Who has the most gold?

The United States has won the most medals at the Tokyo Olympics, and is the only country to repatriate more than 100. But on the last day of the competition, the competition against the most gold medals was fierce competition between the United States and China. .

The competition is particularly important for China, which has been trying to harness its youth for the Olympic glory since rejoining the 1984 Summer Olympics.

With only a few events left, the United States won the race on Sunday afternoon, reaching 39 gold.

At the start of the day in Tokyo, China had 38 gold from the United States to 36. But the American teams then won a gold medal in women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, and Jennifer Valente won the women’s omnium track in cycling, putting the United States in the lead.

China had two chances to win gold, but finished fourth in the overall final of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Group and silver in the women’s middleweight boxing.

American Richard Torrez Jr. lost the super heavyweight final on Sunday afternoon, but the Americans had already received the most gold. Torrez earned a silver medal.

To strengthen itself as a sports superpower, the Chinese government developed a formal gold medal strategy years ago that depended on thousands of full-time sports schools. Coaches are looking for young talent in villages and towns. In addition to traditional forts such as table tennis and badminton, Chinese officials deliberately targeted sports that were underfunded in the West, such as women’s sports or less high-profile hobbies that offer multiple medals from multiple weight classes or event categories.

It didn’t matter if there was interest in these sports in China. Sports schools started programs from scratch in women’s weightlifting, taekwondo, kayaking and more.

At home in 2008, China achieved its goal, exceeding the number of gold medals for the first time. However, the country fell in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 amid public reservations about whether the sports system was worth it. Few children get to the elite level, and even those who don’t are not guaranteed good jobs after retirement.

While government officials stressed their desire to promote mass sports and general physical fitness, the quest for gold continued.

It was worth it in Tokyo. China earned gold in sports it once dominated, such as weightlifting, diving, gymnastics and table tennis. But it also claimed gains in kayaking, cycling, rowing and athletics and highlighted its growing power in swimming. Most of the Chinese gold medals came from women or mixed team events.