USA having a bit of a shocker but they still top medal table – in America at least!

After the fourth day of action at the Olympics, American news outlet NB6 South Florida published a graphic on X, formerly Twitter, of the medal table.

It showed the USA top, with a combined total of 26 medals, just four of which were golds. Britain, with four golds and an overall haul of 12, were down in fifth place.

This, of course, was the USA’s rose-tinted version of events. Our friends across the pond have always done things their own way when it comes to Olympic medal tables, ignoring the convention used by the International Olympic Committee, which bases it on the number of golds the athletes from a country have earned, rather than the total number of medals won.

Various tables have appeared on US news outlets in recent days all painting the same happy picture. As far as America is concerned, Team USA is miles out in front of everyone else with their (as of Wednesday afternoon) 28-strong medal haul and counting. Who knew Olympic medal table propaganda existed?

NB6 South Florida’s own mock-up was enough to tickle one social media user, who replied by posting a photo of the official medal count which showed the USA languishing in seventh, behind fourth-placed Britain and table toppers China. “Here’s the real medal count the rest of the world is following, based on GOLD medals baby!” they said.

Another user replied with a screenshot of the official one and South Florida’s table, with a laughing-face emoji plastered above the latter.

The harsh truth is that the USA are lagging behind in the medal table after an underwhelming start to the Games. This is a country looking to emulate its formidable haul at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, where it won 113 medals, 39 of which were gold. But by 5pm on Wednesday, the sporting powerhouse was wallowing in seventh in the IOC’s table, two places behind Britain in fifth.

It is not a sight we are used to seeing: a nation with the largest contingent of athletes at the Games (some 594 are out in Paris – almost double the 327-strong Team GB team).

There is, of course, still time for Team USA to make up ground. The rest of the women’s gymnastics, where they are nailed-on for a few more bullions, is yet to be completed. By the start of next week, Simone Biles alone may have bagged four more as well as the individual all-around final crown she has already won in Paris, and they will inevitably pick up some much-needed bling in athletics.

Britain’s epic start to the Games has seen a treasure trove of heartwarming stories that have united a nation, like triathlete Alex Yee’s lung-busting sprint to overtake New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, only for the latter to drape his arm around his competitor in a wonderful show of sportsmanship after the finish line.

The sight of Britain’s women’s quad snatching victory from the jaws of their Dutch rivals by a mere whisker would have sent most heart-rate monitors spiking, while Nathan Hales’s breathtaking ability to keep his cool in the fierce Parisian heat as he stormed to gold in the men’s trap shooting was the stuff of dreams.

And that’s without forgetting Britain’s 4×200 metre relay team heroically defending their title in the pool and Tom Pidcock’s astonishing performance in the men’s mountain biking to top the podium.

None of these efforts, though, seem to be reflected in the USA’s carefully drawn-up medal tables. The Olympic Games may only be a matter of days in, but already the medal count discourse has well and truly begun.

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