The Olympic Games (often abbreviated as "Olympics") are a global competition in which athletes from all over the world compete in honor of their respective countries. The Olympics are the most important international sporting event, with each edition taking place in a different host city. Some cities have hosted multiple Olympic events, such as Los Angeles, California (USA), which hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984 and will host the Summer Olympics in 2028.
The Olympics are split into two halves, each with a different theme. From track and field to swimming, gymnastics, and basketball, the Summer Olympics feature a diverse range of fair-weather sports. The Winter Olympics, on the other hand, emphasize cold-weather sports like bobsledding, ice skating, and skiing. Both events occur every four years, but their dates are currently two years apart. Summer Olympic Games will be held in 2024, 2028, and 2032, while Winter Olympic Games will be held in 2022, 2026, and 2030.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) collaborates with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which organizes the Paralympic Games, an Olympics-style competition for disabled athletes. Despite the fact that the two organizations are technically separate, the partnership allows the Paralympics to be held in the same host cities as the Olympics, with access to the official Olympic venues and facilities.
The IOC also organizes the Summer and Winter Youth Olympics, which are aimed at athletes aged 15 to 18. Similar to the main games, the Youth Olympics following a four-year, offset two-lane schedule, but with different host cities and venues. Furthermore, many regional events, such as the Pan American and Asian Games, are linked to the Olympics.
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo has been postponed until July/August 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Because several countries have formed and/or broken apart since the modern Olympics began in 1896, total medal counts can be tricky. The Soviet Union, for example, was split into several smaller countries, including Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Moldova. The IOC had to decide which of the newer countries, if any, should be given credit for the medals won by the Soviet Union. Due to their political beliefs or sanctions against their host country, many athletes have competed in the games as individuals. Finally, the IOC has taken away a medal from an athlete who was found to have broken the rules on several occasions and given it to someone else.
As of 2021, here are the top 10 total medal winners from the Summer and Winter Olympics.
The following are the top ten countries with the most Summer Olympic medals (including Tokyo 2020):
United States - 2656
Soviet Union - 1010
Great Britain - 916
France - 750
Germany - 652
China - 634
Italy - 618
Australia - 547
Hungary - 511
Sweden – 503
The following are the top ten countries with the most Winter Olympic medals:
1. Norway - 368
2. Unites States - 307
3. Germany - 240
4. Austria - 232
5. Canada - 199
6. Soviet Union - 194
7. Finland - 167
8. Sweden - 158
9. Switzerland - 153
10. Netherlands - 130
Continue scrolling for a comprehensive list that includes every Olympic Games to date.
The ten countries with the most Olympic medals are as follows:
1. United States (2980 medals)
2. United Kingdom (948 medals)
3. Germany (892 medals)
4. France (874 medals)
5. Italy (742 medals)
6. China (696 medals)
7. Sweden (661 medals)
8. Australia (562 medals)
9. Japan (555 medals)
10. Russia (547 medals)