“Started with a different goal”: The last gold medal went to the USA – the German Olympic record is historically poor

“Began with a Different Purpose”
The last gold medal USA – German Olympic record was historically worst

August 11, 2024, 5:22 pm

The final medal decider of the Olympic Games was decided in Paris: the USA won the women's basketball final – and gold against hosts France. Overall Germany's Olympic record is disappointing.

American basketball players won the last gold medal of the Paris Olympics. The USA won the final against the French in a dramatic 67-66 victory. It was the eighth Olympic Games victory for the US women's basketball team. Overall, the United States won the most gold medals (40) at the Paris Games, tied with China. France finished fifth in the medal tally with 16 gold medals.

For the German team, the negative Olympic trend continues at the Paris Summer Games. While athletes can expect a few more gold medals, the overall balance remains historically weak. According to the final results, tenth place in the medal table was the worst finish since 1952.

At Tokyo 2021, the Germans' total of 33 medals represents their weakest record since reuniting 37 times. However, more gold has been celebrated than Japan: ten three years ago the D team celebrated twelve Olympic victories.

Olaf Tabor, head of competitive sports at the German Olympic Sports Federation, said on Saturday, “We started these Games with a different goal. Several fourth and fifth places are evidence of strong performances, but: “It hurts, we missed one or two medals.” Nevertheless, he said, “In almost all the Games He saw first-class performances, some of them world-class.”

Germany is aiming to be in the top ten of the national rankings. However, in the medium term, things should continue to pick up again. Tabor is aiming for “fifth place” for the Summer Games, but that would require significant progress in establishing a sports agency. Tabor stressed that this was a “necessary step” for the effective promotion of high-quality sport.

The most successful sports are equestrian (five medals including four gold) and canoeing (six medals including two gold). The German team also performed better than last year in the main Olympic sports of athletics and swimming. Among others, the results of fencers, wrestlers, sailors and sports shooters, who were without medals, were disappointing. The Association of German Cyclists (BDR) also won two precious metals, falling short of expectations.