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TOKYO 2020

What's the USA's record medal haul at an Olympic Games?

The United States has won more medals than any other nation at the modern Olympics.

Update:
This picture shows a large-scale reproduction of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gold medal as part of the Olympic Agora event at Mitsui Tower in Tokyo on July 14, 2021. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
PHILIP FONGAFP

The United States is the modern Olympics’ most successful country, having won a total of 2,828 medals across the Summer and Winter Games.

That medal haul breaks down to 2,523 at the Summer Olympics (1,022 of which were gold) and 305 at the Winter Olympics (105 of which were gold).

1904 Olympics brought USA's best medal haul, 1988 Games yielded most golds

When it comes to individual editions of the Olympics, the USA's largest ever medal tally at the Summer Games came in St Louis in 1904, when American competitors accrued 239, a total that remains unsurpassed by any other nation.

However, the country’s total of 78 gold medals at the 1904 Games is not its highest ever. At Los Angeles 1984, the USA won a record 83 golds, despite collecting 65 fewer medals overall than in St Louis.

USA's Olympics medal haul by Summer Games

GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Athens 1896117220
Paris 190019141447
St Louis 1904788279239
London 190823121247
Stockholm 191225191963
Antwerp 192041272795
Paris 192445272799
Amsterdam 192822181656
Los Angeles 1932413230103
Berlin 193624201256
London 194838271984
Helsinki 195240191776
Melbourne 195632251774
Rome 196034211671
Tokyo 196436262890
Mexico City 1968452834107
Munich 197233313094
Montreal 197634352594
Moscow 1980Did not enter
Los Angeles 1984836130174
Seoul 198836312794
Barcelona 1992373437108
Atlanta 1996443225101
Sydney 200037243293
Athens 2004363926101
Beijing 2008363937112
London 2012462830104
Rio 2016463738121

Vancouver 2010 the USA's most medal-heavy Winter Games

At the Winter Olympics, meanwhile, the USA's best medals total so far came at Vancouver 2010, when they picked up 37. Nine of those were gold medals, one short of America’s national-record haul of 10 golds, set in Salt Lake City in 2002.

USA's Olympics medal haul by Winter Games

GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Chamonix 19241214
St Moritz 19282226
Lake Placid 193264212
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 19361034
St Moritz 19483429
Oslo 195246111
Cortina d'Ampezzo 19562327
Squaw Valley 196034310
Innsbruck 19641247
Grenoble 19681517
Sapporo 19723238
Innsbruck 197633410
Lake Placid 198064212
Sarajevo 19844408
Calgary 19882136
Albertville 199254211
Lillehammer 199465213
Nagano 199863413
Salt Lake City 200210131134
Turin 200699725
Vancouver 20109151337
Sochi 2014991028
Pyeongchang 201898623

American Phelps the Olympics' most decorated athlete

As well as being the Olympics’ most decorated nation, the USA also boasts the most successful Olympian of all time in swimmer Michael Phelps, who racked up 28 medals across five appearances at the Summer Games.

US swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever.
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US swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever.DOMINIC EBENBICHLERREUTERS