The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is over, and the United States dominated. The final medal count is in, and the U.S. led all countries with 113 medals. They were the only country to win at least 90 medals as China, who came in second place, had 88. The U.S. also won the most gold meals with 39, edging China who had 38. Russian Olympic Committee came in third with 71, followed by Great Britain with 61 and Japan with 58.
“We kept our team safe and we’re coming home successful,” said Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, per CNN. “The Tokyo 2020 Games have been remarkable in so many ways and I’m filled with gratitude and pride.” The top U.S. performer was swimmer Caleb Dressel who won five gold medals at the Tokyo Games. He has now won seven Olympic gold medals, winning two at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
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Final Olympics Medal Table as Team GB match their total medal tally at London 2012 Olympic games. 👏 pic.twitter.com/HLKSgX0Wqi
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“I don’t know if it’s really set in yet,” Dressel said when asked how it felt to have won the race he had been chasing his entire career, per Insider. “Right now, I’m just kind of hurting. But it’s … it was a really tough year. It’s really hard. So to have the results show up, it really came together, so I’m happy.”
Another top performer was swimmer Katie Ledecky who won two gold and two silver medals. She continues to solidify her legacy as she has now won 10 Olympic medals with seven of those medals being gold. In May, PopCulture.com spoke to Ledecky about the goals she wanted to achieve in Tokyo.
“I just hope to be the best version of myself,” she said while also mentioned she wants to “represent team USA well, represent my family well, represent myself well, and I have personal goals for myself that I won’t share, but you know, it’s a really exciting time.”
Other notable U.S. winners were gymnast Simone Biles and track star Allyson Felix. Biles won two medals despite withdrawing from multiple events due to mental health concerns. Felix also won two medals and has not won 11 Olympic medals, which is a U.S. record for a track and field athlete.
