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The United States is the most successful nation of all time at the Summer Olympic Games, having amassed a total of 2,520 medals since the first Olympics in 1896.

Team USA gets the gold medal

Of the 2,520 medals won by Team USA over the years, over one thousand have been gold. The dominance of the United States can be shown in the fact that only two other nations, Russia and Germany, have reached a combined medal tally of 1,000. The United States team has been present at every edition of the Olympics except for the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, which they boycotted in protest against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan during the height of the Cold War. In the most recent Summer Olympics, held in Rio de Janiero in 2016, Team USA emerged with 121 medals, making it their third most successful Olympics in history. The team were able to claim 46 gold medals across a record 35 sports, including men’s basketball, women’s water polo, and tennis mixed doubles. 

Team USA only second best in the Winter Olympics

The United States’ unrivalled success in the Summer Olympics is not quite matched in the Winter Olympics. Whilst Team USA claims second spot in the all-time medal tally with an impressive 305 medals, they are just beaten by Norway, who have claimed 368 medals since 1924. This tally is very impressive considering Norway’s population stands at just over five million inhabitants, a fraction of the size of the United States. Indeed, the most successful Winter Olympian of all time, Marit Bjørgen, hails from the Scandinavian country. The cross-country skiier collected eight gold medals, four silver, and three bronze in a dazzling career that spanned five Winter Olympics between 2002 and 2018.