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The Olympic Medal Divide: Dominance of Major Nations and Israel’s Historic Wins

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Edited by: TJVNews.com

If it seems like the same countries are consistently clinching the majority of Olympic medals every two years, that’s because it’s largely true. While more than 150 countries and territories have won medals since the inception of the modern Games in 1896, the distribution of these accolades is highly uneven. According to a report in the New York Times, it appears that heading into the Paris Summer Games, the United States leads the tally with an astounding 2,975 medals, as was noted by the International Olympic Committee’s research wing. Trailing behind are a familiar set of nations: the former Soviet Union (1,204), Germany (1,058), Great Britain (955), and France (898).

Conversely, nearly 70 countries and territories—about a third of the parade of nations—have never won an Olympic medal in any discipline, be it summer or winter, the NYT report said. Some, such as South Sudan, which debuted at the Olympics in 2016, are just beginning their journey. Others, such as Monaco, have been striving for over a century without success.

As to medal success of Middle Eastern countries, Israel has currently taken a dominant lead in the medal count and is ranked 26th globally. That translates into Israel being placed in the top 50% of nations who have won Olympic medals.

Israeli athletes have secured a total of six medals: one gold, four silver, and one bronze. Tom Reuveny won the gold in men’s windsurfing, while Sharon Kantor took silver in the women’s event. Artem Dolgopyat earned a silver in the men’s floor exercise in artistic gymnastics. In judo, Inbar Lanir won silver in the women’s -78 kg category, Raz Hershko claimed silver in the women’s +78 kg category, and Peter Paltchik took bronze in the men’s -100 kg category.

The Jewish News Syndicate reported that Israel won four medals at the last Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021. Judo is Israel’s most decorated Olympic sport, followed by sailing.

“I did it for our brave soldiers,” Reuveny told Channel 12 after taking the gold. His brother is among those fighting in Gaza. “The most important [goal] to me, that was what I was thinking before I sailed—I feel like it’s so much bigger than me,” he said, as was reported by JNS.

The three Israeli athletes who won on Saturday showcase the mosaic that is Israel, all coming from immigrant families.

Reuveny, 24, of Rosh Ha’ayin, who began sailing at age eight, was born to a British mother and Israeli father. Kantor, 21, of Moshav Avihayil, near Netanya, was born to immigrant parents from Australia and South Africa, and began surfing at age 10. She is the first Israeli woman to win a medal in the sport. Dolgopyat, 27, was born in Ukraine and immigrated in 2009 at the age of 12, when he was already a contest-winning gymnast.

The historical dominance of a few countries in the Olympic medal standings is attributed to several factors, including substantial investments in sports infrastructure, robust training programs, and a deep pool of talent. The United States, for example, has a well-funded and highly organized sports system that supports athletes from grassroots levels to elite competition, as per the information provided in the NYT report. This infrastructure not only identifies and nurtures talent but also provides athletes with the resources necessary to compete at the highest levels.

Similarly, countries such as Germany and Great Britain have a long history of prioritizing sports excellence, backed by governmental and private funding. The former Soviet Union’s impressive medal count, despite its dissolution, reflects decades of state-sponsored sports programs that emphasized international dominance as a reflection of national strength.

For smaller countries, the path to Olympic success is fraught with challenges. Limited financial resources, inadequate training facilities, and a lack of exposure to high-level competition often hinder their athletes’ progress, the NYT report observed. The frustration is palpable among sports officials and athletes alike.

Marco Luque of Bolivia encapsulates this sentiment, expressing the deep-seated desire to do better but facing systemic constraints, the NYT report said.  “It’s frustrating, definitely,” said Marco Luque, a member of the Bolivian Olympic Committee’s board and the president of his country’s track and field federation. “And you feel impotence, of not being able to do better.”

Bolivia, a South American country with a population of 12 million, first participated in the Olympic Games in 1936. Despite making 22 appearances—15 in the Summer Games and seven in the Winter Games—the nation has yet to see any of its athletes ascend the Olympic podium. This enduring drought places Bolivia among a handful of countries that have competed extensively without securing a single medal. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), only Monaco (32 appearances) and Andorra (25 appearances) have more Olympic appearances with similarly unsatisfying results.

“I want to make my country happy and show that anything is possible,” said Héctor Garibay, a 36-year-old marathoner from Bolivia who aspires to secure his country’s first Olympic medal, as detailed in the NYT report. Garibay’s aspirations echo a broader sentiment among athletes from smaller nations: the desire to prove that they, too, can achieve greatness on the world stage.

However, every so often, a new nation breaks through, providing a beacon of hope for others. At the Paris Summer Games, Thea LaFond-Gadson of Dominica and Julien Alfred of St. Lucia shattered barriers by winning gold medals in the women’s triple jump and 100-meter sprint, respectively. These victories were monumental, marking the first Olympic medals for their nations.

“It means a lot to the small islands,” Alfred said, when speaking with the NYT. “And seeing how we can come from a small place but also be on the biggest stage of our career.”

The achievements of LaFond-Gadson and Alfred reverberated far beyond their individual successes. They provided renewed hope and inspiration to countries and territories that have long competed in vain. These victories serve as powerful reminders that with dedication, support, and opportunity, athletes from any nation can reach the pinnacle of their sports.

The list of countries and territories that have yet to win an Olympic medal reveals much about global disparities rooted in history, politics, and economics. The information contained in the NYT report indicated that it includes small nations such as Eswatini, Bhutan, and Tuvalu; underprivileged countries like the Central African Republic, Yemen, and Honduras; newer states such as the Seychelles, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belize; and some that embody a combination of these characteristics.

Chaturananda Rajvaidya, the executive director and vice president of the Nepalese Olympic Committee, captures the essence of this struggle. “We are a very poor country,” he told the NYT. Nepal, with a population of 31 million and a gross domestic product per capita of $1,300—one of the lowest in the world according to the World Bank—has not won an official medal in 18 trips to the Olympics. This ties Nepal with Myanmar for the most unfulfilled attempts among Asian countries.

“Our investment in sports itself is very low,” Rajvaidya continued. “So now sports is a sort of business. How much you can invest and, in the same ratio, you get the results.”

For nations like Bolivia and Nepal, the challenge of developing Olympic medalists is compounded by economic constraints. Training, nutrition, facilities, and stipends for athletes require significant financial investment, which is often lacking. Unlike multimillionaire athletes such as LeBron James, Simone Biles, and Rafael Nadal, most Olympians face considerable financial struggles in their pursuit of excellence.

In Nepal, for example, the government provides financial support for major events. However, the country faces more pressing needs, such as improving infrastructure, healthcare, and education, which often take precedence over sports funding. Consequently, much of the funding for Nepalese athletes’ training comes from the IOC’s solidarity program.

The IOC recognizes the importance of supporting athletes from countries with the greatest financial need. Between 2021 and 2024, the IOC plans to spend $590 million to assist athletes and coaches through its solidarity program. This funding is crucial in the modern sports landscape, where “talent and determination alone are not enough to reach the top.”

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