Alas, Yorick Wraps Up the Olympics

The Olympics are dead I mean over! And in case you missed it, here are a few important points to consider, courtesy of the crack Alas, Yorick research team. And Google.

We’re Number 1! Maybe.

Who won? Depends on how your count it. The US won the most medals overall, 110. But China won more golds with 51. Who’s first?

China had the most gold medals since 1988. The all-time record is the US in 1984 winning 83. But that needs a big fat asterisk, because that was the year the entire Soviet bloc except Rumania boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles – so the competition was much weaker than usual. In any case, China is the first country other than the US and the Soviet Union/Russia to lead the gold medal count since 1936.

Rule, Britannia.

Great Britain (as the UK is known in the Olympics) had a great games – finishing 4th in both gold medals and overall medals, winning the most medals ever for GB. The fact that they finished ahead of Australia (5th in overall, 6th in golds) has caused great angst with some in Australia about losing to the Poms... Wait till next time! In ... London.

Cheering for the Little Guys

I always like to see small countries do well. Especially Mongolia, since I lived there. Well, this time Mongolia won 2 golds and 2 silvers, their best Olympics ever and their first golds ever. Being descendants of Genghis Khan (possibly literally, something like half of Mongolians claim descent from the Big Guy), naturally all their medals were in he-man combat-type sports – a gold and silver in boxing, a gold in judo, and a silver in shooting.

It is ironic they did it in China, which still remembers the Mongol conquest (Great Wall of China, anybody?)… If there was an equestrian event involving five-year-old kids riding bareback on horses over a 30 mile course, Mongolia would be a lock for that one, too! And for that matter, they would be competitive if sumo wrestling ever became an Olympic sport.