gold-medals

When you adjust for population size, Finland, Norway, and Sweden dwarf the USA and China in Olympic gold medal performance. See the full ranking of countries by all-time Olympic gold medals per million people and discover the small-nation sports powerhouses you never knew existed.

The United States has won more than 1,100 Olympic gold medals since 1896 — more than any other nation. The Soviet Union, which no longer exists, ranks second. Here's the all-time medal table, the stories behind the dominant nations, and how the balance of Olympic power has shifted over 130 years.