Opinion: Time to scrap Olympic medal table

The battle for supremacy in the Olympic medal table is a discipline in its own right.

On the final day of the Tokyo Olympics, the United States surpassed China with its 39th gold medal, one more than the People’s Republic. But the USA counts differently anyway, putting more stock in the total medal count — which far exceeds that of China.

The medal table is undignified and should be abolished from the Olympics. Medal rankings only reflect output, which should not be the only measure of success. It promotes state-directed doping and rewards nations that pump lots of money into sports.

DW sports editor Sarah Wiertz

If the number of medals were put in relation to the population and gross domestic product of a country, completely different nations would be at the top — Jamaica, the Bahamas or Kosovo, for instance.

The medal count embodies the Olympic idea of striving for top performance, but it comes at the expense of other Olympic values: overcoming national narcisism for the common celebration of sport and contributing to peace and national understanding.

In fact, the opposite of those values occurs, with some nations using the medal table to demonstrate their power and strength and underpin their political structures with the help of successful athletes. Medals are celebrated as achievements of national importance. The rankings may even, in certain circumstances, reinforce nationalism, leading to explosive political discourse and personal tragedies.

China’s mixed table tennis team tearfully issued a public apology for “only” winning the silver medal. “We let the team down,” said Liu Shiwen, while Xu Xin added: “The whole country was watching this final. I think the Chinese team will not accept the result.”

The pressure on Chinese athletes that comes from the country’s aspirations has arguably never been greater, and the burden of expectations is unlikely to ease for them with six months to go until the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Sharing the love

  In one of the game’s most touching moments, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi agreed to share the gold medal. Both had been inseparable and unable to clear 2.39 after two hours of the high jump final. Barshim’s inquired to an Olympics official whether the medal can be shared – the answer was yes.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Double double

  The Sprinting Queen defended her 100m and 200m Olympic crowns in a sensational Jamaican double. Elaine Thompson-Herah has an icy relationship with her sprinting compatriots and rivals, but Thompson-Herah’s relentless pursuit for golds simply took her back to her unbeatable best. She took home both golds. Again.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Magic Zverev

  Alexander Zverev enjoyed a milestone moment, overcoming Karen Khachanov in straight sets to win the men’s singles gold at Tokyo 2020. Zverev produced some of the best tennis of his career in Japan, becoming the first German man to win singles gold in tennis.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Biles bows out gracefully

  Simone Biles could have realistically taken home five golds at the Olympics, but her mistake during the vault in the team final led to her withdrawing from five of her six events and taking leave to protect her mental health. Biles, who has been the face of gymnastics since winning four golds in Rio in 2016, stayed with her team and returned to the mat win a bronze in Tokyo.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Prolific in the pool

  Caeleb Dressel was the star in the pool. Six different events, 12 total swims, record-breaking times and five gold medals. By winning gold in 5 events at the Olympics, Dressel becomes the 4th male in history to achieve this feat. Here he is celebrating his victory in the 100m freestyle by a finger. Emma McKeon, of Australia, was similarly prolific in the pool.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  De Grasse’s glory

  Andre De Grasse had won a medal in every Olympic final he’d been in, but gold at always eluded him. Famous for building momentum, this is a distance De Grasse loves. He held off competition from American Kenneth Bednarek in style to clock in at 19.62 seconds, setting a new Canadian national record.

• Tokyo 2020: The best moments of the Olympic Games

  Felix makes history

  American sprinter Allyson Felix won the first bronze of her storied career to make her the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history. Felix has won six golds, three silvers, and now one bronze. It was also enough to tie her with Carl Lewis’ record of 10 Olympic medals.

  Author: Michael Da Silva

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-time-to-scrap-olympic-medal-table/a-58797640?maca=en-rss-en-sports-1027-xml-atom