, there was another surprising gold medal in athletics. Cole Hocker, not highly favored in the men’s 1500m, was in fifth place entering the final lap but stunned everyone by sprinting past all four opponents ahead of him to claim the gold medal.
The two athletics gold medals were complemented by two more golds in other sports: surfing (won by Caroline Marks) and wrestling (Amit Elor in the women’s freestyle 68kg category). Meanwhile, on the same day, the Chinese team secured only one gold medal, thanks to Quan Hongchan in the women’s 10m platform diving. The margin could have been just one gold medal, but Yang Wenlu lost in the women’s 60kg boxing final to Ireland’s Kellie Harrington.
With 24 gold medals, the USA is now ahead of China by two golds and could extend their lead on August 7. Defending Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon will compete in her event’s final today, along with four other athletics finals.
Quan Hongchan’s diving gold was China’s only gold medal on August 6.
In addition, on August 6, the USA teams won in men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, and water polo, with the women’s soccer team advancing to the final. Thus, the USA’s prospects for gold medals in the remaining days are promising.
The race for the top spot is now solely between the USA and China, while the rest of the top 10 in the medal standings remained unchanged after yesterday’s competition. Australia is just one gold medal ahead of France, which still has several events with strong gold medal prospects.
