| 
ATHENS, 2004 The athletes have competed, the winners have
rejoiced, and the anthems have been played. The big countries
have won lots of medals, and the smaller countries have won
fewer, with their results displayed in the Olympic Medals Chart
for all to see.
But is the Chart really fair? What kind of
justice is it, when the USA, with 293 million people, has 1,000
times more people to choose from than tiny Bahamas, with just
300,000 people?
If we take population into account, and rank
the athletic achievements of the nations by how many medals
they win for every million people, a very different table emerges.
Here are the new "Medals per Population" winning
nations:
 - Bahamas 
 -
Australia 
 - Cuba 
These nations are followed by Estonia, Slovenia,
Jamaica, Latvia and Hungary. The traditional big medal winners
come in lower: Russia is 26th, the USA 40th,
and China 70th.
It is fascinating how consistent the results
are compared to Sydney, when the Bahamas came 1st,
Australia 4th and Cuba 6th. In Sydney,
Russia came in 30th, USA 46th, and China
75th.
But is population alone a good measure of
national athletic performance? What about the amount of money
that a nation can devote to its athletes? I don’t have the
statistics for athletics budgets for each nation, so the next
best is GDP. When we rank the nations by how many billion dollars
of GDP are needed to generate each medal, the results are even
more interesting. (See Table B).
Here are the new "Medals per GDP" winners:
- Cuba
- Jamaica 
- Bahamas
They are followed by Georgia, Eritrea, Belarus
and North Korea. Russia comes in 29th, China 66th and
the USA 68th. Clearly, money is not the answer.
If money was the secret to athletic success, the USA, with
close to the world’s highest GDP per person, would surely come
in the top 8 nations, not the bottom 8, as it does. In Cuba,
you need $1.17 billion of GDP to win a medal. In the USA, you
need 100 times more per medal, at $106 billion.
So what is the secret of athletic success,
on the medal podium? First, it helps to be a small nation.
The smaller nations have proportionately much more success
than the big ones. Do the athletes of smaller nations generate
a bigger "cheer factor", and take more pride in their
country than the athletes of the big nations, where the power
and distance of the government takes the edge off national
joy? Who knows? If the athletic achievements of the world’s
nations are to be compared, we should score for the acievements
of every athlete who entered the Games, not just the medal
winners.
So ponder these charts, and enjoy!
Guy Dauncey (Victoria, Canada)
www.earthfuture.com
and Bill Briner
(Australia)
www.justpeaceqld.org
TABLE
A: Athens 2004 Olympic Medal-Winning Nations Ranked
by "Million People
per Medal"
|
|
COUNTRY |
Medals |
Population |
Million people
per Medal |
Rank A
|
(Rank in 2000) |
|
Bahamas |
2 |
299,697 |
0.15 |
1 |
(1) |
|
Australia |
49 |
19,913,144 |
0.41 |
2 |
(4) |
|
Cuba |
27 |
11,308,764 |
0.42 |
3 |
(6) |
|
Estonia |
3 |
1,341,664 |
0.45 |
4 |
(8) |
|
Slovenia |
4 |
2,011,473 |
0.50 |
5 |
(24) |
|
Jamaica |
5 |
2,713,130 |
0.54 |
6 |
(5) |
|
Latvia |
4 |
2,306,306 |
0.58 |
7 |
(---) |
|
Hungary |
17 |
10,032,375 |
0.59 |
8 |
(10) |
|
Bulgaria |
12 |
7,517,973 |
0.63 |
9 |
(11) |
|
Greece |
16 |
10,647,529 |
0.67 |
10 |
(19) |
|
Denmark |
8 |
5,413,392 |
0.68 |
11 |
(22) |
|
Belarus |
15 |
10,310,520 |
0.69 |
12 |
(12) |
|
Netherlands |
22 |
16,318,199 |
0.74 |
13 |
(13) |
|
Norway |
6 |
4,574,560 |
0.76 |
14 |
(7) |
|
New Zealand |
5 |
3,993,817 |
0.80 |
15 |
(23) |
|
Slovakia |
6 |
5,423,567 |
0.90 |
16 |
(25) |
|
Croatia |
5 |
4,496,869 |
0.89 |
17 |
(38) |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
1 |
1,096,585 |
1.10 |
18 |
(9) |
|
Austria |
7 |
8,174,762 |
1.17 |
19 |
(44) |
|
Georgia |
4 |
4,693,892 |
1.17 |
20 |
(20) |
|
Romania |
19 |
22,355,551 |
1.18 |
21 |
(21) |
|
Lithuania |
3 |
3,607,899 |
1.20 |
22 |
(14) |
|
Czech Rep |
8 |
10,246,178 |
1.28 |
23 |
(26) |
|
Sweden |
7 |
8,986,400 |
1.28 |
24 |
(15) |
|
Switzerland |
5 |
7,450,867 |
1.49 |
25 |
(18) |
|
Russia |
92 |
143,782,338 |
1.56 |
26 |
(30) |
|
Azerbaijan |
5 |
7,868,385 |
1.57 |
27 |
(43) |
|
Korea, South |
30 |
48,598,175 |
1.62 |
28 |
(32) |
|
Germany |
48 |
82,424,609 |
1.72 |
29 |
(28) |
|
Italy |
32 |
58,057,477 |
1.81 |
30 |
(31) |
|
France |
33 |
60,424,213 |
1.83 |
31 |
(29) |
|
Kazakhstan |
8 |
15,143,704 |
1.89 |
32 |
(42) |
|
Great Britain |
30 |
60,270,708 |
2.01 |
33 |
(37) |
|
Ukraine |
23 |
47,732,079 |
2.07 |
34 |
(39) |
|
Spain |
19 |
40,280,780 |
2.12 |
35 |
(50) |
|
United Arab Emirates |
1 |
2,523,915 |
2.52 |
36 |
(---) |
|
Finland |
2 |
5,214,512 |
2.60 |
37 |
(27) |
|
Canada |
12 |
32,507,874 |
2.71 |
38 |
(41) |
|
Mongolia |
1 |
2,751,314 |
2.75 |
39 |
(---) |
|
United States |
103 |
293,027,571 |
2.85 |
40 |
(46) |
|
Israel |
2 |
6,199,008 |
3.10 |
41 |
(57) |
|
Japan |
37 |
127,333,002 |
3.44 |
42 |
(61) |
|
Belgium |
3 |
10,348,276 |
3.45 |
43 |
(36) |
|
Portugal |
3 |
10,524,145 |
3.51 |
44 |
(55) |
|
Poland |
10 |
38,626,349 |
3.86 |
45 |
(45) |
|
Ireland |
1 |
3,969,558 |
3.97 |
46 |
(51) |
|
Zimbabwe |
3 |
12,671,860 |
4.22 |
47 |
(---) |
|
Korea, North |
5 |
22,697,553 |
4.39 |
48 |
(56) |
|
Eritrea |
1 |
4,447,307 |
4.40 |
49 |
(---) |
|
Taiwan |
5 |
22,749,838 |
4.55 |
50 |
(53) |
|
Kenya |
7 |
32,021,856 |
4.57 |
51 |
(52) |
|
Chile |
3 |
15,823,957 |
5.27 |
52 |
(67) |
|
Uzbekistan |
5 |
26,410,416 |
5.28 |
53 |
(59) |
|
Serbia and Montenegro |
2 |
10,825,900 |
5.41 |
54 |
(49) |
|
Paraguay |
1 |
6,191,386 |
6.20 |
55 |
(---) |
|
Argentina |
6 |
39,144,753 |
6.52 |
56 |
(64) |
|
Turkey |
10 |
68,893,918 |
6.90 |
57 |
(70) |
|
Hong Kong |
1 |
6,855,125 |
6.90 |
58 |
(---) |
|
South Africa |
6 |
42,718,530 |
7.12 |
59 |
(63) |
|
Thailand |
8 |
64,865,523 |
8.12 |
60 |
(74) |
|
Dominican Republic |
1 |
8,833,634 |
8.83 |
61 |
(---) |
|
Ethiopia |
7 |
67,851,281 |
9.69 |
62 |
(62) |
|
Morocco |
3 |
32,209,101 |
10.74 |
63 |
(58) |
|
Iran |
6 |
69,018,924 |
11.50 |
64 |
(69) |
|
Venezuela |
2 |
25,017,387 |
12.50 |
65 |
(---) |
|
Egypt |
5 |
76,117,421 |
15.20 |
66 |
(---) |
|
Cameroon |
1 |
16,063,678 |
16.06 |
67 |
(68) |
|
Syria |
1 |
18,016,874 |
18.01 |
68 |
(---) |
|
Brazil |
10 |
184,101,109 |
18.40 |
69 |
(66) |
|
China |
63 |
1,298,847,624 |
20.60 |
70 |
(75) |
|
Mexico |
4 |
104,959,594 |
26.24 |
71 |
(71) |
|
Colombia |
1 |
42,310,775 |
42.30 |
72 |
(77) |
|
Indonesia |
4 |
238,452,952 |
59.60 |
73 |
(76) |
|
Nigeria |
2 |
137,253,133 |
68.62 |
74 |
(78) |
|
India |
1 |
1,065,070,607 |
1065 |
75 |
(80) |
| TABLE B: Athens 2004 Olympic Medal-Winning
Nations Ranked by "$ Billion GDP per Medal" |
|
COUNTRY |
Medals |
GDP
$ Billion
|
$ Billion
per Medal |
Rank
|
(Rank in 2000) |
|
Cuba |
27 |
$31.6 |
1.17 |
1 |
(2) |
|
Jamaica |
5 |
$10.2 |
2.04 |
2 |
(3) |
|
Bahamas |
2 |
$5.1 |
2.55 |
3 |
(7) |
|
Georgia |
4 |
$12.2 |
3.05 |
4 |
(4) |
|
Eritrea |
1 |
$3.3 |
3.30 |
5 |
(--) |
|
Belarus |
15 |
$61.9 |
4.13 |
6 |
(9) |
|
Korea, North |
5 |
$22.8 |
4.56 |
7 |
(18) |
|
Kenya |
7 |
$33.1 |
4.73 |
8 |
(20) |
|
Bulgaria |
12 |
$57.1 |
4.76 |
9 |
(6) |
|
Mongolia |
1 |
$4.9 |
4.90 |
10 |
(---) |
|
Azerbaijan |
5 |
$26.3 |
5.26 |
11 |
(13) |
|
Estonia |
3 |
$17.4 |
5.80 |
12 |
(5) |
|
Latvia |
4 |
$23.8 |
5.95 |
13 |
(---) |
|
Ethiopia |
7 |
$48.5 |
6.90 |
14 |
(1) |
|
Zimbabwe |
3 |
$24.03 |
8.00 |
15 |
(---) |
|
Romania |
19 |
$154.4 |
8.12 |
16 |
(11) |
|
Hungary |
17 |
$139.7 |
8.22 |
17 |
(14) |
|
Uzbekistan |
5 |
$44.1 |
8.80 |
18 |
(36) |
|
Slovenia |
4 |
$36.9 |
9.20 |
19 |
(29) |
|
Croatia |
5 |
$47.1 |
9.42 |
20 |
(32) |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
1 |
$10.6 |
10.6 |
21 |
(15) |
|
Ukraine |
23 |
$256.5 |
11.2 |
22 |
(16) |
|
Australia |
49 |
$570.3 |
11.64 |
23 |
(23) |
|
Serbia and Montenegro |
2 |
$24.01 |
12.0 |
24 |
(21) |
|
Slovakia |
6 |
$72.3 |
12.05 |
25 |
(26) |
|
Kazakhstan |
8 |
$105.3 |
13.2 |
26 |
(25) |
|
Greece |
16 |
$212.2 |
13.3 |
27 |
(31) |
|
Lithuania |
3 |
$40.2 |
13.4 |
28 |
(12) |
|
Russia |
92 |
$1,287 |
14.0 |
29 |
(22) |
|
New Zealand |
5 |
$85.3 |
17.1 |
30 |
(39) |
|
Czech Rep |
8 |
$160.5 |
20.1 |
31 |
(37) |
|
Denmark |
8 |
$167.7 |
20.96 |
32 |
(42) |
|
Netherlands |
22 |
$461.4 |
20.97 |
33 |
(35) |
|
Cameroon |
1 |
$27.6 |
27.6 |
34 |
(49) |
|
Paraguay |
1 |
$28.0 |
28.0 |
35 |
(---) |
|
Korea, South |
30 |
$855.3 |
28.5 |
36 |
(45) |
|
Norway |
6 |
$171.6 |
28.6 |
37 |
(30) |
|
Sweden |
7 |
$238.1 |
34.0 |
38 |
(38) |
|
Austria |
7 |
$245.5 |
35.1 |
39 |
(61) |
|
Poland |
10 |
$426.7 |
42.7 |
40 |
(40) |
|
Morocco |
3 |
$128.3 |
42.8 |
41 |
(43) |
|
Turkey |
10 |
$455.3 |
45.5 |
42 |
(72) |
|
Spain |
19 |
$885.5 |
46.6 |
43 |
(60) |
|
Germany |
48 |
$2,271 |
47.3 |
44 |
(50) |
|
Thailand |
8 |
$475.7 |
47.6 |
45 |
(74) |
|
Switzerland |
5 |
$239.8 |
48.0 |
46 |
(44) |
|
Italy |
32 |
$1,552 |
48.5 |
47 |
(51) |
|
France |
33 |
$1,654 |
50.1 |
48 |
(52) |
|
Chile |
3 |
$154.6 |
51.5 |
49 |
(78) |
|
Dominican Republic |
1 |
$52.16 |
52.2 |
50 |
(---) |
|
Nigeria |
2 |
$110.8 |
55.4 |
51 |
(53) |
|
Great Britain |
30 |
$1,664 |
55.5 |
52 |
(55) |
|
United Arab Emirates |
1 |
$57.7 |
57.7 |
53 |
(---) |
|
Syria |
1 |
$58.0 |
58.0 |
54 |
(---) |
|
Venezuela |
2 |
$117.9 |
58.9 |
55 |
(---) |
|
Egypt |
5 |
$294.3 |
58.9 |
56 |
(---) |
|
Israel |
2 |
$120.6 |
60.3 |
57 |
(73) |
|
Portugal |
3 |
$182.3 |
60.8 |
58 |
(64) |
|
Finland |
2 |
$141.7 |
70.8 |
59 |
(46) |
|
Argentina |
6 |
$432.7 |
72.1 |
60 |
(68) |
|
South Africa |
6 |
$456.7 |
76.1 |
61 |
(59) |
|
Iran |
6 |
$477.8 |
79.6 |
62 |
(67) |
|
Canada |
12 |
$957.7 |
79.8 |
63 |
(58) |
|
Japan |
37 |
$3,567 |
96.4 |
64 |
(77) |
|
Belgium |
3 |
$298.2 |
99.4 |
65 |
(56) |
|
China |
63 |
$6,449 |
102.4 |
66 |
(66) |
|
Taiwan |
5 |
$528.6 |
105.7 |
67 |
(62) |
|
United States |
103 |
$10,980 |
106.6 |
68 |
(70) |
|
Ireland |
1 |
$117.0 |
117.0 |
69 |
(63) |
|
Brazil |
10 |
$1379 |
137.9 |
70 |
(65) |
|
Indonesia |
4 |
$758.1 |
189.5 |
71 |
(71) |
|
Hong Kong |
1 |
$212.2 |
212.0 |
72 |
(---) |
|
Mexico |
4 |
$942.2 |
235.6 |
73 |
(76) |
|
Colombia |
1 |
$262.5 |
262.5 |
74 |
(79) |
|
India |
1 |
$3,022 |
3022 |
75 |
(80) |
Back to Top
Source of data: www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook In 2000, 80 countries won medals. In 2004,
75 countries won medals.
August 2004
www.earthfuture.com
|
