Ranking the medal table by gold, total, or most medals per capita – who actually won at the Olympics?

Australia, the US and China on the podium after the women's 4x100 metres medley relay swimming final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. There has been debate about whether the Olympics medal table ranking should be by gold medals, total medal count, or medals per capita. Photograph: Ludvig Thunman/Bildbyran//Shutterstock

When Australia’s Kaylee McKeown touched the wall ahead of her US rivals in the 100 metre backstroke on 31 July, she secured herself back-to-back Olympic gold medals – the second woman to achieve the feat in the event. Australia’s sixth gold at the Games put the country third in the standings.

But not in America.