China close in on world domination

Over the past week at Athens, the Chinese continue to vie with the Americans at the top of the medals table and this has put a question mark at US's domination.

"Put more oil in - China, Put more oil in - China." This is the chant with which the Chinese supporters cheer on their compatriots. The reference to oil is not an implied slight on recent American foreign policy but because the athletes are being metaphorically compared to motor cars. Over the past week or so, it has been sounding with regularity as the Chinese continue to vie with the Americans at the top of the medals table.

That there should be sporting parity between the countries is fairly remarkable. China won their first gold medals in 1984 in Los Angeles. Four years later, in Seoul, they won only five gold medals.

Compare and contrast with the United States, who have finished top of the medals table in 15 of the 25 Olympics, three blips occurring early in the last century when they finished second to France (Athens, 1906), Great Britain (London, 1908) and Germany (Berlin, 1936) and a further seven between 1956 and 1992, when the USSR topped the table more often than not.

The nadir came in 1988, when they had their lowest finish as the richest country, materially, in the history of mankind when they were beaten not only by the USSR but also by East Germany. Since the Games began, the US have won more than twice as many golds as any other country.

HT Image