The United States earned the honor of being the best performing team in the pool at the Paris Olympics this year, bringing home eight gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals, putting them at the top of both the gold medal and overall medal counts. The United States has been extremely dominant in the past, and that is reflected in the medal tables. What has changed in the rankings after the Paris Olympics?
Before the Paris Games, the United States had a considerable lead over the rest of the field with 586 medals (258 gold). Australia was a comfortable second with 67 gold medals and 206 total medals. East Germany followed with 38 gold medals and 92 total medals. Both are quickly being overtaken by countries still competing today. All data below, which includes medal counts prior to Paris, are from OlympicsAt the time of writing, medals won at the Paris Olympic Games were not yet included in the database.
| Rank (before Paris) | country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | In total |
| 1 | United States | 258 | 182 | 146 | 586 |
| 2 | Australia | 67 | 67 | 72 | 206 |
| 3 | East Germany | 38 | 32 | 22 | 92 |
| 4 | Hungary | 28 | 26 | 20 | 74 |
| 5 | Japan | 24 | 27 | 32 | 83 |
| 6 | Great Britain | 22 | 29 | 30 | 81 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 19 | 20 | 19 | 58 |
| 8 | China | 16 | 21 | 12 | 49 |
| 9 | Germany | 14 | 23 | 36 | 73 |
| 10 | Soviet Union | 12 | 21 | 26 | 59 |
| 11 | Canada | 9 | 18 | 27 | 54 |
| 12 | Sweden | 9 | 16 | 14 | 39 |
| 13 | France | 8 | 16 | 19 | 43 |
| 14 | South Africa | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| 15 | Unified team | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 16 | Italy | 5 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 17 | Russia | 4 | 9 | 9 | 22 |
| 18 | Ukraine | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 19 | West Germany | 3 | 5 | 14 | 22 |
| 20 | Denmark | 3 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 21 | Romania | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 22 | Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 23 | Zimbabwe | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 24 | Australasia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 25 | Spain | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 26 | Russian Olympic Committee | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 27 | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 28 | Tunisia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 29 | Austria | 1 | 6 | 4 | 11 |
| 30 | Brazil | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| 31 | Greece | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 31 | Poland | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 33 | South Korea | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 34 | Belgium | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 35 | Costa Rica | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 36 | Argentina | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 36 | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 38 | Yugoslavia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 | Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 39 | Suriname | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 41 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 41 | Lithuania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 41 | Singapore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 44 | Belarus | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 45 | Hong Kong | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 45 | Slovakia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 47 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 48 | Cuba | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 48 | Norway | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 50 | Croatia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 50 | Serbia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 50 | Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 53 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 54 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 55 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 55 | Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
After the 2024 Games, 19 nations have won medals. Each nation that won a medal is in italics. All crossed out countries were unable to compete in Paris, either because the country no longer exists or was excluded by the IOC. This table shows the updated rankings, sorted from most to fewest gold medals.
| Rank (current) | country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | In total | Change? |
| 1 | United States | 266 | 195 | 153 | 614 | |
| 2 | Australia | 74 | 75 | 75 | 224 | |
| 3 | 38 | 32 | 22 | 92 | ||
| 4 | Hungary | 30 | 27 | 20 | 77 | |
| 5 | Japan | 24 | 28 | 32 | 84 | |
| 6 | Great Britain | 23 | 33 | 30 | 86 | |
| 7 | Netherlands | 19 | 20 | 21 | 60 | |
| 8 | China | 18 | 24 | 19 | 61 | |
| 9 | Germany | 15 | 23 | 37 | 75 | |
| 10 | 12 | 21 | 26 | 59 | ||
| 11 | Canada | 12 | 20 | 30 | 62 | |
| 12 | France | 12 | 17 | 21 | 50 | ⬆️ 1 |
| 13 | Sweden | 11 | 16 | 14 | 41 | ⬇️ 1 |
| 14 | South Africa | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 | |
| 15 | Italy | 7 | 7 | 17 | 31 | ⬆️ 1 |
| 16 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ⬇️ 1 | |
| 17 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 22 | ||
| 18 | Ukraine | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | |
| 19 | Romania | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | ⬆️ 2 |
| 20 | Ireland | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | ⬆️ 2 |
| 21 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 22 | ⬇️ 2 | |
| 22 | Denmark | 3 | 5 | 7 | 15 | ⬇️ 2 |
| 23 | Zimbabwe | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| 24 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 25 | Spain | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 27 | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 28 | Tunisia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 29 | Austria | 1 | 6 | 4 | 11 | |
| 30 | Brazil | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | |
| 31 | Greece | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
| 32 | Poland | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | ⬇️ 1 |
| 33 | South Korea | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| 34 | Belgium | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
| 35 | Costa Rica | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 36 | Argentina | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 36 | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 39 | Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 39 | Suriname | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 41 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 41 | Lithuania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 41 | Singapore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | Hong Kong | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ⬆️ 1 |
| 45 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ⬇️ 1 | |
| 46 | Slovakia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ⬇️ 1 |
| 47 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 48 | Cuba | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 48 | Norway | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 50 | Croatia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | Serbia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | Slovenia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 53 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| 54 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 55 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 55 | Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
NOTABLE CHANGES
GOLD MEDAL RANKING
FRANCE NOW AHEAD OF SWEDEN
- Before this year’s competition, France (originally ranked 12th) was one gold medal behind Sweden (originally ranked 13th). Even with Sarah Sjostrom‘s performance, which earned two gold medals, Leon MarchandThe four victories were enough to put the host country ahead of Sweden in the rankings. France, Canada and the Soviet Union now have 12 gold medals each.
ITALY OVERTAKES UNIFIED TEAM
- The Unified Team had a brief Olympic presence, competing only in the 1992 Games. This team was made up of nations from the former Soviet Union (including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine), which officially defunct in December 1991. In this limited period of swimming, they won six gold medals and ten overall medals, thanks in part to Alexander Popov. At the last Games, Italy surpassed the team with Thomas Ceccon and Nicolo Martinenghi each won an individual gold medal, helping their country to 15th place overall.
ROMANIA AND IRELAND OUTPERFORM DENMARK AND WEST GERMANY
- David PopovicRomania’s first medalist since 2004, he won a gold and a bronze medal for his country this year, adding two more to his previous nine medals. Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry both took medals for Ireland, with Wiffen winning the 800m freestyle and McSharry taking third in the 100m breaststroke. Ireland and Romania had both won three gold medals before Paris. With their victories in their events, Popovici and Wiffen placed their countries ahead of West Germany and Denmark, leaving Romania and Ireland in 19th and 20th place respectively.
GREECE FINALLY BREAKS MEDAL TIE WITH POLAND
- Before this year, Greece and Poland were tied with one gold medal, three silver medals and two bronze medals each. Apostolos Christouthe silver medalist in the 200-meter backstroke, became the first swimmer from his country to win a medal in the pool since 1896. He also beat Greece ahead of Poland, breaking a 20-year-long tie.
HAUGHEY STRENGTHENS HONG KONG AHEAD OF BELARUS AND SLOVAKIA
- Hong Kong, Belarus and Slovakia are the only countries to have won multiple silver medals but no gold medals at the Olympic Games – each country has two silver medals. In Paris Siobhan Haughey took third place in both the 100m and 200m freestyle, making her country one of the most successful nations yet to win a gold medal in the pool. Hong Kong is now ranked 44th, Belarus 45th and Slovakia 46th.
OVERALL MEDAL RANKING
Great Britain overtakes Japan
- In perhaps the biggest ranking shift we have seen since these Games, Great Britain won four more medals than Japan, moving them up to fourth place (in terms of total medals), behind only the United States, Australia and East Germany. Before Paris, Japan was ahead of Great Britain with 83 medals, 81 medals, and now the table stands at 86 medals for Great Britain and 84 for Japan. In the gold medal preference rankings, Japan is ahead of Great Britain by one gold medal.
CHINA AND CANADA OVERTAKE THE NETHERLANDS AND THE SOVIET UNION
- After Summer McIntosh And Ilya Charun both brought home several medals for Canada and Zhang Yufei brought a total of six medals for China, the two nations overtaking the Netherlands and the Soviet Union in terms of total medal count. Before Paris, China had a total of 49 medals, Canada 54, the Netherlands 58 and the Soviet Union 59. Now Canada has 62 and China 61, putting them in eighth and ninth place, ahead of the Dutch team in tenth place with its 60 medals.
